Doug is a tree who is fifty years old and over eighty feet tall. He has spent all of his life in a Christmas tree farm, surrounded by other trees that he calls friends. One day, however, a man named Dave arrives, and things change for Doug. He is cut down and tied to a big truck, and so his journey begins.

Doug passes through deserts and through cities made of cement. He wonders where all the trees have gone, and he fears being made into firewood. But Dave takes him to New York City, where they set him up straight and cover him in twinkling Christmas lights. As he stands there, he wonders why the humans seem so very sad in New York.

This is the first Christmas since the tragedy of 9/11. So many lives were lost, and people have not had time to heal. Some think Christmas will never be the same. Can Doug bring the Christmas spirit back to a broken people and help to heal their hearts? The magic of a Christmas tree can spread far and wide, and with Doug's help, maybe Christmas can be joyful again.