The deep woods of East Texas provide the backdrop for this poignant story of sacrificial and gracious love. After the loss of his father in World War II, young Jimmy Cleveland, lives alone with his mother but longs to have a life like other boys in his town - filled with fishing, hunting, and the kind of companionship only a father can give. Lonely recluse Mr. Ozzy seems to appear out of nowhere, and fills the void left in Jimmy's life and his own. Squirrel hunting, an East Texas rite of passage, becomes the common ground for a friendship that endures through moments of grief, humor, and even a few outright dangerous situations.