Danny wishes his dad would come home from Nevada for Christmas and writes him a letter to tell him so. When snow cuts off the mail until spring, only postman John Thompson can get through the Sierra Nevada Mountains to deliver his letter. "Based on a true story, this is lively historical fiction with a nice sense of character and adventure, [and] the illustrations are packed with feeling and action." ?BL. <P> <awards> Notable 1992 Children's Trade Books in Social Studies (NCSS/CBC)</awards>