Bill cannot take a herd of longhorn cows to a big ranch in Montana, the task falls to Jewel. She follows the Goodnight-Loving Trail and must face many of the tribulations historical cowboys would have faced.
Jackrabbit Jewel's character is based loosely on Jewel Frost Duncan, a pioneer ranchwoman and cowgirl who was elected to the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame in 1976. As a publicity stunt, in 1937 Howard's Studio in Pecos modified an image of her to make it appear she was riding a "Texas-sized jackrabbit." This historical photo was the inspiration for Conejo Grande, the giant jackrabbit who is Jewel's mount and loyal companion throughout the story. Jackrabbit Jewel is a children's story that gently mixes Texas tall tale with the history of Texas and the Southwest.