Cold Mountain Plot

522 Words3 Pages
Novel Summary Cold Mountain is the story of W. P. Inman, a deserter of the confederate army in the American Civil War. After being wounded badly, Inman is now in a military hospital healing from his wounds. After the death of Bails, the man in the bed next to him in the hospital, Inman is shaken by the thought of returning to war. Taking advice from a blind man, Inman leaves the hospital and sets off for his home town of Cold Mountain, North Carolina, where the love of his life, Ada, waits. Back in Cold Mountain, Ada’s father dies and she is left alone to take care of their farm. Ada has no idea how to take care of the farm. She goes to her neighbors’ house and looks into a well to foretell her future. She sees the image of a man walking in the woods, but doesn’t know what this means. A local woman named Ruby is sent to Ada’s farm to help her get her life together. While this is all happening, Inman meets a corrupt preacher, Veasey, whom he goes on part of his journey with. The two meet a man named Junior, who turns them in to the Home Guard, who search for deserters of the war. The Home Guard decide to shoot the prisoners and Veasey is killed. Inman escapes and continues his westward journey. Ada and Ruby become friends on the farm together. Ruby’s father, Stobrod, is caught in a corn thief trap the women set up. He explains that he too, is a deserter of the war, and is currently living in a cave with others. As Inman’s journey continues, he meets many people who help him in different ways. One of these people is Sarah, a young widow with an infant baby. The next morning, three Federal soldiers come by and threaten Sarah and her baby. Inman kills all three. At the farm, Stobrod and one of his friends ask to stay at the farm with Ada and Ruby. Ada agrees to let them stay. The men go off into the woods and are killed by
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