Cold Mountain
Frazier's novel about a wounded Confederate soldier's long journey home, before the Civil War is over, recreates many of the hardships and sacrifices southern people were forced to face, even away from the battlefield. His use of the vernacular speech common in the Blue Ridge mountains of North Carolina during these years exposes a lesser-known part of Civil War history.
Inman, whose neck wound seems to be healing, has two other reasons for leaving the army hospital: he is fed up with all the senseless killing on the battlefield, and he wants to return to Ada, his hometown sweetheart. Although they exchanged letters at the beginning of his four-year absence, he does not know that her father has died, nor that a young orphan girl, Ruby, is helping her keep up the Black Cove farm. In fact, neither Ada nor Inman foresee how all their years apart have changed them, nor what they should expect from each other when they meet again.
During his months of journeying on foot, Inman attempts to elude the Home Guard, a band of armed men on horses who try to capture or kill deserters from the Confederate army, known then as "outliers". Inman also fears the "Federals", northern men who plunder and ravage unsuspecting southern families. And much like Huckleberry Finn, he continually encounters men who are not to be trusted too far.
Women, however, are more dependable and always take Inman in for meals. Only one becomes impatient with his slow eating and sits up on the table with her skirts raised, in an attempt to secure a husband. Another woman whose husband has been killed in the war askes Inman to sleep with her, but she wants only confort and their bodies never touch.
Inman has cause to shoot a number of men on his walk back to Cold Mountain, but always in self-defense or in defense of people who befriend him. These conflicts usually overshadow what Ada and the young girl face at Black Cove. But this changes when Ruby's vagabond father, Stobrod, also a Confederate outlier, shows up to beg for food.
Stobrod's only attempt to reciprocate is playing songs for the two girls on his homemade fiddle. Later when captured by the Guard, he plays for them too, but when he and his young banjo-playing friend run out of tunes, they are both shot and left for dead.
It is after Ada and Ruby discover Stobrod still alive up on Cold Mountain that Inman returns. He holds off the Guard who is following them and kills them all, except a young boy.
Much of this intriguing novel is based on local history from around Cold Mountain as well as stories that had been passed down by Frazier's great-great-grandfather. The organization of events and the fitting conclusion make Cold Mountain excellent reading.