The novel _Cold Mountain_ by Charles Frazier is an excellent story of the struggles of two star crossed lovers who are driven apart by the American Civil War. Inman was horribly injured and barely escapes death, he is plunged into despair and depression by the things he has seen yet he cannot sit and be forced back into fighting when he heals so he takes off, still injured and on foot, to go back home to Cold Mountain and the Woman he loves. Ada on the other hand is left by her father's death penniless and clueless on how to raise the only asset she has left, a 300 acre farm. She is likely to starve until a local girl shows up to help named Ruby. Ruby shows her how to farm the land and Ruby is going to show me as well. Read the rest of this entry »