Carole´s Monday: Cold Mountain

Author: Charles Frazier

Title: Cold Mountain

Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance, Classic

Format: paperback

Pages: 449

Published: January 1, 1997

Where I got It: My shelf (Gift)

Summary: 

Cold Mountain is a novel about a soldier’s perilous journey back to his beloved near the Civil War's end. At once a love story & a harrowing account of one man’s long walk home, Cold Mountain introduces a new talent in American literature.

Based on local history & family stories passed down by Frazier’s great-great-grandfather, Cold Mountain is the tale of a wounded Confederate soldier, Inman, who walks away from the ravages of the war & back home to his prewar sweetheart, Ada. His odyssey thru the devastated landscape of the soon-to-be-defeated South interweaves with Ada’s struggle to revive her father’s farm, with the help of an intrepid young drifter named Ruby. As their long-separated lives begin to converge at the close of the war, Inman & Ada confront the vastly transformed world they’ve been delivered.

Frazier reveals insight into human relations with the land & the dangers of solitude. He also shares with the great 19th century novelists a keen observation of a society undergoing change. Cold Mountain recreates a world gone by that speaks to our time.

Review:

One of my absolute favorite books. I felt it was time to revisit it since I haven't picked up this book since 2016.

This story is about WP Inman and Ada Monroe. They find love but due to war he puts on the uniform to fight for North Carolina. He may not believe in the cause, but it would be cowardly to not join. After he is injured horribly, he decides to walk away and go back home. The war is nearly done anyway and he can't take one more moment on the frontline. At the same time as his perilous walk, we also follow Ada. She was born and raised to be a lady. She only knows how to do frivolous tasks, so with her father gone and the money drained because of the war....she is struggling to survive. In walks Ruby who trains Ada to be a farmer.

This book always gets me. It is so tragic. I know how it ends, but I always have hope. Maybe it'll end differently this time!

I always wish that these two have more time together, but that is the tragedy. They are apart for so long, but I wish we had more scenes with them. Sighs. 

The format is always wild to me, but I've grown to look past it. It works for this story for some reason. Maybe I am blinded by love of the story and characters? 

What else to say?

The way the author describes our scenes is beautiful. It is majestic in a way. 

Yes, this is a love story but it is also shows a different side of the war. It really dives into the true human element. War makes monsters of us all. It may start with a noble cause but it can destroy everything and everyone. Along with the war and love element, the book does poke at deep issues at the time like racism, sexism, human rights, society, male/female gender roles, and etc.

All-in-all, this book always leaves me breathless and in tears. Now I have to watch the movie. Sigh. ;) 

5 stars from me of course. 

Favorite Character(s): Inman and Ruby

Least Favorite Character(s): Teague and his crew. 

  

Challenge(s):

- Romance Reading #12 (MC's name starts with 'M')