In the waning days of the American Civil War, a wounded Confederate soldier named Inman deserts the battlefield, determined to make a perilous journey back to his home in Cold Mountain, North Carolina. Haunted by the horrors of war and the memory of his pre-war encounters with Ada Monroe, the woman he has grown to love, Inman embarks on his odyssey across a nation torn apart by conflict. His journey is fraught with danger, from marauding soldiers from both sides of the divide to the treacherous landscape itself, which seems as much an enemy as any man with a gun. Inman's resolve is tested at every turn, driving him to the brink of despair and beyond, fueled by the hope of returning to Ada and building a peaceful life together.

Meanwhile, Ada faces her own struggles in the absence of her father and Inman, learning to survive in a world turned upside down by the war. With the help of Ruby, a tough-as-nails mountain woman who arrives at Ada's doorstep in her time of need, Ada transforms from a sheltered preacher's daughter to a resilient landowner, fighting to protect her father's farm from the dangers that encroach upon it. Together, Ada and Ruby forge a bond of friendship and resilience, navigating the hardships of war and personal loss, while holding onto hope for Inman's return and the reunion that both Ada and Inman yearn for, despite the uncertainties that the war brings.