Timothy, a Civil War Union soldier recovering from physical and psychological war wounds is brought home to a small Kentucky town on the Ohio River. He hopes to marry Angelina, the girl he left behind. She has declared to his young brother, Nate, that in spite of her love for Timothy as her dearest friend, she can never marry Timothy or any other man. He is hurt and angry in the hostile border state atmosphere of Northern Kentucky where the animosities of the Civil War are intense and personal. Attacks on Timothy, his family and allegations about Angelina provoke dangerous responses and conflicts.
Timothy is coping with his guilt and regret associated with his PTSD. He made a solemn battlefield promise to God to live a moral life with his imagined guardian angel if his life was spared. He cannot accept Angelina's decision not to marry.
Angelina cannot satisfactorily explain her decision even to herself. In spite of her sadness, guilt and regret about the pain that she is causing Timothy and their families, she is adamant.
Resolutions to the several conflicts does not appear to be easy or forthcoming in the intense emotional climate.
