How can a spirited Southern belle accept the changes the Civil War has wrought in her life?
Coral Leigh has gone from being the pampered daughter of a wealthy planter to living in poverty after the war. How can she tolerate the presence of the hated Yankee occupying army when she’s forced to interact with the soldiers every time she goes to town? And how can she resist the charm of the handsome cavalry officer who tries to help her?
Coral Leigh's life has been upended by the villainous Union army who invaded the South during the Civil War. Her father, brother, and fiance were killed in the war, and her plantation home suffers from neglect. When her mother dies shortly after the war's end, Coral is truly alone. Bitterness towards the Yankees fills her heart. With the help of two loyal servants, she struggles to bring Elmwood Plantation back into production, but after an unscrupulous carpetbagger steals the cotton that had been stored in her sheds, Coral is ruined. The sale of the pre-war cotton had been her hope for funds to pay the back taxes she owes on the plantation, but with the cotton gone, she has no money to pay the debt. When a gang of marauders plunders Elmwood, Coral must admit that living alone on the plantation isn’t safe. She's forced to accept help from a Union cavalry officer who has tried to befriend her, although her pride rebels at taking any help from a Yankee. Against her inclinations, Coral accepts a job working for General Clint Logan and moves to the city.
As Coral rubs shoulders with Clint Logan, she begins to see qualities in his character she respects, although she stifles the traitorous thoughts. To admit any Yankee could be honorable offends every Southern sensibility that Coral possesses. The courtship of a former Confederate officer should have filled her with joy, but something about General Logan tugs at her heart.
Can Coral see past her prejudices to accept a Yankee cavalryman? And can Clint Logan forgive her for the many times she’s scorned him? Can the two of them overcome the obstacles that stand in the way of the love that grows between them?