The Home Guard

In 1861, a boy and his grandmother flee their elegant home along the Beaufort River to shelter in the wilderness of Cane Island, South Carolina. They struggle to survive as the Civil War lays waste to the existence they've known and loved, a way of life doomed by history and events. In time, the boy, Carter Barnwell is thrust into early manhood as he faces the challenges of living off the land, caring for his ailing grandmother, wrestling with his budding sexuality, wrangling with his awakening conscience while spying for the South. When he meets an Abolitionist missionary from the North--who happens to be a beautiful young girl--Carter begins to see his world through new and critical eyes, even as he maintains loyalty to the people and homeland he loves.