George and Isabelle Walker live on plentiful acreage in Old Ox, a rural town in Georgia, just after the conclusion of the Civil War. They are devastated by news that Caleb, their only child, has died in the war, and they struggle to remain connected to one another in a home that feels desolate and emotionally barren. As they process their grief, Isabelle turns to her friend Mildred for support; George decides to farm for the first time in his life, finally giving purpose to the land he inherited from his father’s hard work.

George employs Prentiss and Landry, two brothers who were recently freed by Union forces and who have spent their entire lives enslaved on a nearby plantation. Landry has suffered horrific abuse that has rendered him almost entirely speechless; Prentiss serves as the voice for the pair and as his brother’s protector. George offers the brothers fair wages to help him cultivate his land and learn to grow peanuts.

While working in the fields, George is one day shocked to hear his wife screaming. After rushing back to their cabin, he is astounded to find his son in their yard, embraced by his mother. The reports of his death were inaccurate; Caleb had deserted his Confederate troop in an attempt to save his own life and had then walked home after being freed by Union troops at the end of the war. Although his parents are thrilled to have Caleb home again, they still struggle to find any semblance of intimacy with each other and instead maintain their lives of separate routines.

Back home, Caleb reunites with August, his childhood friend and secret lover. August’s family is wealthy and influential, and he dominates Caleb physically and emotionally in the time they spend together. August tells Caleb that his parents have arranged a marriage for him and that he finds the match tolerable. Caleb tries to hide the pain this causes him.

Later, Caleb meets August at their secret hiding place, a secluded pond. As it happens, this pond is also a favorite escape for Landry, who is mesmerized by the water. As Landry swims under the surface, he realizes that he is no longer alone. When he recognizes Caleb and sees that he is naked with another man, Landry tries to sneak away. August notices him at the last moment and demands that Caleb help him chase the young man down.

As he runs away, Landry trips and hurts his ankle. August approaches him and finds a huge branch nearby, which he uses to repeatedly bash Landry’s head. Caleb sits on the ground, unable to move or aid Landry. When the sheriff arrives, he rules the death accidental, maintaining the impossible conclusion that Landry must have fallen. After Caleb reveals the truth about both August’s actions and their relationship, August’s father uses his influence to sway public opinion in his son’s favor. Caleb finally stands up to August, and Prentiss spits a wad of phlegm into the face of August’s father, Wade. Prentiss is swiftly taken to jail as Wade demands that he be hanged.

Taking his grandfather’s guns, as well as the gun he used in the war, Caleb breaks into the jail and rescues Prentiss just before he is to be killed. The two return home for some provisions before fleeing, and George decides to travel the first leg of their journey with them. His health deteriorates rapidly as they ride, yet he pushes himself to help the two get as far as possible. Eventually, they see the sheriff’s search team behind them, and George...