The Saints of Swallow Hill

Cornelia steadily nurses Rae Lynn back to health. Even though Otis complains about having her there, Cornelia remains dedicated to helping Rae Lynn recover, and they form a strong friendship over the next few days. Cornelia puts a bell post by Rae Lynn’s bed so she can call her in emergencies, for which Otis berates Cornelia and tells her Rae Lynn must leave as soon as she recovers. Rae Lynn expresses her dislike for Otis’s treatment of her and then reveals to her that her actual name is Rae Lynn. Del visits her a few times as well, which she enjoys.

Rae Lynn thinks about what she will do now that everyone knows she is a woman. She dreads the questions about her decision to come to Swallow Hill, especially as a man. Her trauma over Warren’s death and her time in the box still troubles her, however, and she feels like she cannot tell Cornelia or anyone else about it.

When Rae Lynn recovers enough to get up, she surprises Cornelia with a full dinner. She says she feels well enough now and wanted to cook for someone else. She also tells Cornelia that she is feeling better and needs regular clothes. Cornelia gives Rae Lynn the dress she sewed and reveals that she did not check the pockets of the overalls before she burned them. Rae Lynn silently laments the loss of her paper money, but does not mention it. She says she must leave, but Cornelia tells her she should stay for a while and that she can help her. Rae Lynn agrees.

At work, Del learns the real names of his men and their wives. They trust him more and work more enthusiastically. After work, he visits one of his men, Horace, and his wife, Lorna, with Nolan Brown. Lorna cooks dinner for them, and they share fishing stories together. Lorna thanks Del for coming and he thanks her for the meal.

A few days later, he visits Cobb, who tells him that her name is Rae Lynn Cobb and that he can call her Rae Lynn. He tells her she cannot work as a chipper anymore, but she already knows. Cornelia tells him about her work helping with the commissary. He thinks about her more often, especially sexually, which surprises him. His sexual function suffered after the grain bin incident, but now he is slowly recovering as he separates Rae Lynn from his initial perception of her.

The following day, he goes to the commissary to see her. There, Otis complains about having to pay Rae Lynn and keeps her in debt because he hates her friendship with Cornelia. Del goes home and sees Crow outside with his mother. Del tries to get him to take responsibility for nearly killing Rae Lynn, but Crow says she should have known better than to come to Swallow Hill as a man. He then claims that she might be queer, which Del denies. Crow senses Del’s fondness of her and makes a pass at her, which upsets the woman with Crow. After Del is home, Cornelia and Rae Lynn visit and bring food. He especially likes that Rae Lynn made the food and brought it to him. After they leave, Crow tells Del that something isn’t right about Cornelia and Rae Lynn. Del finds it ridiculous and goes back into his house.

Cornelia helps Rae Lynn get all of her belongings out of the shack and into the Riddle house. When they return, Cornelia expresses her happiness that Rae Lynn is staying with them and Rae Lynn thanks her for everything she has done for her. Cornelia reveals that she wanted to leave when Otis changed shortly after their marriage, but when she told her mother, she told her that she needed to be with her husband. This concerns Rae Lynn.

Cornelia asks Rae Lynn why she came there dressed as a man. After Rae Lynn replies she was looking for work, Cornelia says that she could find many jobs as a woman. Rae Lynn then says she will explain it later. Rae Lynn becomes concerned as Otis becomes increasingly controlling and verbally and physically abusive. She also finds it concerning that Cornelia has to wash the bedsheets so often. Cornelia reveals that Otis wets the bed and that once Cornelia found out, Otis changed and started becoming abusive.

Otis returns home, forcing Cornelia to leave Rae Lynn in the bedroom so that Otis does not lose his temper. Rae Lynn leaves through the window and reenters through the screen door, bringing in tomatoes from the garden. Cornelia thanks her.

A few days later, Rae Lynn and Cornelia work in the kitchen while Otis is away. Crow arrives and intimidates Rae Lynn, but Cornelia stands up to him. Crow leaves, but Rae Lynn still fears what he might do, though she isn’t sure what he can do now that everyone knows her identity. She also thinks about her husband and how she will tell Cornelia about him. Cornelia comforts her, thinking she is still fearful about Crow. Otis returns, and Rae Lynn and Cornelia prepare themselves, fearful at what he might do next.

Del starts to imagine a life with Rae Lynn, being married to her and having children with her. However, he does not think that Rae Lynn is interested in him.

After another successful workday, Clyde, Peewee, Woodall, and Crow arrive with the wagon. Peewee announces they will be moving the work crews east and congratulates Del on his work, telling Crow and Woodall that they could learn from him. Peewee criticizes Crow’s cruel treatment of the men and its detriment to the men’s ability to work. He also warns that after Rae Lynn nearly died, Crow could lose his job if he continues his behavior.

When the men leave, Crow insults Del for treating the men as his equals and being interested in Rae Lynn. When Del mentions seeing him with his mother, Crow becomes speechless and rides away. Happy with himself, Del goes home and shaves his beard. He thinks about Rae Lynn again and has an erection for the first time since the grain bin accident. He thinks Rae Lynn might be the right woman for him.

In the morning, he and the men go to the new worksite. There, Crow tells Del that he wants Nolan Brown back, and Nolan goes back to Crow’s crew. Del prepares for the workday. However, Nolan runs away into the woods and Crow shoots at him, missing. When Del blames Crow’s cruelty and decision to take Nolan back for his desertion, Crow points the gun at him until Peewee stops him. Peewee then has Woodall send the dogs after Nolan. Del starts to regret coming to Swallow Hill.

Rae Lynn and Cornelia hear the dogs barking outside while they work in the commissary. They know from Otis that they are after Nolan. Because Rae Lynn has been sheltered much of her life, she never understood the societal differences between people and always saw everyone as the same. Otis hopes they find Nolan and even talks excitedly about the idea of Nolan being lynched. Rae Lynn becomes angry at him and he disregards her view, dismissing her as a woman. He then asks if she even is one and gropes her.

Cornelia recalls a similar hunt to an infuriated Rae Lynn. When the men all arrive, Rae Lynn notices Del. The men tell them they did not find Nolan, which relieves Rae Lynn. When Otis overhears Rae Lynn and Cornelia talking about Nolan, he angrily tells them to go to the house and make his dinner.

At the house, Cornelia tells Rae Lynn the men were all looking at her and guesses that Rae Lynn is attracted to Del. While they cook, Rae Lynn tells Cornelia about her marriage to Warren, his fall, and his deteriorating health. She reveals that she shot Warren after his failed suicide attempt. She expects Cornelia to condemn her, but Cornelia comforts her and tells her she ended her husband’s pain. To both the women’s shock, Cornelia kisses Rae Lynn on the mouth. Rae Lynn asks Cornelia what she is doing, in confusion, but Cornelia tells her she does not know.

They then see that Otis saw them, and a horrified Cornelia goes outside after him. He yells as Cornelia tries to calm him down. Other people watch them. He turns his anger on Rae Lynn and grabs her by the hair. Cornelia again tries to reason with Otis, but he continues to hold Rae Lynn by the hair. Crow appears and tells Otis he knew she liked women. Eventually, Otis lets Rae Lynn go and takes Cornelia, but she bites him and he hits her. Rae Lynn claims guilt to save Cornelia from Otis’s rage. Crow tries to drench Rae Lynn in hot tar. Instead, there is a gunshot, and the tar lands on Cornelia. Otis berates Crow, who was shot in the hand. Rae Lynn sees Del coming toward them.

Del arrives to stop Crow but sees from Rae Lynn’s response to him that he came too late. Peewee is with him as well and wants an explanation. Crow yells at Del for shooting him, and Otis tells Peewee that Rae Lynn kissed his wife. Crow says he would not have thrown the tar on Cornelia if Del had not shot him. Outraged, Peewee fires Crow.

Before he leaves, Peewee and Del punish Crow by locking him in the box. Peewee says he will tell Crow’s wife, though, and he will get him out in time. He explains to Del that the woman he thought was his mother is his wife and that the idea that she was his mother is a joke. Del then tells Peewee he plans on leaving for North Carolina and helping his sister and her husband. Peewee forgives his debts and wishes him well.

They check on Cornelia, who is getting tar out of her hair and off her face. Del asks for Rae Lynn, and Otis tells him that he kicked her out of the house. Del tells Cornelia that he is leaving and offers her a chance to leave as well. However, she says must stay with her husband. Del concludes that Cornelia is one of the strongest people he knows. Before he leaves, she gives him a package and a gesture with four fingers. Del says goodbye to Peewee, and Peewee gives him his address, hoping to stay in touch. As they part, Del hopes that Rae Lynn is okay and believes this night will be the last time he ever sees her.

While Otis is in the outhouse, Rae Lynn packs her belongings. As Cornelia helps her, she tries to convince Rae Lynn to stay, but she does not want to anger Otis any more than she already had. She stares at the pistol, and Cornelia understands it was the one she used to kill Warren. Cornelia reassures Rae Lynn that she ended his suffering with that gun. She apologizes for the kiss and its results, but Rae Lynn assures her she will always be her friend. Rae Lynn hugs her and leaves for her old shack.

Rae Lynn ponders her future and scrubs the tar on her arm. Tired, she takes a nap until she hears a knock at the door. Cornelia comes in and tells her she is leaving Otis with Rae Lynn, no longer willing to tolerate him. She also mentions Crow’s firing and entrapment in the sweatbox, as well as Del’s departure from the camp. She has Rae Lynn cut off the parts of her hair that are still covered in tar. As they leave, they see that the lights of the Riddle house are on and hurry to the truck. As Rae Lynn starts it, they see Otis come outside toward them, causing Cornelia to panic. Otis briefly grabs Cornelia, but Rae Lynn drives the car faster and they evade him. As they drive away, she sees Del near Otis. They soon outpace him, and Cornelia celebrates as they leave Swallow Hill.

Del finally understands Cornelia’s four-fingered gesture. As he prepares to leave, he sees Crow’s wife, who asks him if he knows where Crow is. Del says he does not know, to which she replies that if she does not find him by the morning, she will leave him.

Del hopes he can find Rae Lynn and tell her how he feels. He hears a truck engine and sees Rae Lynn and Cornelia in the truck, with Otis briefly grabbing Cornelia’s arm. Rae Lynn exchanges a look with him before she and Cornelia drive away. Otis yells that Rae Lynn turned his wife against him and should have stayed in the box. He then makes a homophobic insult, which makes Del punch him in the mouth. Otis asks him why he did it, he says that he will not have him insult the woman who might be his future wife. Otis dismisses the possibility and then goes on a self-pitying tirade about having no one to take care of his needs.

Del leaves the camp. He travels for a day, at one point looking at the paper Peewee gave him with his address. He stops at a filling station to get a soda and sees the truck. Rae Lynn and Cornelia exit the truck and are happy to see him. They reveal that the water for the radiator ran out, and they have been here since the previous night, as they have to wait on a part. Del then offers soap, for which they thank him. Rae Lynn smiles at him, which elates him. He then asks if they can drop him off at his sister’s house in North Carolina. Cornelia likes the idea, but Rae Lynn politely refuses, with some fear in her voice.

Rae Lynn gets into the truck and Cornelia follows her. They argue about returning to North Carolina, causing Del to walk away. Cornelia asks Rae Lynn why she is afraid to return to North Carolina. Rae Lynn tells her about Butch’s blackmail and Cornelia quickly understands but tells her it is unlikely anyone is looking for her. Rae Lynn says she does not want to take the risk. Cornelia says that Del differs from many other men like Butch, however, and that it would not be bad to take Del home.

Rae Lynn turns around and picks Del up, for which he is thankful. Cornelia asks if they have room, and Del says Sudie May’s house has plenty of room and that she would love to have them there. During the drive, Rae Lynn gets irritated about Del’s input about her hair and how he keeps wanting to talk to her alone, uncomfortable with the idea of small talk. When they reach Sudie May’s property, Sudie May exits the house with her husband and two children. She and Del have a joyful reunion. He also greets her children, which endears Rae Lynn. Sudie May then embraces Rae Lynn and Cornelia.