Claudia Rose Pickett is a young woman who lives through the Civil War on a farm near Bloomfield, Missouri. She experiences all the horrors of war, including the death of neighbors and family members, destruction of property, intense fear, and hunger. Her fiancé, Andy Norton, fights for the Union. When they become engaged, Claudia Rose expects to get married right away, but already the war has gone from being a threat to a reality. Andy refuses to get married until the war is over and he has all his limbs and can support a family. In the Shadow of Thy Wings is their love story, even though they are apart most of the time. Bloomfield, a small town in southeast Missouri, is a strategic spot for either army to set up headquarters at various times, making it an extremely dangerous area to live. All the main characters rely on their faith in God, even though they sometimes question where God is in all the madness.