The Crossing: The Border Trilogy (Book 2)

Set on southwestern ranches in the years before the Second World War, this narrative follows the fortunes of sixteen-year-old Billy Parham and his younger brother Boyd. Fascinated by an elusive wolf that has been marauding his family's property, Billy successfully captures the animal. Rather than kill it, he sets out impulsively on a journey to the mountains of Mexico to return it to its native habitat.

When Billy eventually comes back to his own home, he finds himself and his world irrevocably changed. His loss of innocence has come at a significant price, and once again the southwestern border beckons with its desolate beauty and cruel promise. Written in Cormac McCarthy's distinct, clean prose, this work functions as a powerful exploration of loss, duty, and fate in an unforgiving world, where characters are as real as the rugged land they ride.