Feels like much more of a slowburn / coming of age story for the first third or so of the book. but then McCarthy swoops back in with some savagery to remind you that, despite the fact that the setting may as well feel like the 1800s, it is in fact the early-mid 1900s, and still just as harsh in many respects.

Story follows Billy's exploits with.

Wolf terrorizing his farm

He catches the wolf with a trap, but then when he's confronted with the majesty of the wild animal, is unable to bring himself to kill it. It's literally the scene from Fantastic Mr. Fox, it's awesome. Then begins the at-first humorous journey home trying to juggle his skittish horse and the fix whose leg is basically obliterated and terrified of him. He has some run-ins with neighbors/passersby who want to know what in the hell has got into him with a wolf. Says he's taking it to Mexico, and he does.

You figure they might just could use another wolf or two?

To God, every man is a heretic.

Billy eventually has to put the wolf out of its misery after some captors beat it nearly, but not quite, to death.

Returns home to find his family just bout dead'r n hell, and their horses stolen.

Then begins the back 2/3s of the book wherein he has to look after his stubborn little brother as they try to steal back their horses from Juarez (?)

There's a heartbreaking exchange between the brothers (who do not share the same filial banter that Rawlins and Blevins had – theirs is a colder relationship) where they wonder what "the old man" (in reference to their father) would do. Billy says something along the lines of "well I don't think he has muchof a say here" implying he's dead and gone, to which Boyd responds "I think he'll always have a say,"

se fue

More than anything else, I'm struck by how wild the wild west of NM/MX remained this far into the century. Cattle drivers and banditos stabbing horses and shit is just so brutal to be taking place in 1942.

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