Cities of the Plain

by Cormac McCarthy

First published 1998

In the vast, unforgiving landscape of 1950s New Mexico, ranch-hands John Grady Cole and Billy Parham navigate a world of violent locals, a ruthless crime boss, and the weight of their own tragic pasts. As they toil on a remote outpost, these two hardened men confront the fragile beauty and unyielding cruelty that define the American Southwest, fighting to hold onto their humanity in the face of an uncaring universe.

Genres: literary-fiction, american-fiction, 20th-century

Vibes: atmospheric, dark, emotional, thought-provoking

Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family

Setting: New Mexico

Period: 1950s

293 pages · Paperback · Vintage Books

Content warnings: violence

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