The crossing

About “The crossing”

The Crossing is a 1994 novel by Cormac McCarthy. It is the second book in his Border Trilogy. The story follows two boys, Billy and Boyd Parham, in the bootheel of New Mexico before the Second World War. Billy leaves at sixteen on a journey that takes him into the souls of boys, animals, and men. He traps a she-wolf and attempts to return it to the mountains of Mexico. When he returns, everything he knew has changed. His brother Boyd remains, and together they set out again to reclaim what is theirs. They enter a world filled with fiestas, circuses, animals, and people from all walks of life. They encounter a young girl, a mystery in the mountains, and a myth in the making. They fight a war that is as fierce as the one they never joined at home. One brother finds his destiny, while the other reaches only his fate. The novel is described as luminous and appalling, touching both the heart and mind.