Cities of the Plain is a 1998 Western novel by Cormac McCarthy and is the third and final entry in The Border Trilogy.
Set in 1952, both John Grady Cole and Billy Parham now work together on a ranch in New Mexico. Though they soon knew that the things they hold dear will lose with time, and John Grady's obsession with trying to save the life of a troubled prostitute in Mexico will set off a chain of irreversible tragic events.
Tropes found in the novel:
- Canon Welding: Unsurprisingly, Cities of the Plain ties in the two previously unrelated entries together, with John Grady Cole and Billy Parham appearing together.
- Lighter and Softer: Like All the Pretty Horses, Cities of the Plain is a lot lighter and enjoyable compared to the somber and brooding The Crossing.
