CITIES OF THE PLAIN. by MCCARTHY, CORMAC - 1998

New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1998., 1998. First edition. First edition. 8vo. Fine in dust jacket. In this final volume of The Border Trilogy, John Grady, the young, horse-savvy wanderer from All the Pretty Horses, and Billy Parham, who traveled in search of stolen horses with his younger brother in The Crossing, are now cowhands working on a ranch outside Alamogordo, New Mexico, near the border crossing at El Paso, Texas. John and Billy fear their employment may soon come to an end as there is talk of the Department of Defense acquiring ranchers' lands by invoking eminent domain so the land can be used for military training exercises. One day, John and Billy cross the border into Juarez to visit a brothel. There, John falls in love instantly with Magdalena, a young prostitute who is the “property” of a malevolent pimp. Regardless, John is determined to free and marry Magdalena. The day finally arrives when Magdalena is to escape the brothel. The plan is for Magdalena to meet John Grady at a relatively remote area on the banks of the Rio Grande. Tragically, she never makes it to the crossing.