All the Pretty Horses Summary

After the death of his grandfather in 1949, John Grady Cole's mother decides to sell their Texas ranch. This leaves sixteen-year-old John Grady, who cherishes the rustic cowboy lifestyle, with no choice but to leave Texas. He and his buddy, Rawlins, decide to be migrant cowboys in Mexico, and they are joined by a younger, headstrong boy named Jimmy Blevins. Their journey into Mexico is not without challenges; Blevins loses his horse and weapon during a lightning storm and their failed attempt to retrieve these possessions results in them being pursued by a posse.

Despite their rocky start, John Grady and Rawlins manage to find work at a sprawling ranch owned by Don Hector. John Grady's skills with horses earn him a promotion to be in charge of breeding the ranch's horses. However, his growing attraction to Don Hector's beautiful daughter, Alejandra, jeopardizes his newfound success. Ignoring warnings from Alejandra's manipulative great-aunt Alfonsa, John Grady embarks on a clandestine affair with Alejandra. Their secret relationship is discovered, leading to John Grady and Rawlins being handed over to the corrupt police captain of Encantada. They are wrongfully implicated as co-conspirators with Blevins, who had returned to the town to reclaim his belongings and ended up killing a local.

John Grady and Rawlins are sent to jail in Saltillo, where they become targets of constant violence. Their refusal to align with Perez, a powerful inmate, leads to them being attacked. Although they survive, they are severely wounded and end up in the infirmary. In a surprising turn of events, they are released from prison, thanks to a bribe from Alfonsa. Back at the ranch, John Grady tries to rekindle his romance with Alejandra. Despite spending a day together, Alejandra decides not to abandon her family for him. Heartbroken yet determined, John Grady returns to Encantada to retrieve his horses. Although he is gravely injured during the chase, he manages to escape back to Texas, where he finds his father dead and the ranch sold. Having lost his home and family, and feeling estranged from his friend Rawlins, the novel concludes with John Grady riding off into the sunset.