Cormac McCarthy is hailed as one of America’s greatest novelists. In his body of work, the nation’s story is told in incomparably vivid shades of violence, greed and love. And yet, most of his personal story has been largely untold --- until now. Early in life, McCarthy chose to devote himself almost exclusively to his literary pursuits. This book movingly details what this choice cost him in his family relationships, his marriages and his friendships. Mentally and physically restless, often solitary, and yet gregarious and charming, McCarthy lived as wildly, complexly and close to the bone as any of his characters. In his novels, he reported wisdom hard-learned through harsh experience and intense observation.