Child of God Novel by Cormac McCarthy

Child of God, published in 1973, is Cormac McCarthy's third novel and a profoundly disturbing character study of a violent and isolated man named Lester Ballard. Set in the rural, bleak landscape of Sevier County, Tennessee, the story traces Ballard's rapid descent into madness and depravity. It is considered one of McCarthy's most intense works and explores themes of alienation, evil, and societal neglect.