Child of God is a novel by Cormac McCarthy, author of All the Pretty Horses. The book is loosely based off of real life events. Child of God follows the story of Lester Ballard, an outsider. Lester lives in Sevier County, which is located in Eastern Tennessee. The novel follows Lester's obsession with pedophilia as well as his descent into necrophilia and murder.
The book begins on Lester's family's property. There is an auction being held to sell off his land. Lester breaks into the scene. He is very angry that the auction has started. He threatens to shoot the auctioneer. Before he can carry out his threats, he is tackled to the ground by the sheriff. Lester has always been an outsider. He stays in his shabby home, alone. No one comes to visit him......
