The book was adapted as a 2000 film starring Matt Damon and Penélope Cruz and directed by Billy Bob Thornton.

The boy was raised for a significant part of his youth, perhaps 15 of his 16 years, by a family of Mexican origin who worked on the ranch; he is a native speaker of Spanish and English.

Faced with the prospect of moving into town, Grady instead chooses to leave and persuades his best friend, Lacey Rawlins, to accompany him.

Blevins persuades Grady and Rawlins to accompany him to the nearest town to find the horse and his distinctive vintage Colt pistol.

In the fertile oasis region of Coahuila known as the Bolsón de Cuatro Ciénegas, they find employment at a large ranch.

The aunt recounts her own story of love and loss, and says, though it might seem she would be sympathetic to her grandniece's desire, it has the opposite effect: she opposes their involvement.

As Grady and Alejandra secretly become more deeply involved, a group of Mexican rangers visit the ranch and then ride off without explanation.

They learn Blevins had escaped his pursuers but subsequently returned to the village where he had recovered his horse, this time to retrieve the Colt pistol.

Grady, on his way back to Texas, kidnaps the captain at gunpoint, forces him to recover the horses and guns that were taken from him, Rawlins, and Blevins, and flees across the country.

He gains legal possession of the horse in a court hearing where he recounts the entire story of his journey across the border, and the judge later tries to absolve Grady of his guilt both for killing the prisoner who attacked him and for being unable to prevent Blevins being murdered.