Lonnie, orphaned by the premature deaths of his parents, is the book's narrator and the prologue explains his day-to-day life as he transitions through adolescence.

Hud is a capable ranch hand but has a ruthless character and he indulges his often extreme appetites with no restraint, doing what he pleases regardless of the consequences.

Lonnie spends most of his time working on the ranch while sometimes driving to town to shoot pool or drink beer with his friends.

In the evenings at home, he frequently spends time with Halmea or talks to a pair of ranch hands who share their stories of cowboying and rodeoing all over the southwestern US.

After the vet determines that hoof and mouth disease killed the cow, the state orders the rest of Homer’s cattle to be put down to prevent an epidemic.

Driving back from town very early one morning, Lonnie sees Homer crawling along the road in his nightclothes as he approaches the ranch.

The book ends soon after the funeral with Hud facing an inquiry into Homer’s death and Lonnie leaving town to visit a friend.