Riders of the Purple Sage by Zane Grey is a classic set in the old west on the edge of Utah.Jane Withersteen, a single Mormon woman, lives in a house on the edge of the town of Cottonwood. Her father, who founded the town, has left her a wealthy woman. But the town elders are not happy with her. Not only has she refused to marry Elder Tull, she consorts with Gentiles.
As the elders increase the pressure on Jane to conform to their standards, tensions rise and the Gentiles who are faithful to Jane - the only people not beholden to the church - are the people she can rely on. One man, Venters, has stood by her for years. Another man, the mysterious outlaw Lassiter, rides into town to save the day.
Riders is a beautifully told story of the old west and the tensions between the various groups of people - Mormon, Gentile, Cattle Rustler - and the inner battle of one woman raised to believe one thing when her eyes show her another.
Grey, Zane. (1912). Riders of the Purple Sage. New York: The Modern Library.
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