Zane Grey 
Riders of the Purple Sage 

‘Riders of the Purple Sage’ is the story of Jane Withersteen, set in the cañon country of southern Utah in 1871. Jane has inherited a valuable ranch from her father and because of this, one of the polygamous Mormon elders covets her as his wife. When she refuses, the Mormons in the community begin to persecute Jane. Rich with western detail, set against the backdrop of the Mormon influx into Utah, with a mysterious ‘Masked Rider’ who rides with a gang of rustlers, ‘Riders of the Purple Sage’ was one of the first novels of the Western genre and had a significant role in popularizing the genre.