Zane Grey 
The Desert of Wheat 

Zane Grey (1872-1939) was a prolific and popular author of novels about the wild west of the United States. For nearly three decades in the early part of the 20th century, Grey published a novel almost every year, many of which became bestsellers. His stories examined the hostility between cattlemen and sheepherders, the variegated Western vistas, cattle drives, gunslingers, range wars, the impact of the railroad and the wire on the way of life. Grey gave authenticity to his books by visiting the places he wrote about and researching their history. His novel, ‘The Desert of Wheat’ is the powerful story of a young farmer, Kurt Dorn. Between going to France to fight the Germans or staying in America to protect the woman he loves and his wheat crop grown with the sweat of hard labor, Kurt faces a moral dilemma. This classic Western tale epitomizes Grey’s ability to capture the soul of land, love and life.