Zane Grey 
Riders of the Purple Sage 

Riders of the Purple Sage Zane Grey – Riders of the Purple Sage’ is Zane Grey’s best-known novel. Originally published in 1912, it was one of the earliest works of Western fiction and played a significant role in popularizing that genre. The story uses a third person narrator to tell the story from the point of view of two main characters Bern Venter and Jane Withersteen and a few minor characters. Jane Withersteen, Mormon-born Utah native, goes against her church when she befriends a young Gentile rider, Venters. He is trailing the mysterious Masked Rider through the Old West. Both Venters and a notorious gunman named Lassiter bring adventure, intrigue, and romance to the Withersteen ranch. The story is also somewhat complex, with several plots unfolding that eventually come together at the end of the story, and conveniently leave open the certainty of a sequel.

About the author

Pearl Zane Grey was an American author best known for his popular adventure novels and stories that presented an idealized image of the rugged Old West. As of June 2007, the Internet Movie Database credits Grey with 110 films, one TV episode, and a series, Dick Powell’s Zane Grey Theater based loosely on his novels and short stories.