Riders of the Purple Sage (1912) by Zane Grey is a cornerstone of Western literature, renowned for its vivid portrayal of the American frontier and its enduring themes of justice, revenge, and redemption. Set in the rugged canyonlands of Utah in the 1870s, the novel follows Jane Withersteen, a Mormon rancher persecuted by her own faith community for sheltering a Gentile (non-Mormon) rider, Lassiter, a gunslinger with a shadowy past.
As Jane fights to protect her land and ward off forced marriage to a Mormon elder, she forms an alliance with Lassiter and Venters, a young cowboy falsely accused of crimes. The story unfolds with gunfights, horseback chases, and secret valleys, while exploring themes of religious tyranny, individual freedom, and the healing power of love. Grey’s lush descriptions of the desert landscape—especially the iconic “purple sage”—immortalize the mythic West.
A defining work of the genre, Riders of the Purple Sage combines action, romance, and moral conflict, cementing Zane Grey’s legacy as the father of the modern Western novel. Its influence echoes in countless books, films, and TV adaptations.
