In 1870s Utah, a beautiful young rancher becomes the object of desire for a local polygamist eager to make her one of his many wives. She successfully rejects his advances with the support of two notorious outcasts. Jane Withersteen is a part of a strict Mormon community in Utah. Despite the conservative nature of her peers, she is an independent rancher who lives alone on her family's land. When she catches the eye of Elder Tull, a prominent church leader, he plans to make her his next wife. He twists the law and manipulates members of the community to isolate Jane, hoping to wear her down. But the cowboy Bern Venters and infamous gunslinger, Jim Lassiter help to stop Tull in his tracks. Riders of the Purple Sage is a classic western written in Grey's signature prose. Once described as "the most popular western novel of all time" the story has been adapted across multiple mediums, including five feature films. With an eye-catching new cover, and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Riders of the Purple Sage is both modern and readable.

A mysterious stranger, looking for a change in scenery, discovers a small Mormon community where a grown-up Fay Larkin has been taken against her will. Like its predecessor, The Rainbow Trail highlights the oppression of women within their religion. Following the events of Riders of the Purple Sage, polygamy has become a hidden practice among fundamentalist Mormons. Instead of living publicly, they've built an isolated village of sealed wives reserved for church elders. Fay Larkin, the adopted daughter of heroine Jane Withersteen, suddenly falls victim to the secret practice. This coincides with the arrival of John Shefford, a failed minister who's hot on the trail of Fay and her captors. The Rainbow Trail is a romance western driven by social commentary. It's a compelling story with a beautiful setting and engaging characters. Grey delivers a worthy follow-up to his most celebrated and culturally relevant work. With an eye-catching new cover, and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of The Rainbow Trail is both modern and readable.

Ever since the day he was deployed to fight in WWI, Daren Lane dreamed of the day that he returned home. Feeling that it had been several years since he left, Daren finally returns home to America, but soon realizes that it is not the home he remembers. Others have been able to move on from the war, causing Daren to question if his sacrifice of service was even worth it. Though he is attached to the ideals and behavior popular during the Victorian era, the rest of American society have moved on to the frivolous and fun attitude of the roaring twenties. When Daren notices that his younger sister is participating in this culture, drinking underage, gambling, and taking drugs, Daren is repulsed. Feeling that it is immoral and irreverent, he vows to put a stop to it. While organizing a way to combat his community's declining morals, the young soldier receives a troubling diagnosis due to an injury that he sustained during the war. While coming to terms with this discovery, Daren decides to dedicate his time to mentoring the youth, attempting to reform their behavior. With themes of cultural and generational divides, The Day of the Beast by Zane Grey is a somber and intriguing narrative that depicts a soldier's complicated integration back into civilian life. Written with descriptive and moving prose, The Day of the Beast is emotional and provides a unique and rare perspective on the cultural change of the roaring twenties. Adding to the fascinating discussions of this historic period, this Zane Grey masterpiece is captivating and relevant to a modern audience. This edition of The Day of the Beast by Zane Grey now features a new, eye-catching cover design and is printed in a font that is both modern and readable. With these accommodations, this edition of The Day of the Beast crafts an accessible and pleasant reading experience for modern audiences while restoring the original drama and depth of Zane Grey's work.

From 2014 to 2018, character comedy trio Sleeping Trees challenged themselves to bring the big screen to the stage, paying homage and reinventing gangster, western and sci-fi movies for audiences across the country. This book recounts how these shows were made, stories from when they were on tour, the trio's unique approach to devising fringe comedy, as well as the original scripts of the three award-winning plays. Mafia? Sleeping Trees deliver their version of every gangster film they've ever seen. Expect casinos, operas and bloodshed as the Banucci brothers find themselves in a situation stickier than most luxury cakes. Western? The Sleeping Trees find themselves slowly crisping under the sun of the Wild West, as gun-slinger Harry Sudds takes on bulls, scorpions and many other animals largely found in America. Sci-Fi? At a time where ancient planet Plutopia rules the galaxy, farmer Charlie Sprog is dragged from his quiet home planet and given one simple mission: SAVE THE UNIVERSE FROM TOTAL DESTRUCTION. So sit back, relax, grab some popcorn, and enjoy. Obviously if you need to put the popcorn down to hold the book then do, maybe just put the popcorn to the side, or hold it between your thighs? The important thing is that you read the book.

Heart of the West is a collection of 19 short stories highlighting the complicated relationship between men and women, law and order, honor and obligation. These compelling tales are filled with memorable characters and fascinating conflicts. In Heart of the West, O. Henry explores the illustrious region featuring cowboys, outlaws, rangers and sheepherders. It consists of 19 short stories celebrating the unique culture and happenings in the Old West. "Telemachus, Friend," follows an unconventional love triangle, while "The Caballero's Way" centers an unexpected tragedy fueled by jealousy and betrayal. This collection features a variety of tales ranging from sentimental romance to humorous adventure. O. Henry breathes new life into the American West with vivid plots and unforgettable characters. This diverse group of stories transports readers to a bygone era of rugged heroes and sinister villains. Originally published in 1904, Heart of the West epitomizes this extraordinary moment in time. With an eye-catching new cover, and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Heart of the West is both modern and readable.

"River of Tears" enters the heart of the two women in the life of an impassioned man who took part in the massacre at Bute Inlet.

Following the War of Independence against the British Crown, a band of Tennessee settlers begins to carve out a new state in a young nation but face the opposition of the federal government and bloody resistance from the Chickamauga Indians. In this untamed land Owen Killefer, a slender lad barely in his teens, will face a trial by fire at the hands of white men and Indians alike -- and find within himself a stout spirit as strong as that of any frontiersman.

The third volume in The Tennessee Frontier Trilogy, The Canebrake Men is a saga of adventure set in the period from 1785 to 1800. In it Cameron Judd paints a portrait of the unforgettable men and women whose vision, passion, and pain gave rise to the new nation, such as:
-- Joshua Coulter, who had made a life amid the dangers of the rugged frontier and had been tamed by the Tennessee Wilderness, only to discover again a deep restlessness that stirred in his heart
-- Owen Killefer, who set out for the Chickamauga country as a boy to avenge a bloody crime
-- Emaline Killefer, who was torn from her family in a bloody raid by a British deserter and taken to live among the Chickamauga as his unwilling wife
-- John Sevier, the frontiersman who led raids against the Indians and was named governor of a would-be state the federal government never recognized
-- Andrew Jackson, a brash young lawyer with a fiery temper, who first met Joshua Colter as an opponent in a brawl but soon became a strong ally and loyal friend

Buck Duane is a famous gunfighter and outlaw, who's recruited by the Texas Rangers to help clean up a border town plagued by crime. It's a rare opportunity to do good in the eyes of the law and its people. The son of an outlaw, Buck Duane, unexpectedly follows in his father's footsteps when he kills a man in self-defense. Despite the context, he chooses to run from the authorities and goes into hiding. He encounters many dark and violent characters, but refuses to abandon his moral code. He only kills when necessary and never for sport. Buck is given a rare shot at redemption requiring him to rid a Texas town of murderers and thieves. The Lone Star Ranger is a transformative story about a tortured man's internal conflict. Buck Duane's mental and emotional struggle dictates every facet of his life. It's an insightful character study that tracks the evolution from outlaw to hero. With an eye-catching new cover, and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of The Lone Star Ranger is both modern and readable.

When Jack Kells kidnaps the beautiful Joan Randle, he takes her to an isolated canyon where his legion are plotting to acquire a gold fortune. The woman becomes an unexpected accomplice to an intricate robbery. Jack Kells is the cold-hearted leader of a group of mountain bandits. Despite his rough exterior, he develops a soft spot for their latest victim-Miss Joan Randle. She was captured by the men and taken to their hideout where she encounters one surprise after another. Joan spots her boyfriend, Jim Cleve, among the group but hides their intimate connection. While Kells plans a major gold heist, he is distracted by his complicated feelings. Zane Grey presents another compelling western drama with The Border Legion. This captivating story blurs the lines of good and bad, focusing on the nuance of each character. It is an intriguing narrative that delivers on all fronts. With an eye-catching new cover, and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of The Border Legion is both modern and readable.

The poignant odyssey of a tenacious young girl who braves the dangers of the Texas frontier to avenge her mother's death. Early one morning in the remote hill country of Texas, a panther savagely attacks a family of homesteaders, mauling a young girl named Samantha and killing her mother, whose final act is to save her daughter's life. Samantha and her half brother, Benjamin, survive, but she is left traumatized, her face horribly scarred. Narrated in Benjamin's beguilingly plainspoken voice, The Which Way Tree is the story of Samantha's unshakeable resolve to stalk and kill the infamous panther, rumored across the Rio Grande to be a demon, and avenge her mother's death. In their quest she and Benjamin, now orphaned, enlist a charismatic Tejano outlaw and a haunted, compassionate preacher with an aging but relentless tracking dog. As the members of this unlikely posse hunt the panther, they are in turn pursued by a hapless but sadistic Confederate soldier with troubled family ties to the preacher and a score to settle. In the tradition of the great pursuit narratives, The Which Way Tree is a breathtaking saga of one steadfast girl's revenge against an implacable and unknowable beast. Yet with the comedic undertones of Benjamin's storytelling, it is also a timeless tale full of warmth and humor, and a testament to the enduring love that carries a sister and brother through a perilous adventure with all the dimensions of a legend. A ripping adventure [with] a show-stopping finale.-Wall Street Journal The stuff of legends.-Attica Locke Powerful, sly, and often charming.-Daniel Woodrell

A stunning literary debut, Horseman, Pass By (1961) exhibits the "full-blooded Western genius" (Publishers Weekly) that would come to define McMurtry's incomparable sensibility. In the dusty north Texas town of Thalia, young Lonnie Bannon quietly endures the pangs of maturity as a persistent rivalry between his grandfather and step-uncle, Hud, festers, and a deadly disease spreads among their cattle like wildfire.

"It's a great country, but never trust it, son. It's beautiful but it's treacherous." Adam Ross had seen the way his country could destroy a man. Growing up in the Australian outback in the first half of the twentieth century with no formal education, no parents and no one to love him, he learned to fend for himself. But when he forms an unlikely friendship with Jimmy, who works in the Opal mines, his luck begins to change. The land that stole Adam's father gives him an opportunity to start anew. Armed with determination and ambition, Adam treks west to carve himself an empire. However, success doesn't come easy and Adam, a man who spent much of his life devoid of love, soon finds himself caught between two women. Torn between his love for his cold-hearted wife and his mistress, Adam must make decisions about his future and the type of man he wants to be.

North Castle Books are designed to bring the global variety of knowledge to a broader audience. Primarily aimed at the general reader through bookstore distribution, North Castle Books makes available, in handsomely bound paper editions, titles of literary and cultural significance that our editors have found to be of lasting importance. Spanning the range of fields from Asian Studies to American Studies, from short stories to scholarly treatises, from myth to memoirs, from Economics to Government, from Russian Politics to Recent History, North Castle Books will occupy an important place on bookshelves. Each edition will be reasonably priced, affording students, scholars, and serious readers the means to expand their horizons and broaden their aesthetic understanding.

The story of the Cheyenne Indians in the 1870s, and their bitter struggle to flee from the Indian Territory in Oklahoma back to their home in Wyoming and Montana.

"Mr. Fast's novel will stand or fall upon its value as a dramatic, finely presented story. It is all of that: a model, which may easily become a classic example, of what to put in and what to leave out in the writing of a historical novel. ... I do not believe it is saying too much to suggest that in the person of Mr. Fast we may have the next really important American historical novelist". -- Joseph Henry Jackson, New York Herald Tribune Books

"Fast's writing, austerely polished and austerely poetic, is admirably suited to this epic tale of a desperate effort for dignified survival. ... Fast has gotten to the core of this incident and made it into a rich American novel". -- New York Times Book Review

"An amazing restoration and reconstruction. Thecharacters breathe, the landscape is solid ground and sky, and the story runs flexibly along the zigzag trail of a people driven by a deep instinct to their ancient home. I do not know any other episode in Western history that has been so truly and subtly perpetuated as this one. A great story lost has been found again, and as here told promises to live for generations". -- Carl Van Doren

Kathryn Scanlan's Kick the Latch vividly captures the arc of one woman's life at the racetrack-the flat land and ramshackle backstretch; the bad feelings and friction; the winner's circle and the racetrack bar; the fancy suits and fancy boots; and the "particular language" of "grooms, jockeys, trainers, racing secretaries, stewards, pony people, hotwalkers, everybody"-with economy and integrity. Based on transcribed interviews with Sonia, a horse trainer, the novel investigates form and authenticity in a feat of synthesis reminiscent of Charles Reznikoff's Testimony. As Scanlan puts it, "I wanted to preserve-amplify, exaggerate-Sonia's idiosyncratic speech, her bluntness, her flair as a storyteller. I arrived at what you could call a composite portrait of a self." Whittled down with a fiercely singular artistry, Kick the Latch bangs out of the starting gate and carries the reader on a careening joyride around the inside track.

From Spur Award-winning author Jory Sherman comes the first two novels in his acclaimed Shadow Rider series-now in one volume BLOOD SKY AT MORNING Retired colonel Zak Cody has been appointed by President Ulysses S. Grant to the role of enforcer in America's untamed regions. Now "the Shadow Rider" patrols the west, assuring that wrongs are righted by any means necessary. When the Apaches come under siege for murders they didn't commit, Cody's mission is to find the truth-and to kill those who started this bloody chaos...even if it means laying down his own life. APACHE SUNDOWN Zak Cody is on the trail of the gold-seeking killer who made him an orphan. But while he's taking down his adversary's hired guns, their leader, Ben Trask, continues to elude him as he brews a poisonous stew of betrayal, death, and lies in a plan that will bring about the slaughter of a proud, native people. Now Cody must battle numerous obstacles to reach the one man who might help him prevent a massacre-the warrior named Cochise. "Sherman knows how to make a western gallop." -Publishers Weekly

Introducing high-octane drama for fans of Lee Child, Jeffery Deaver and Vince Flynn: IT'S TIME TO DISCOVER A NEW HERO! Clyde Barr, the drifter with lethal skills, is alone again, wandering the highways of the American West in search of something to believe in. As summer turns to autumn, he heads for the mountains, planning to clear his head and regain his edge with some hunting. But when he runs across an elderly sick man-a Ute Indian from a nearby reservation-Clyde's dream of solitude is quickly dashed. On the reservation, Clyde finds the old man's daughter, Lawana, and grandson, Taylor, as well as a group of menacing bikers called Reapers running wild in the struggling, half-abandoned village. Gripped by the desire to do good in a hard world, Clyde offers to stay on Lawana's ranch to help out until her father is better. As tensions rise between the locals and the Reapers, Clyde's efforts to protect the reservation become a fight for his, Lawana's and Taylor's lives... A Promise to Kill is an edge-of-the-seat thriller, pushing its no-hold-barred hero to new levels of improvisation and bare-knuckled blunt force. Praise for Clyde Barr and Erik Storey: 'Clyde Barr - remember the name, because he could just become as famous as Lee Child's anti-hero Jack Reacher. Utterly compelling from the first page...for my money, it will become a worldwide sensation' DAILY MAIL 'Very, very good. Reacher is keeping an eye on this guy' LEE CHILD 'A singular new talent! Nothing short of brilliant. It grabs you from page one and simply doesn't let go. This man is a born storyteller!' JEFFERY DEAVER 'Erik Storey's writing is exceptional. This is a splendid debut, harsh and gripping throughout' THE TIMES '...the best debut thriller of the year - and don't be surprised if before long Erik Storey ranks among the giants of the genre' THE WASHINGTON TIMES