Forlorn River (1927) is filled with cowboys, romance, and ranches. It follows horse-catching Ben Ide, his friend Nevada and their loyal Native American companion Modoc, as Ben attempts to better his reputation and win over his childhood sweetheart, Ina Blaine.As horse catching turns into cattle rustling, Ina Blaine is forced to defend Ben against her father, who has recently come in possession of a large amount of money. It doesn t bode well for Ben Ide. Distrust follows Ben when Mr. Blaine, Ina s father, and his companion, Les Setter, head out to steal Ben s land. And this is only the beginning of a great streak of trouble. This lesser-known prequel to Nevada is filled with vivid descriptions and memorable characters. It is the perfect introduction to Western fiction. Zane Grey (1872-1939) was a popular American author, best known for his adventure novels and short stories. The topics of the American West and the Frontier were central to his writings, and Grey became engrossed within the Western genre. Many of his novels were written from the perspective and experience gained from his hunting and traveling trips all around the West. Some of Grey’s most famous novels include Riders of the Purple Sage , The Last Trail and Valley of Wild Horses . His novels and stories were adapted to more than 100 movie and television productions with the most well-known being the movie Riders of the Purple Sage (1996) starring Ed Harris, Amy Madigan, and Henry Thomas.
