Woman Of the Frontier

I must admit when I first read this book many years ago when titled, 30,000 on the Hoof, there were many questions left unanswered, and several ambiquities one had to try to figure out or rationalize for yourself--like the parentage of one of the sons. And the fact of having the "adopted" daughter learn she is adopted and having feelings for one of her brothers is not so far-fetched in a land of few women in comparison to men, although to many this smacks of incest. The over-all story is the story of a woman telling the struggles of a pioneer family and the title is justified. Zane Grey wrote many of his books from the woman's viewpoint; undoubtedly the reason so many of them were published in the "women's magazines" of the day. His readership was MORE than half women. Perhaps, this is not the best Zane Grey book, but it does display all of his qualities as a writer--great descriptions of landscape, fascinating characters, demanding situations consistent with life, and the celebration of family as a cohesive unit. Traditional values to be sure. One could only wish more writers would try to emulate Zane Grey. And these re-stored books only add to his mystique and legendary status as the greatest 'western' novelist of all time. Buy it and enjoy it for what it is, not analyze it.