Arguably Zane Grey's most popular novel and a forerunner of the western genre, Riders of the Purple Sage tells the story of a Mormon woman caught between the persecution of religious zealots and several "Gentile" gunmen seeking to lend her a helping hand. Set in Utah during the nineteenth century, this novel offers an early critique on the practice of polygamy and plural marriage in the Old West.

This story tells of the bravery and heroism of Betty, the beautifulyoung sister of old Colonel Zane, one of the bravest pioneers. Lifealong the frontier, attacks by Indians, Betty's heroic defense of thebeleaguered garrison at Wheeling, the burning of the Fort, and Betty'sfinal race for life, make up this never-to-be-forgotten story.