Riders of the Purple Sage by Zane Grey has been called the most popular western novel of all time and is considered by many to have played a major hand in establishing the formula for the Western genre.  Set in Southern Utah in 1871, it is a long novel with a complex plot and many threads. The central character is Jane Withersteen, a wealthy young Mormon woman who has inherited a valuable property from her father. When she refuses a marriage proposal from a church elder (who covets her ranch) she is openly persecuted by the community. She favors her friendship with Venters, a young Gentile rider. While Venters is off chasing a gang of rustlers that includes a mysterious Masked Rider, a notorious gunman named Lassiter arrives in search of the grave and the child of his long-lost sister. The persecution escalates and Jane and Lassiter are driven off her ranch. They flee and fall in love. Meanwhile, Venters unmasks the Masked Rider and finds his own soul mate; together they find refuge in Surprise Valley before setting off for Illinois.  Jane and Lassiter encounter them en route and set off for Surprise Valley themselves. The vindictive Mormons are in hot pursuit but are foiled when Lassiter sets off an avalanche to close off Deception Pass, the only access to the valley.  The book was immensely popular upon publication in 1912 and was followed by a sequel, The Rainbow Trail, in 1915. It has been adapted for film five times, most recently in 1996.

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