Valley of Wild Horses

by Zane Grey

First published 1947

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4.0(2,109)

Around 1890, a wandering cowboy returns to central-western New Mexico and becomes involved with a troubled family whose future is tied to the capture and handling of wild horses. The work offers the possibility of a fresh beginning, but old resentments and obligations make it difficult for anyone to start again without confronting what happened before.

The horse country provides both livelihood and escape. Riding, capture and ranch labour demand trust in a setting where family tensions repeatedly undermine it. The novel uses the return of a man who has spent years drifting to ask whether belonging can be recovered, or whether the habits of independence that helped him survive will prevent him from keeping the home he now wants.