Horse Heaven Hill

Name: Horse Heaven Hill
Rating: 3.66 (157 reviews)

by Zane Grey

First published 1959

Amazon

3.6(157)

In northeastern Washington around 1890, a nearly penniless young woman of mixed Nez Perce heritage goes to live with wealthy relatives in ranching country. Her skill with horses and her concern for the wild herds immediately distinguish her from a family whose expectations are shaped by property, status and more conventional ideas about a young woman's place.

The ranch offers security but also demands compromises she is reluctant to make. Her independence brings her into conflict with relatives and neighbours while drawing her towards people who value her knowledge of the land and horses. The novel combines romance with a changing western economy, using the contrast between wild herds and increasingly controlled ranch country to reflect the heroine's struggle to decide how much of herself she will surrender in order to belong.