Shane

A mysterious rider arrives at the Wyoming homestead of Joe and Marian Starrett and is welcomed into the household by their young son Bob. Shane tries to leave his past as a gunfighter behind, but cattleman Luke Fletcher is using intimidation to drive small homesteaders from the valley. As the pressure increases, Shane's loyalty to the Starrett family draws him towards the violence he hoped to escape.

Narrated through Bob's admiration and growing understanding, the novel examines the cost of the heroic gunman rather than simply celebrating him. Shane can protect the settlers only by becoming the dangerous figure he no longer wishes to be, and his departure leaves Bob with a more complicated idea of courage. The story first appeared in serial form in 1946 under the former title Rider from Nowhere before publication as Shane in 1949.