The Rainbow Trail: or The Desert Crucible

Riders of the Purple Sage #2

by Zane Grey

met Fay Larkin, he knew he had found it. Even when she was charged with murder, he did not care. He had to have her. She was worth life itself.

Breaking her out of jail was the easy part. After that he had posses to worry about, violent bands of Indians to outrun, a murderous trek across a trackless waste, and a brutal passage through white water hell.

Hell, yes. Busting her out of jail had been a cinch. After that it really got tough.

Genres: Westerns, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Classics, Adventure, Audiobook, Romance

Audiobook

First published January 1, 1915

About the author

Pearl Zane Grey was an American author best known for his popular adventure novels and stories that presented an idealized image of the rugged Old West. As of June 2007, the Internet Movie Database credits Grey with 110 films, one TV episode, and a series, Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theater based loosely on his novels and short stories.

Reviews

[Carlton Phelps · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Western

Zane Grey is well known for his books about cowboys and the west as it was changing.
This book was released in its original story line.
Mr. Grey was asked to change his story because of his writing about the Mormons.
He had a dislike for them and the way they treated women.
The story centers on a preacher who is having a crisis with his faith .
He goes to the desert with the thought that he will be able to renew his faith and find the woman he's in love with.
In his travels he befriends a few Indians and the owner of a trading post.
When he goes to a hidden village he finds kept women who are like standby wives of Mormon men.
His life takes on a new meaning and he finds a new enemy that is a friend of the Mormons.
Mr. Grey's western stories are classic and beautifully written.

[Ralph · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a sequel to the classic Riders of the Purple Sage, though the main characters from that book do not enter the plot till very near the end. Like the first book, this book is also a romance set in the west, but much of the time the characters and the plot are subordinate to the setting, and even when the characters and their actions take center stage, they have been changed through their experiences in the "crucible of the desert." Zane Grey wrote of the land through which he traveled and the people he met. Though much of the characterization is out of step with modern expectations and sensibilities, there is yet a strong sense of verisimilitude to them. The characters tend to fall into three categories -- Mormons, Gentiles (any white who is not Mormon), and Indians, and among those three groups we have characters who range from very noble and self-sacrificing to extremely evil and destructive. John Shefford has come from the East, wide-eyed and naive, and very quickly discovers that the sensibilities of his cultivated upbringing are definite detriments to his survival in the Canyon Country of the West. Having heard the story of Lassiter, one of the protagonists in Riders of the Purple Sage, he is searching for the man, as well as young Fay Larkin. That search exposes him to experiences that burn away the chaff of his former life and reveal his true character, teaching him the meaning of truth, friendship, loyalty, honor and love, traits he thought he understood, but really did not. This is an extremely enjoyable book, and those who come to it expecting nothing more than a standard Western or "horse opera" will be pleasantly surprised.

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once in awhile you come upon a book or books that speaks to you on a different level then all of the others and that is what "The Riders of the Purple Sage" and "The Rainbow Trail" have done to me. The descriptions of the vastness and beauty of the American West along with its history and romance told by a true artist is a combination that is hard to recover from. I will need a day or so to absorb all of this before I can let go and begin another book. Zane Grey was a true artist and a must read for lovers of the written word.

[Theresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a lovely continuation to Riders of The Purple Sage.

A disgraced minister heads to the desert to find himself and a girl named Fay Larkin that in his mind will be his salvation. In that beautiful desert, he finds love, loyalty, friendship and himself.

The friendship between Shefford and Nas Ta Bega alone made the story a five star read. Again, I love a good bromance.

I was a little upset by how queasy Shefford was over Fay killing Waggoneer, but it all righted itself.

Jane's horse still knowing her was a lovely sentimental touch.

[Gu Kun · Rating 1 out of 5]

Rosy clouds in their magnificent splendor, majestic mountains in pale moonlight or wafts of morning mist ... that sort of embellishment is pasted all over his paragraphs - a dollop of repetitious, utterly boring, semi-poetic, adolescent, three-penny-novel goo. Girlie stuff. Yuck.

[Clayton Roach · Rating 3 out of 5]

A stand alone sequel. As I continue to read more of Grey’s work, I see how his characters seem to live in unison with the way I imagined he lived. To ride across the plains and see the heart of the wavering flowers; those aren’t the typical quirks of a trail-hardened man. He has more of a romance about life, and the way he tells of western scenes leads me to believe he was in constant awe of God’s handiwork. With all that said, this overall story had lots of build up, only for it to fall slowly and not in gunslinging fashion. It’s more of a romance novel for both a woman and the mystery of the desert. It seals the deal on one of the genre’s greatest titles,“Riders of the Purple Sage,” but I wouldn’t place them on the same pedestal.

[Jay French · Rating 3 out of 5]

After reading a few classic Westerns, I’ve figured out why the heroes have been reflective, thoughtful, intelligent characters. It’s so that the author can put in a lot of description, mostly of the land. The terrain and vegetation descriptions set this apart from other non-genre novels - Grey describes like he is there, so that you could picture the cinematic version of the story. There wasn’t as much going on in this one compared to “Riders of the Purple Sage”, and multiple bad guys exit with but a whimper. But Grey didn’t seem to be adding words unnecessarily, and the ending was surprisingly drawn out, instead of cut short like some other older Westerns that I’ve read – presumably because a word count was reached. I am looking forward to reading more.

[Elinor · Rating 4 out of 5]

This sequel to Riders of the Purple Sage has an even more salacious story line than the first book. In Riders, a young Mormon woman has to escape the clutches of her controlling church elders. In this book, which takes place fifteen years later, the state of Utah has outlawed plural marriages, but an entire village of beautiful young "sealed" wives (not legal wives, but plural wives sealed by God) are hidden in the mountains, and visited in the dead of night by gray-bearded elders. Yuck! The hero has to save one of them, a character from the first book, in a hair-raising escape, aided by a good guy Mormon and a noble indigenous brave who is the real hero of this novel, in my opinion. The action moves along smartly, and the landscape descriptions are wonderful.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the (much anticipated by me) sequel to Riders of the Purple Sage, but set about sixteen years in the future and following (mostly) a different set of characters. Having escaped Utah and those pesky Mormons in the first book, Vinters and Bess befriend our main character and tell him about the hidden valley Lassiter, Jane, and Fay are trapped in. Our main character, for reasons of his own, goes in search of the hidden valley with thoughts of rescuing Fay like a knight in shining armour. This book follows his journey across the desert lands of the USA during his search.

This story had a different feel to it than Riders of the Purple Sage. It was still an adventure, but this one was more about the friendships made along the way and the air of mystery regarding Surprise Valley. I enjoyed it, even if I didn't quite like the main character full heartedly. Zane Grey writes a complex characters with a troubled past really well, but I think he really missed the mark with John Shefford. The adventure he was on to find the valley was as much to rescue Fay (and company) as well as to "find himself" after he was run out of his hometown for refusing to be a preacher. He lacked the inner turmoil the author's main characters usually have. And I really didn't understand a lot of the motives behind his actions/choices in the book - he seemed a blunderer most of the times, content to let his friends further the plot. For a man happy to tote a gun and shoot bandits who try to steal from his employer, he really had a huge issue protecting Fay from someone who meant her real harm because he didn't want to commit murder. It made no sense to me. On the other hand, I really enjoyed the other characters in this book. Fay especially was a delight! Strong, both physically and mentally. And the real heroes of the stories were the Indian and the Mormon.

The overall mystery about what happened in Surprise Valley with Jane, Lassiter, and Fay was wrapped up nicely. The epilogue made my eyes water - it was so sweet with the horses and everything.

[Henry Avila · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Rainbow Trail, a worthy sequel to hugely popular" Riders of the Purple Sage", a key book in the rise of the western genre . John Shefford a former minister (he was told to leave by the church , for being a suspected atheist !) meets Bern and Elizabeth Venters in distant Illinois. They tell him an unbelievable but fascinating story of brave Lassiter, Jane Withersteen and Fay Larkin their "adopted" daughter . Stuck in Surprise Valley for 12 long years, strangely Shefford falls in love with Fay without ever seeing her (This novel is set ten years after the original). He needs someone to love, don't we all. Arriving in arid Arizona John encounters an Indian girl being attacked, by a missionary in a lonely trading post. Shefford rescues her this makes him a brother to her brother, which greatly benefits him. This Navajo Nas Ta Bega, teaches the tenderfoot the ways of the Old West and saves the paleface's life, several times in total. John diligently continues searching for the valley without any success. However by good fortune that happens often in literature, Shefford finds Fay under a different name in a secluded village of sealed wives ( after death they're still married ). She Fay shows him the hidden vale in Utah and rescues her "parents " and a big bag of delicious gold also. A big problem arises, though when he makes an enemy with Shaun, the dangerous Indian outlaw. Running away from Shaun's gang after a puzzling killing, his friend Nas Ta Bega shows Shefford , The Rainbow Bridge and a chance for freedom. A natural exotic looking rock formation, beautiful but strange in a remote area. The highlight in the novel is a trip down the Colorado River's treacherous rapids with his new friends. If they live it will be a miracle yet people sometimes are lucky . Zane Grey proves once again his knowledge of the west was real not just putting words on a piece of paper.

[Joanne Cretacci · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved it! Perfect book for a perfect time in my life.
I was visiting Arizona and the great red canyons and sunsets while reading this book!
Impeccabile descriptions. Interesting story line.
The timeless theme of one man’s search for meaning in life, and the Mormon friend and Noble Navajo that stick closer than a brother.
Mormons, secret wives, the vanishing Navajo Nation and action add to the interest of this story.
The book was written in 1915 by Zane Grey who is considered the father of the western stories.
A good read.

[Fran · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was enjoyable, and did not disappoint. The sequel to Riders of the Purple Sage, which I've also read, had all the characteristic Zane Grey features: beautiful scenery, wonderful characters, poignant and tender moments, and a feel good ending. You can't go wrong with any of these classic Westerns.

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely sequel to Grey's "Riders of the Purple Sage." Twelve years later a young, disillusioned, ex-preacher in Illinois, hears about the wonderful secret canyon where a couple with their young foster daughter had fled to for safety, knowing they could not likely get out ever again without help from outside. He is enthralled with the idea that he might find that canyon and bring the girl and her family back out into the world. He heads out West and, without any experience, journeys into the unforgiving desert to fulfill this quest. He links up with a wise Indian chief who had been kidnapped as a child, with friendly traders, and an unconventional Mormon. Fight scenes, chase scenes, gun battles, plus treacherous horse and burro treks abound. Beautiful descriptions of the wild desert and Grand Canyon River. Includes a concept I had never heard about among the Mormons, called "sealed wives," where "secondary" wives and their children were all hustled into a hidden village outside of Utah, and visited by their "husbands" occasionally overnight. Very sad, if it was true. Originally published in 1915, I listened to this book as a free download from LibriVox.org, read by a superb reader.

[Thomas Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not as beautiful and thoroughly delectable a work as Riders of the Purple Sage. But notwithstanding this, The Rainbow Trail is still well worth a read; for Zane Grey’s beautiful prose and - whilst not as powerful and haunting as the endless sage slopes of its prequel - the beautiful imagery, which seems to be a fairly unique trademark of his. Some of the places in his books stick with me as though they were real places that I have visited. This is certainly no mean feat, and something which no other author that I have read has been able to pull off. The only downside to this is that I sometimes feel that Grey, perhaps exulting and delighting in his remarkable ability in this area, sometimes goes overboard in describing every landscape down to smallest little detail which can make his novels feel a little slow in places.

[Gingerspice Obrien · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is not as well paced or intense as Riders of the Purple Sage. Shefford is no Lassiter. He too often gets lost in his own dream world and needs others to snap him out of it. He is more a hero by accident and by the setup by others. I was sorry that Lassiter was portrayed as old and frail. I was hoping for at least one good gunfight where he could shine. I thought Fay Larkin was portrayed well, (wished she had really done the deed). Jane Withersteen was portrayed as just a shadow of her former self. I thought the new generation of Mormons and the exploited Indians were also well protrayed.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Zane Grey, but this one far outshines most of his books. The descriptions of the canyons and the river and the tension of the adventures were so exciting, I couldn't wait to finish the book, and yet I hated to say good bye to the characters. This is my second reading of the story, and it was better this time! I was so happy that Lassiter and Jane got out, and so glad the Mormon religion has changed their practices of "sealed wives". Horrible. I think Zane liked the Mormons, but hated some of their ways.

[Betty · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I was so fascinated by the author's descriptions that our next trip was planned around this exciting landmark in Northern Arizona. We took a boat trip on Lake Powell and hiked from the landing to the site of this natural bridge.

The story itself was fascinating, being the culmination years after the end of "Rider's of the Purple Sage." It had a mysterious quality to the story. I could read these two books time and again.

[reta durbin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yesteryears reading, revived!

Picturesque, soul searching, romantic, mysterious, educational, enlightening, fascinating plot that kept me reading for several hours, and hating to lay it down even when I knew I must!

[Lloyd Mack · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Rainbow Trail is a sequel to Riders of the Purple Sage by Zane Grey. Twelve years after Lassiter, Jane Witherspoon and adopted daughter Fay Larkin are sealed in Surprise Valley, cowboy John Shefford has heard their story from Venters, who had stocked the valley and shared its location with them to escape the relentless Mormons who ruled over that corner of Utah.
Now Grey is pretty indirect in unfolding the story and how Shefford has come to have a dream of finding the lost valley and Fay Larkin. He weaves this story into another outsider coming among the Mormons and being given a role with a trader going into a secret village of sealed wives.
Grey is able to build suspense later in the novel, however it took awhile to get there and had a sidebar into Shefford’s Navajo friend Nas Ta Bega’s village which didn’t seem to serve much purpose. Once he has the final race for freedom underway the build up of suspense never seems to end. Grey’s writing is very descriptive but I could picture the canyons, climbing routes and twists snd turns in my mind. I knew there was peril but it seemed strung out too long.

[Chris · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's hard to imagine the average rating at the time of writing this review is 4.02. Here are just a few of my issues:

1) The story isn't really interesting. It was extremely hard not to dnf.
2) Repeats a lot of BS from Riders.
3) The writing style. Besides admiring the scenery of the ole' frontier, it really drags on. It feels disjointed, so you sometimes feel pulled out of what is actually going on.

I think I'll keep my eyes peeled for more modern Western novels the next time around.

[Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Better than the first, but Grey seems to spend more time on descriptions of the terrain than on a story. I will give Mr. Zane Grey a break for now.

[Faith Burnside · Rating 4 out of 5]

TRIGGER WARNING: RELIGIOUS TRAUMA AND MORMONISM

A very good end to the saga.

[Ellen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was expecting a Western but instead got a story about Mormons and their 'hidden' wives. Not my cup of tea. The last few chapters were exciting.

[Pam Proulx · Rating 4 out of 5]

An older style of writing that I found interesting. Lots of time spent on description that helps the reader experience the terrain of the grand canyon and lands near it in an earlier time. Zane Grey is a well-known author. I wanted to read one of his books. This one was a good choice.

[Bryan Friddle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful sequel to The Riders of the Purple Sage.

[Helen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This sequel to Riders of the Purple Sage, is another classic western romance/adventure. A massive landslide has opened up Surprise Valley where Jane Withersteen, Jim Lassiter and young Fay Larkin were locked up for more than a decade. A cruel Mormon has coerced Fay into becoming a secondary wife by threatening Jane and Jim. But we have a new protagonist to the rescue, John Shefford, who failed as a minister in Illinois, lost his faith and has now come west chasing a vision of Surprise Valley. Bern and Bess Venters, who escaped at the end of Riders, have now settled in Illinois and they've told Shefford all about Surprise Valley and what happened there.

As he follows his quest, Shefford ends up in a Mormon village where extra wives have been secreted in defiance of the law against polygamy. It takes a very long time for him to actually get to Surprise Valley.

There's a whole lot of description and romantic writing, as with Riders, but some key differences. On the plus side, Shefford is a more complex character who changes over time. Although Mormons are also villains here, Zane Grey depicts a couple of them as noble human beings, willing to stand against religious authority to help Shefford. There's also a good depiction of the Navajo who adopts Shefford as his brother. On the negative side, Withersteen and Lassiter are sad cardboard cutouts and the bad guys are caricatures, pretty easily dispatched. The final scenes are the best, especially the wild raft ride.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished reading the book “THE RAINBOW TRAIL” which is the sequel to “RIDERS OF THE PURPLE SAGE, thus (BOOK 2) by ZANE GREY. I read this book while listening to the audible version narrated by JIM ROBERTS. Originally published in 1915, The Rainbow Trail is the sequel to Riders of the Purple Sage (also a Bison Book). At the end of that famous novel, a huge boulder had rolled down to shut off the entrance to Surprise Valley, leaving Lassiter, Jane Withersteen, and little Fay Larkin to a singular fate. Twenty years later a lanky Illinois preacher named John Shefford, disillusioned with the narrow-mindedness of his congregation, appears in Arizona. At a “sealed-wife” village, where Mormons hide the practice of polygamy from the federal government, he picks up the trail of the grown-up Fay. Thus begins an exciting story of captivity, treachery, and last-minute escape. Willie and I were so excited to find that there was a sequel to “RIDERS OF THE PURPLE SAGE”.

[Mike · Rating 2 out of 5]

An improvement over Riders of the Purple Sage, but it does share many of the same flaws that were prevalent in its predecessor. There's at least a tiny bit of "on screen" action in this book with Shefford defending an Indian girl against a missionary and later firing a shot (but missing) at a group of outlaws chasing him and his group.

Just like the original story though there are paragraph after paragraph of setting descriptions and the big reveal is telegraphed and came as no surprise at all. Shefford is more likeable than Jane Withersteen from "Riders," but still seems a bit cowardly and the fact that he feels conflict and seems to lose his love for his future wife when he thinks she killed her kidnapper and rapist is pretty despicable.

[Dianne Shaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best western I have read!

This rating reflects the genius of the author in writing a thoughtful, exciting, and searching story. John Shefford was a man who lost his faith in the narrow confines of Christianity and Grey did an excellent job of winding his journey to find peace in the pain of rejection around every exciting bend of the wild west in which he rode and every experience he had along the way.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sequel to "Riders of the Purple Sage", Grey clearly has issues with Mormons and presents Indians as noble, wise people. Description of the landscape is first rate. The story is melodramatic.