Betty Zane

The Ohio River Trilogy #1

by Zane Grey

Inspired by the life and adventures of his own great-great grandmother, Betty Zane was Zane Grey's first novel and launched his career as a master writer of rousing frontier and Western adventures.

Betty Zane is the story of the events culminating in the last battle of the American Revolution, when two hundred Redcoats from British-controlled Detroit along with four hundred Shawnee Indian attacked the small, wood-palisaded Ford Henry on the western frontier. The heroine of the battle--a young, spunky, and beautiful frontier girl--was Betty Zane

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

290 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1903

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

[Louie the Mustache Matos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zane Grey communicates in the prelude that his mother told the story of his great grandmother, and how it had been a source of family pride to claim such objectively heroic ancestry. His mother actually left him the family album, hoping that he would one day tell the stories. Betty Zane is the first of the many books that Grey would write based on the actual events which happened during the Revolutionary War. Grey took some creative license with the facts and in so doing not just wove an entertaining book, but also became the first best-selling author/millionaire.

In the fictionalized account, apocryphal-though-it might-be, the account of Betty's heroism is written in a believable way. Zane's writing had not yet reached its zenith, (it was after all his first book) but even here the level of sophistication in the narrative is astounding. There are whole passages of just description of nature that inspire and engender awe. I don't know why the novel was initially rejected, but I'm happy that he persisted. It might have to do with the fact that the main hero is a woman, but one can only speculate.

I prefer Max Brand's grit to Zane Grey's flowery language, but this first novel is pretty special. Trigger warning for insensitive racial or misogynistic ideas and language. The book is over 100 years old. Cultural sensitivities have changed in the interim. I consider this a classic because it meets all three of my criteria: longevity, establishing a paradigm, and exceptionalism.

[Mike (the Paladin) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zane Grey has fallen into a certain amount of "disfavor" in recent times as his stories aren't precisely PC. In other words the stories of conflict between the Indians/Native Americans and the settlers are told with sides being represented at times, but with the settlers presented as the good guys. Without the self flagellation over how bad the settling of the "new world" was the books get a thumbs down from some.

If we can move beyond that and accept the fact that it happened and that all the settlers weren't native haters (yes Lew Whetzel was vengful against the native peoples but then his familly was wiped out in an earlier massacre, it at least explains some of the attitude). Zane Grey (a descendant of the real Betty Zane) understood that the wars on the frontier were bloody on both sides with little quarter given or asked on either side. When entire families were wiped out hate took over for those on both sides. The wars spread for many reasons beside the settlers simply being there. The British paid the native peoples for scalps and in the end left them high and dry with the loss of the continent. The blood spilled left wounds, scars, and pain that wouldn't heal.

This is a fictionalized story of a real family, a real woman.

The only draw back I see to the actual writing, is something that has more to do with the passing of time than anything else and that's Grey's long and somewhat drawn out discriptions. My father once said he could spend three pages describing a tree. It's not quite that bad...but there is a lot of description.

[Wanda Pedersen · Rating 3 out of 5]

After reading some science fiction from the 1930s, I was feeling nostalgic about the Zane Grey westerns that I read when I was in junior high and high school. They were part of my mother's collection and when I had finished all of hers, I began searching for more of Grey's novels. They are pretty formulaic. There is always a romance between a feisty, headstrong young woman and a man who doesn't feel worthy of her because he is "just" a cowboy or a frontiersman or whatever. This story is actually about a historical woman, an ancestress of Grey's. But the details of her private life are unrecorded by history, so he re-wrote her life in his usual pattern. The headstrong gal always needs some convincing and there is always a communication foul-up that must be overcome. True love always wins in the end. Gack. But he does write some beautiful descriptions of the environment his characters live in and its obvious that he loved natural beauty. What horrifies me now, as an adult, is the blatant racism against both blacks and Indians. The last little bit of this book states that Indians will, in time, disappear. If you are of European descent, these are very romantic stories of the settlement of the United States. If you have any Indian heritage, this would be a horrifying example of the treatment of your ancestors. I remember being troubled by these issues even as a teen reader.

I still have a soft spot for these novels, despite their drawbacks.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you like old west this is the book for you. Betty Zane is a not so well known heroine of the Revolutionary War. I love the story of Betty Zane and so will you. She taught me to not be afraid of death. People may kill your body but they can't kill your soul. It was full of fun, suspense and very clean read. I gotta say I enjoyed it.

The Writing was Definantly good. It's not the horribly catchy can't-put-down-for-anything kind of writing, but there were no big noticable flaws. It's well-written.

Overall: Enjoyable. Recommended for 12+

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first novel of the prolific writer of (mostly) Westerns is not a Western, per se, but a frontier novel set in the Virginia-Ohio area, a novel based on historical references and family traditions from Grey's own family. It concerns the titular Betty Zane, a real-life antecedent of Grey's, who with her family fought the Indian and British forces trying to wipe out the revolutionary colonists on the then-western edge of American "civilization." The story takes place largely in 1782 and tells relatively true accounts of the young woman Betty Zane and her heroic effort to save her family from a massive attack. Published in 1903, the book is relatively well-written, with a fairly compelling narrative, but it is also a piece of its time, replete with condescension toward the female characters, dehumanizing terms for the Indian characters, and occasional bouts of flowery romantic language, particularly in the scenes between Betty and the two men who love her. But Grey, even in his first novel, manages to convey some of the grittiness of the frontier, and he brings his great-grand-aunt to comparatively vivid life. Grey wrote over 100 novels, some of them quite a bit more famous than this, his first, and he is renowned as a remarkable story-teller. This isn't a bad start, for him, or for anyone who wants to tackle his massive output.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the best things about being in a book club is that you are forced to read books that you wouldn't normally read. Naturally, this means that sometimes you are pleasantly surprised by a particular selection and sometimes the selection is a total dud that completely validates your reasons for never having wanted to pick it up in the first place. The cover on this edition alone would have been enough reason for me to not pick this book up. I know, I know, "Never judge a book by its cover," but seriously, the cover on this book is so off-putting. And, I will say there are some stereotypes throughout Betty Zane, but let's remember that this book was written 110 years ago when people's attitudes and perceptions were different. I was actually impressed that Zane Grey's characterizations weren't more over the top.

So, despite the Native American stereotypes and the melodramatic purple prose, I found this book to be extremely charming. I liked the depictions of early pioneer life. I liked the bits of action and warfare as well as the bits of romance. I really liked the setting because it's so close to home for me. It's so strange to think of Ohio and West Virginia as being the frontier, but there was a time when this land was all wilderness. Before reading this book I would never have picked up a Zane Grey book but now I'd consider reading more of them. Thanks, book club!

[Elinor · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's difficult to know how to rate this book, so I chose the middle ground. It is interesting, dramatic, well-written, and as far as I know, based on historical fact. It is also so darned racist that it was often hard to read, as the author continuously refers to the indigenous population as redskins and murdering savages. However, I don't believe in revisionist history, and this is clearly how the early settlers (very early, in this case -- in the 1700s they were still trying to establish a foothold in what is now Ohio) thought, felt, and spoke about the local population. I remember receiving this book for Christmas when I was about 12 years old, and how much I admired the plucky Betty Zane who ran a gauntlet of gunfire to save the day during a battle between the settlers holed up in the fort, and the natives trying to drive them out. I didn't realize at the time that this was Zane Grey's very first novel, and he chose to tell the story of his own colourful ancestors. It's definitely worth a read if you can stomach the language. It's certainly a reminder of how attitudes have changed since then.

[Cindy B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

True war story. Author’s family given an award by Pres. Washington. An action adventure with a side of romance. May right misinformation on that War. Clean and true. Narration is excellent.

Remembering our Veterans on this day. 🇺🇸❤️🇺🇸

[Mustang USMC · Rating 4 out of 5]

A

Make no mistake, this book is a classic. Gray, an artist in every sense strives to tell the story of his ancestors, and he accomplishes this as only Zane Gray can.

[Don · Rating 5 out of 5]

easy 5 stars! Loved this book, my first Zane Grey novel!

[Hollie D · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable historical novel about Fort Henry and the lesser known heroine of the Revolutionary War, Betty Zane. We listened to this and thoroughly enjoyed it.

My favorite aspect of this novel is the authentic portrayals of manliness and womanliness. This is my favorite quote from the book:
"In the silence which ensued after these words the men looked at each other with slowly whitening faces. There was no need of words. Their eyes told one another what was coming. The fate which had overtaken so many border forts was to be theirs. They were lost! And every man thought not of himself, cared not for himself, but for those innocent children, those brave young girls and heroic women. A man can die. He is glorious when he calmly accepts death; but when he fights like a tiger, when he stands at bay his back to the wall, a broken weapon in his hand, bloody, defiant, game to the end, then he is sublime. Then he wrings respect from the souls of even his bitterest foes. Then he is avenged even in his death. But what can women do in times of war? They help, they cheer, they inspire, and if their cause is lost they must accept death or worse. Few women have the courage for self-destruction. "To the victor belong the spoils," and women have ever been the spoils of war."

At times the author does get preachy (when he drones on about how the Indians wouldn't have behaved so brutally if the white men hadn't introduced them to alcohol) but, overall it is an accurate account of pioneer life during the Revolutionary War. Full of love, war, courage, and bravery ... both my husband and I enjoyed it equally.

[Bobby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Regarding what others refer to as supposed "racism" in this 1903 novel, there is none of a malignant sort. A Eurocentric viewpoint was in keeping with the times and is rather benign here. Zane portrays a respectful and wary fascination and fear of the "Other" and of the untamed wilderness itself that the Indians represent. Keep in mind that settlers and natives were often (not always) enemies and were involved in centuries-long struggles in which the natives had the powerful upper hand until the later years. It's ridiculous to fault an author and novel of a past time period reflecting the conventions of the time period. Even today racial preference is a part of human nature whether white people are one of the parties or not, and whether overly sensitive modern readers can admit it or not.

*****spoilers below*****

Inspired by the history of his his great-aunt, I certainly hope the real Betty Zane wasn't as insufferably stuck-up as Zane Grey's title character. I was annoyed by how most of the men in the story made fools of themselves in her beautiful but snooty presence. She does, however, redeem herself by a stark and unsolicited act of bravery.
This book takes quite a while to get to the exciting climax of the Indian and British attack on the fort, but it is worth waiting for.

[Natalie]

I first read this book as a little girl (from Ohio) :O) - it was one of my mother's books. I loved it so much I read it again, and again. This is the most often re-read book I own. I'm 32 years old and every once in awhile, I'll pull it back out and read it again. A great testement to a great novel to be re-read over and over again - cover to cover - over the years. It has everything, adventure, romance & historical reference.

[Shary · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was expecting a historical novel about Betty Zane, but instead got a romance novel. The language is very flowery and love is always in the air. One of the reasons I like historical novels is that it is a memorable way to learn, but if Wikipedia is to be believed, very few of the details of the novel are based on facts. I look forward to our book club discussion, to be held at the local historical society.

[Danzaiss · Rating 3 out of 5]

First of a trilogy, followed by Spirit of the Border and The Last Trail. More historical fiction than the typical western expected from the author.
Because it was written in 1903, a reader should expect racism aligned with the time. The author took a few liberties with the historical facts. All-in-all, a good read; it'd be 3 1/2 stars if I could give a half.

[Julie Morales]

This book was hard for me to get into at first and I'm not sure why. Maybe it was the writing style, maybe it was the slow pace at which the story started, but whatever it was, I'm glad I stuck with it.
There's some historical basis for this story. As with other stories of its type, the author takes some license with the facts for the sake of the story, but it was well-done. The life of the pioneers, the hardships and troubles with the Indians, and the hardships and unfairness the Indians themselves faced are all dealt with here.
I had a distinct dislike for the main heroine of the story at first. I thought, if my opinion of her didn't change, this was going to be a hard story to get through indeed, but as with any good author, this story shows how Betty grows into a woman. She starts out as a spoiled brat, but in the end, she's brave enough to attempt saving the entire fort.
This is a different type of western story from the type I usually read. We have Indians, but this isn't about cowboys and ranches. This takes place in the late 1700's when the western front was still east of the Mississippi. I love pioneer stories though, and this one portrays well the hard life of the settlers.
Colonel Zane moves his family to Fort Henry, a settlement he established on the Ohio River. His brother Andrew had been previously killed by Indians, and his brother Isaac was held prisoner by an Indian princess who loved him and refused to let him go. The remaining brothers, along with the Colonel and their sister Betty, all lived in the fort.
Betty was a firebrand. She was haughty and snobbish in the beginning. She'd been living with an aunt in Philadelphia but now felt that her place was with her letterothers. She liked to ride her pony, go fishing and canoeing and care for her menagerie of pets, including a bear, some pigeons and squirrels.
There's trouble in the settlement though. Indians are on the warpath, and the settlers are in constant fear of an attack. Isaac manages to escape from his Indian princess to warn his family of the impending attack, but it's even more involved than he thought. Lewis Wetzel, an Indian hunter, goes off on forays into the woods to track Indians and comes back with important information. He's a crucial scout for the settlers.
The settlers make preparations for a siege. They fortify the fort the best they can, but there are only 42 men able to fight in their small garrison, and attempts to gain more men are futile. There is one man, though, Alfred Clarke, from a nearby fort, who agrees to come.
Betty is the belle of the border. She's used to attention from guys, but it's all in fun for her. She doesn't believe that any of the guys are serious about her. She's not serious about any of them. But the hard work of the settlement and the perilous times in which they find themselves has a way of changing people.
Betty becomes the heroine of the story during the siege that inevitably does come. The fort is out of gunpowder and they're surrounded by British soldiers and Indians. Their force has been considerably depleted. They need to get to the Colonel's house, where more supplies are stored, but that's outside the stockade fence and no one can penetrate through the enemy lines. There are no young boys who can run fast enough and carry the supply of powder. The men will be shot on sight no doubt. Their only hope is that maybe a woman can get through without being shot, and Betty volunteers. Her heroism saves the fort.
This book has some romance, too. Betty is either ignorant of men, blind or just in plain denial that any man could have serious feelings for her, but she has suitors a-plenty, one of whom has motives that are less than honorable.
Once this book picked up, I couldn't put it down. I had to keep going, to find out what happened with the Indians, what kind of predicament Betty would find herself in next, and once the siege started, I couldn't stop reading to find out how it would go. This is the first book by Zane Grey that I've read. I liked it and will no doubt read others.

[Sheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

History given the Zane Grey treatment. Meaning inconvenient truths are ignored, there’s a love story or two, the excitement level has been cranked up considerable, and some rather shady historical characters have been burnished into tragic, romantic heroes. It’s full of the names of real people and much of the terrain and wildlife will be familiar to those who’ve been there, but the story has little to do with reality.

Nowadays authors are expected to portray Indians as all good; overall I would say Grey is more honest in recognizing that both whites and Indians had reason to resent each other, and in portraying a variety of attitudes on both sides. Betty Zane is the first book in the “Ohio River Trilogy” and also Grey’s first novel, but it shares the vision of his more typical westerns. While Grey doesn’t use modern terminology, he recognizes the fact that many of the insults hurled from one group to the other were based in cultural clashes, in the fact that the two peoples saw the world differently and defined good behavior accordingly:

“The war between the Indians and the pioneers was waged for years. The settlers pushed farther and farther into the wilderness. The Indians, who at first sought only to save their farms and their stock, now fought for revenge. ...

“To creep unawares upon a foe and strike him in the dark was Indian warfare; to an Indian it was not dishonorable; it was not cowardly….

"Comparatively little is known of the real character of the Indian of that time. We ourselves sit before our warm fires and talk of the deeds of the redman. We while away an hour by reading Pontiac's siege of Detroit, of the battle of Braddock's fields, and of Custer's last charge. We lay the book down with a fervent expression of thankfulness that the day of the horrible redman is past. Because little has been written on the subject, no thought is given to the long years of deceit and treachery practiced upon Pontiac; we are ignorant of the causes which led to the slaughter of Braddock's army, and we know little of the life of bitterness suffered by Sitting Bull.

“Many intelligent white men, who were acquainted with the true life of the Indian before he was harassed and driven to desperation by the pioneers, said that he had been cruelly wronged. "

[Chapter Six]

His Indians, like his settlers, are idealized in many ways, but Grey was too good a writer to fall for anything so simplistic as "white guys good, Indians bad." He may have had a heroic vision, but he is not writing about perfect people; his characters are flawed, and they suffer because of those flaws.

I agree with Stephen J. May when he says, "It is a good book without being a great book." Betty Zane has the Zane passion and demonstrates his aptitude for presenting the beauty of the natural world and shows considerable skill for a first novel, but it is not his best. It is, however, a fun read.

[Anais · Rating 4 out of 5]

Betty Zane is Zane Grey’s first published work (1903), an engaging, lightly romanticized historical account of his great-grand-aunt and her family, early American settlers of the Ohio River Valley. Grey weaves many thoughtful details of pioneer and Native American life into the legendary tales, such as descriptions of a pioneer cabin’s interior or Shawnee war rituals. Grey also describes how the settlers of the time make observations of their environment for survival— a natural intelligence that has been lost— such as identifying bird species to gauge the depth of the woods, observing the thickness of corn husks or raccoon fur to predict the severity of a winter, and so on. The book does an honorable job of showing both the “white man” and “red man” sides to the Indian Wars, humanizing and sympathizing with both people groups.

Sensitive readers (or parents) should be aware that the author describes acts of violence such as burning a colonist at the stake, or the stalking and scalping of a Huron warrior. Indeed, vengeful bloodthirstiness marks some of the protagonists, and the wanton cruelty and viciousness of one group is reciprocated by the other in the vicious cycle that is a well known part of the history of the U.S in the 1700s. Yet the author takes care to present particular events from both points of view and, like Isaac Zane, readers will find themselves caught in the middle. Grey’s ability to draw the reader’s heart to both sides of the feud gives the story the emotional complexity and perplexity that makes the time period come alive. The settlers’ prejudices against Indians and “negros” are typical of the earliest pioneers (including casual use of racial slurs to refer to the family servant).

14+

[Jay French · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fine old west story representing the time the old west was West Virginia. This isn’t a cowboy story, it’s a Revolutionary War patriot story. The background of the book is interesting, in that Betty Zane, a real life hero in one of the last battles in the Revolutionary War is an ancestor of Zane Grey, the author of this book. Grey introduces this background in the beginning of this audiobook.

I was also impressed, as I have been in the past, that Grey’s book doesn’t seem to have aged badly. If someone were to tell me this book was written in the 1950s, I could believe it. It has the feel of many of the Young Adult and mystery books from that era. Grey seems to have written at a level and with a style that seemed more appropriate for later decades. It’s an easy read, and again, I understand the popularity of Westerns likely built on this way of writing.

I also liked the story. Grey goes into some detail on the planning of the “heroic action” that Betty Zane accomplishes at the end of the book. There’s some strategy in avoiding being killed by Indians and Red Coats that are besieging you with muskets. Strangely, the strategy is similar to a broken field run in football – you can almost hear a coach in a football movie saying the same thing. It was the little details like this, and the typical rounding out of the characters to include some romance, that made this easy to read and enjoy.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Betty Zane, a fictionalized narrative of an ancestor who heroically saved Fort Henry in 1782, was one of Zane Grey's first attempts at writing, and, in fact, his first novel. He accomplished this feat using the pattern he studied from Owen Wister's The Virginian. This is the first novel of a historical trilogy that begins with Betty Zane, and continues on with Spirit of the Border, a story of the Indian Fighter, Lewis Wetzel, and concludes in The Last Trail, a narrative of the life of Jonathan Zane.

Regardless of the reaction of many critics regarding Mr Grey's first attempt, I found the novel to be engaging, and well written. He told the story in such a way, that the reader is able to identify with the characters, and to become emotionally involved in their trials. Although this may not be my favorite book by this author, I found it to be much more polished than many of the attempts of today's published writers.

As always, even in this initial attempt, Grey had the ability to describe certain scenes that become indelible into the mind of any serious reader, particularly as he describes the historical siege of Fort Henry. When Grey first attempted to publish Betty Zane, he was met with rejection which plunged him into despair. However, as his ancestors of old, he refused to resign himself to failure, and, instead, gathered the funds to self-publish this first novel, which spearheaded his career. I am glad that he did.

[Matt Kelland · Rating 3 out of 5]

I always had a fondness for Zane Grey when I was younger, so I was happy to find this copy of his first novel. It was astonishing to realize that it's actually based on the true story of one of his ancestors.

The reality is, it's not very good. It's okay, but it lacks the sweeping power of books like Riders of the Purple Sage. The characters are often irritating in their primness, and it takes forever to get to the main part of the story, the siege where Betty saves the fort. And Grey really struggles with his depiction of the Native Americans: he is clearly very sympathetic to them and is appalled by their treatment at the hands of the whites, but he still refers to them throughout as "savages" and has high praise for white characters whose main preoccupation and joy is killing them. But it's still worth a read if you want to see how the Western genre evolved from dime novels to literature.

[Jim B · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has not withstood the test of time. I don’t hold condemn an author for the attitudes of his time, but I don’t think Zane Gray knew many people of other cultures /races personally. He not only uses epithets like “red devil” or “savages,” but while he can say good things about a native, there is no disclosure of the ordinary human thoughts and motivations of anyone but white people.

I wonder how a woman today would relate to Betty’s emotional depiction. I know I wouldn’t have married her! At the heart of this story of an American heroine, Grey has invented a gothic romance style love story involving his ancestors. Like the traditional romance, the relationship is filled with misunderstandings and hidden attraction, but in this case, I didn't feel the character of Betty and Alfred are revealed in favorable ways.

The honorable Alfred’s motivations, as wonderful in every other relationship, seems more like a desire to subdue her than to be her partner for life.

[Catherine Lowe · Rating 4 out of 5]

My mother said that my grandfather, born in 1875, used to wait for the next Zane Grey novel to come out. I've wanted to read this, Grey's first novel, for a while because of the historical account that is the book's climax. Although I very much enjoyed the story, I regret not waiting to find an old copy in the used market. I read what I believe was a hastily produced 2023 copy with several typos. But that did not change that Betty Zane was a captivating story about the author's pioneer family. I'm looking forward to reading the next in the Ohio River Valley Trilogy.

[Kelsey Grissom · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are so few classic Westerns about women, and this one kept me interested and learning the whole way through. Although it certainly contains many of the racist attitudes and glaringly racist language of its time (1903), the novel actually ends with a deep note of respect and regret towards the Native people of America (Black, enslaved people do not fare as well in this book). Overall, I rated this book four stars because I so enjoyed learning about the way pioneer women lived and worked during the book’s time period.

[Marsha Nuckels · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was surprised to find out that this is true about Betty saving the fort in West Va from the British and Indians in the Am Revolution. Betty was actually Zane Greys Great great aunt. She is celebrated in W. Va. The fort was located in the Wheeling area. One must realize when reading this very descriptive book that there were viewpoints of Am Indians and women that are different now. This was written in 1933. Zane Grey was my grandmas favorite author and she named her firstborn, my dad, Zane.

[Claudia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zane Grey's first novel, based on family lore. I have several gaping holes in my reading history, and westerns is one of the biggest. I have often asked people which Zane Grey novel I should start with, but I found this reprint in the book aisle at Target, and decided to start here.

Fort Henry, W. Virginia, one of the last battles of the Revolutionary War. White settlers IN the Fort; an assortment of Red Coats, turncoats, and Natives outside...but I'm getting ahead of myself.

Grey's style is pretty clunky here...but it was his first attempt to write. He obviously never met an adjective he didn't like, and he attempts to overwhelm us with the beauty of the place, and the ruggedness of the men, and the heroism of the women by telling us, not showing. But he gets a pass...

Ebenezer Zane and his brothers have carved their home out of this wilderness and have attempted to civilize it. Women, children, families...all share the place with Indian tribes and renegades. Zane's brothers have been kidnapped and ransomed, all except for Isaac, who has the misfortune of catching the chief's daughter's eye. While I rolled my eyes at his escapes and recaptures, there is real suspense and terror in more than one of his experiences.

But it's not the brothers who are the heroes...it's Betty. The baby. Betty who's faster and stronger and more beautiful and...and...and. Pampered and indulged, she has found a way to fit into this rough life, even when her family wishes she'd stay back in Philadelphia where it's safer.

Grey's descriptions of the 'stock' figures of our past is filled with hero-worship. The lone mountain man is strong and tall and fearless (I'm falling into adjectives myself.); the villain is beyond evil; the Natives are either noble or savage. And Betty is the coquette who will, according to the family story, save Fort Henry with her courage.

Grey handles the pacing well and creates some scenes of terror. Through it all, you can see he's telling us a story he loves, he believes.

Not really a western, tho...unless WEST Virginia counts.

I am very fuzzy on the history, so I'll fill in the gaps with some research.

From the website STORY OF FORT HENRY:

"In September, 1782, occurred the last siege of Fort Henry, regarded by some as the last battle of the Revolution. A force of forty irregular British soldiers and 238 Indians, under Captain Bradt, made the attack. Between the former siege and this one the homes of the settlers had been rebuilt, including that of Ebenezer Zane. His dwelling contained a store of surplus ammunition and arms and it had been decided to occupy it in case of another attack. Being notified of the approach of the enemy by John Lynn, a scout, preparations were speedily made for the expected attack. Those who demained within the Zane house were Andrew Scott, George Green, Elizabeth Zane (Colonel Zane's wife), Molly Scott, Miss McCulloch, a sister of Major Samuel McCulloch, a negro slave and his wife, "Daddy Sam" and Kate. From all other homes the occupants had entered the fort. Although Colonel David Shepherd was superior officer in the county it appears that Colonel Silas Zane was again in command.12

The Indians approached carrying the British flag and asked for surrender, which was refused. During the night of attack the garrison of Fort Henry was re-enforced by the arrival of a few men who had come down in a boat from Pittsburgh. They carried some cannon balls, some of which were taken and used in the real cannon which had been substituted for the wooden one, the rest being appropriated by the attackers.

The first efforts of the enemy were toward destruction of the fort by battering it in every way possible. The first day was spent in futile attempts in this direction. The Indians placed their chief reliance upon burning and during the night made many attempts to burn both the fort and Colonel Zane's house. The negro slave detected the approach of an Indian and killed him as he was about to set fire to the residence. The cannon was brought into play, firing sixteen times during the attack. Being impressed by the effectiveness of the cannon, the Indians and soldiers made one of their own out of a hollow tree which they wrapped with chains found in a blacksmith shop and loaded with the balls taken from the Pittsburgh boat. When they fired it the explosion did no damage to the fort but killed and injured several persons who stood about.

It was during the second siege that the ammunition ran low in the fort and a volunteer, Elizabeth Zane, sister of Ebenezer Zane,13 ran to the cabin and returned under fire with a supply of powder, thus doing her part toward defense, and furnishing the background for a much-repeated story of pioneer days.

At the end of three days the Indians were thoroughly discouraged and, soon after, when Captain Boggs arrived with seventy men, they gave up and turned their attention to Rice's Fort, in the vicinity, where they lost heavily again.

Thus Fort Henry not only saved a large proportion of the inhabitants of the young colony at Wheeling, but played an important, though minor, role in the closing days of the American Revolution. The Second Siege was the last formidable raid of Indians into West Virginia."

Grey got the names right...but I don't remember anything that said Betty was only 13!!

[Mary Pomerantz · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was one of my favorite books as a pre-teen. I bought it again to reread as an adult. Seeing it through grownup eyes is different than reading it as a child. It is based on real frontier characters but was written early in the 20th century. The story was compelling but the language seemed dated. Still, it was an interesting read knowing it was about real people in the author's family.

[Diane L. Woodbury · Rating 5 out of 5]

A western written in the past but still enthralling today! Zane Grey is a master of the writing craft with powerful description, riveting characters, and a mesmerizing plot. My only complaint is that the love story calls for a lot of patience from the reader, but I suppose it is true to the time. The courageous run Betty makes during The siege is a moment to remember!

[Kenneth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read a library copy of this one when I was a kid back in the day. Set in the late 18th century during the Revolutionary War in the Ohio Valley, which was the frontier of White American settlement at the time, the novel is based on actual events that involved the Zane family. Betty was an ancestral aunt of the author.

[Jack Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

A perfect summer adventure story

Why did I not discover Zane Grey's fine books sooner in life? Wonderful, authentic tales of the real old, old west, before stagecoach and six-guns and Wyatt Earp. Pioneers, Indians, and nature: and Grey weaves a spellbinding story around them all, just right for forgetting the August heat.