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Stranger from the Tonto
He had promised a dying prospector to even an old score and he meant to keep his word - with his guns!
240 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1956
94 people are currently reading
91 people want to read
About the author
Zane Grey
2,111 books592 followersPearl 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.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
December 31, 2021
This is what happens when you're visiting for Christmas, run out of reading material, and have to cadge a book from your brother in law. I've been reading Zane Grey since I was a teen, but I don't think I'd ever read this book before. But it follows Grey's pattern, so there were no surprises.
Grey sure liked “pure" young women, living in threatening situations where their purity is desired by outlaws. His heroines are usually blonde and small, but good, brave riders. Lucy Bonesteel is just such a woman, just out of childhood and innocent about life in the real world. She's been raised in isolation in the backcountry of Utah, unaware of her father's reputation as an outlaw or his alternate identity as a rancher with a new wife and family. She hasn't had much female companionship and is sexually unaware as a result. (There’s no mention of her having a period, how she would deal with that, or how it was explained to her, important details in any young woman's life).
Kent Wingfield is also a typical Grey hero. He's young, handsome, good with a gun, and an excellent horseman. He loves the wild country and is honorable. He has fallen in love with Lucy's story before he has even met the girl. His courtship of Lucy is that of an honorable man--he's willing to kiss her, but marriage is uppermost on his mind.
As usual, Grey spends loving time on describing the scenery, reveling in the details of the desert and the canyons. He seems to have loved horses and dogs, natural companions for a hunter of his era. He did do some hunting, though his true love seems to have been fishing or maybe baseball. He writes of the trail so vividly that I keep thinking that his personal history should contain more horses!
Grey sure liked “pure" young women, living in threatening situations where their purity is desired by outlaws. His heroines are usually blonde and small, but good, brave riders. Lucy Bonesteel is just such a woman, just out of childhood and innocent about life in the real world. She's been raised in isolation in the backcountry of Utah, unaware of her father's reputation as an outlaw or his alternate identity as a rancher with a new wife and family. She hasn't had much female companionship and is sexually unaware as a result. (There’s no mention of her having a period, how she would deal with that, or how it was explained to her, important details in any young woman's life).
Kent Wingfield is also a typical Grey hero. He's young, handsome, good with a gun, and an excellent horseman. He loves the wild country and is honorable. He has fallen in love with Lucy's story before he has even met the girl. His courtship of Lucy is that of an honorable man--he's willing to kiss her, but marriage is uppermost on his mind.
As usual, Grey spends loving time on describing the scenery, reveling in the details of the desert and the canyons. He seems to have loved horses and dogs, natural companions for a hunter of his era. He did do some hunting, though his true love seems to have been fishing or maybe baseball. He writes of the trail so vividly that I keep thinking that his personal history should contain more horses!
January 21, 2019
Meh.
While I can understand why a novel of this sort is attractive to some, to me there was really no great depth of character of either the central characters or of the physical settings. Yes, the author described the desert, the mountains, the sky and other aspects of the landscape with glowing adjectives and gee-whiz scenery, but overall I had the feeling that the overabundance of series of those adjectives detracted from the storyline.
The conflict between the protagonist and the various antagonists to which he came up against was a bit contrived.
The pacing of the time-line was also off... I found myself wondering how long it had taken from point
A to point B and then to point C.
Anyway... I have access to other of Grey's novels (all printed in the 1950's or early '60's?) so I will grab one or two of the others of the set.
While I can understand why a novel of this sort is attractive to some, to me there was really no great depth of character of either the central characters or of the physical settings. Yes, the author described the desert, the mountains, the sky and other aspects of the landscape with glowing adjectives and gee-whiz scenery, but overall I had the feeling that the overabundance of series of those adjectives detracted from the storyline.
The conflict between the protagonist and the various antagonists to which he came up against was a bit contrived.
The pacing of the time-line was also off... I found myself wondering how long it had taken from point
A to point B and then to point C.
Anyway... I have access to other of Grey's novels (all printed in the 1950's or early '60's?) so I will grab one or two of the others of the set.
September 8, 2018
Kent gains redemption caring for dying old man who passes on responsibility to rescue girl raised in canyon where her father hides his outlaw gang.
I will look for more by author Gray, happily traditional, pitting lone cowboy against fast guns and dry desert, secondary to light warm romance. Superstitious supernatural "A mysterious silent menace warned Kent not to enter" p 59 and melodramatic exaggeration "the awful solemnity of the eons .. the august reign of a spirit to which time, life, death were nothing, the invisible proof of eternity" p 236 can be too much and too old-fashioned. Or poetic techniques can be soothingly lyrical. "Soft misty gray sage, spotted with green cedars, rolled down to the purple flat in the distance" p 59. "Shear" and "sheer" used correctly p 44, 86, 134, 150 and more for steep and swerve.
I will look for more by author Gray, happily traditional, pitting lone cowboy against fast guns and dry desert, secondary to light warm romance. Superstitious supernatural "A mysterious silent menace warned Kent not to enter" p 59 and melodramatic exaggeration "the awful solemnity of the eons .. the august reign of a spirit to which time, life, death were nothing, the invisible proof of eternity" p 236 can be too much and too old-fashioned. Or poetic techniques can be soothingly lyrical. "Soft misty gray sage, spotted with green cedars, rolled down to the purple flat in the distance" p 59. "Shear" and "sheer" used correctly p 44, 86, 134, 150 and more for steep and swerve.
August 11, 2019
Characters face harsh conflicts and fast decisions
The novel is a rescue of an innocent girl by an honest and courageous man. The conflicts and journeys through the wilderness grab hold of you. It is difficult to put the novel down to take a break. There are outlaws to despise and good people to trust. Enjoy!
The novel is a rescue of an innocent girl by an honest and courageous man. The conflicts and journeys through the wilderness grab hold of you. It is difficult to put the novel down to take a break. There are outlaws to despise and good people to trust. Enjoy!
August 5, 2019
Once again Zane Grey's prowess as a story teller exerts itself in
A very powerful way, with some very interesting sub plots, not the least of, the rescue of a beautiful girl and her return to the real world.
A very powerful way, with some very interesting sub plots, not the least of, the rescue of a beautiful girl and her return to the real world.
July 7, 2022
Hole-in-Wall
Enjoy very much Zane Grey's stories! Makes the past a bit more understanding and delightful! Perhaps I possibly a little sad that this time when our nation was still developing I couldn't be part of it!
Enjoy very much Zane Grey's stories! Makes the past a bit more understanding and delightful! Perhaps I possibly a little sad that this time when our nation was still developing I couldn't be part of it!
July 20, 2023
Good, interesting story
This story starts out like one of his short stories about a old prospecter,but he has changed the names and it expands into a hole in the wall story. I liked it
This story starts out like one of his short stories about a old prospecter,but he has changed the names and it expands into a hole in the wall story. I liked it
May 25, 2020
Nice
Great scenery details. Decent action. Boy meets girl. The good guy wins. Lots of gunfights. It’s got it all. You will love it.
Great scenery details. Decent action. Boy meets girl. The good guy wins. Lots of gunfights. It’s got it all. You will love it.
June 11, 2024
Enjoyed another Zane Grey novel.
August 19, 2025
My first venture into the Western genre, and it has opened a new literary world to me. Lovely story.
June 29, 2023
Forever and always a fan. Romance, adventure, very dramatic dialogue at times and the most scenic descriptions. Here for it
August 12, 2024
why did i enjoy this so much i got it for fifty cents at a used bookstore
April 25, 2014
There is still nobody as good as Zane Grey. I'm glad our library is hanging on to his books.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews