Riders of The Purple Sage

Riders of the Purple Sage tell the story of Jane Withers Teen and her battle to overcome persecution members of her polygamous Mormon fundamentalist church. A leader of the church Elder Toll wants to marry her. Jane help from a number of friends, including Bern Venters and Lassiter a famous gunman killer of Mormons. Throughout most the novel she struggles with her blindness to the evil nature of her church and its leaders and tries to keep Venters and Lassiter from killing the adversaries who are slowly ruining her.

When she adopts a child Fay she abandons her beliefs and discovers her true love. Venters falls love with the girl while caring for her. Together escape to the East while Lassiter Fay, and Jane, pursued by both Mormons and rustlers escape into a paradise-like valley and topple a rock to forever close off the only way in or out. Jane inherited the worth of the village and then she sighed, remembering father founded the remotest border settlement of southern Utah and that he had left it to her when he died.

Jane owned all the ground and many of the cottages. Withers teen House was hers, and the great ranch, with its thousands of cattle, and the swiftest horses of the sage. To her belonged Amber Spring the water which gave verdure and beauty to village and made living possible on that wild purple upland waste. She could not escape being involved by whatever befell Cottonwoods.

Jane’s red herd is rustled shortly afterward and Venters track it and return it to Jane. In the process killing one and wounding Lording’s notorious Masked Rider. When removes the mask and shirt of the wounded rider he discovers that she is a young woman named Bess, who was probably abused by Lording. Venters feel very guilty about shooting a woman and decide that it is his duty to save her.

Venters discover Surprise Valley and Balancing Rock where he takes Bess. As she recovers they begin to fall love with each other and resolve to marry. Bess also discovered the truth concerning the team, who rustled cattle in order to disguise what they really did survive off gold in the streams and business deals with the Mormons.

Venters then decide that they need supplies and make a trip back to Cottonwoods. On his way he sees Jane prize horses being stolen He kills the thieves and retrieves the horses unfortunately losing his horse Wrangle in the process.

Jane’s horses are returned to her, and are locked in the entry hall to Withers teen’s house. Venters officially break his friendship with Jane at this time. He goes into the village and proclaimed that he was breaking his friendship and leaving.

Jane at first pretends to love Lassiter knowing he came to Utah to avenge his sister Milly Erne to prevent him from murdering elders she knew were guilty. The two characters grow to love each other. Then Janes adopted daughter is kidnapped and Lassiter kills Bishop Dyer while risking own life. Venters, Bess Lassiter, and Jane realize that they can no longer safely stay in Utah. Lassiter convinces Jane to prepare to leave with him Lassiter determines the name of a Mormon who contributed to the ruin of Milly and Jane implicates her father in the proselytizing of Mil. Meanwhile, in Surprise Valley, Venters and Bess are preparing to leave as Jane and Lassiter departing, except on burros. They encounter Venters and Bess in travel. Before they part, Lassiter explains that Bess is not really but actually Elizabeth Erne the lost daughter of Milly Erne.

Jane gives Venters her horses, Venters and Bess gallop for Venters’ Illinois home, and Lassiter and Jane find refuge in Venters’ valley paradise. On the way, Lassiter rescues Fay, but they are pursued to Surprise Valley. As Tull and his men begin to climb up the Cliffside, Jane shouts to Lassiter to “Roll the stone”, which he does. The ensuing avalanche closes the outlet to Deception Pass “forever”.

I have learned in this book that you have to be tough to survive in the west and its hart to overcome stuff you live. And you have to do stuff you don’t want to do for family. The last thing is that you should always believe in the people you love.