Betty Zane Grey, P. Zane

Octavo. 291pp. FINDING THE STORY It could be that the source point of an author's first book is a memory that haunts the soul, original and peculiar, fascinating and difficult to manage. It might explain Thomas Wolfe's heavy baggage, Abbey's rejection, Harper Lee's silence. Zane Grey's portrait of his rambunctious great grand-aunt, the revolutionary war heroine Betty Zane (1765-1823), on the other hand, had a cathartic effect, his output ultimately exceeding 150 popular titles--though none achieved the stature of the controversial Riders of the Purple Sage (1912). Enjoyed more for its sense of history than mastery of the devices of fiction, Betty Zane is a labor of love, self-published with the author's original book design and illustrations. From the library of Zane Grey with Zane Grey's blindstamp to front free endpaper; "Zane Grey, Altadena, California" and with Zane Grey's diminutive bookplate to front pastedown; "Library of Zane Grey." Tiny puncture to frontis tissue guard, faint wear, still fine and bright in custom mylar cover. Gray cloth decoratively stamped in rust, gilt and brown with vertical gilt leafy vine pattern overlapping title and prominent autumnal fallen leaf