Epics and Sagas

O Pioneers! by Willa Cather
Cather's story follows the experience of an immigrant family living on the frontier who are trying to survive and save their farm.

A Yellow Raft in Blue Water by Michael Dorris
This contemporary saga tells the story of three generations of Native American women from the perspective of all three. Starting in the present and moving backwards, the books explores the shared hardships and secrets of these women bound together as family.

The Big Sky by A.B. Guthrie Jr.
Seventeen-year-old Boone Caudill leaves his family and home behind in Kentucky and settles in Big Sky, Montana.

Riders of the Purple Sage by Zane Grey
A gunman named Lassiter and rich homesteader Jane Witherspoon join forces and take on the fate of a violent town.

Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry
This Pulitzer prize-winning novel follows former Texas Rangers Woodrow Call and Gus McRae as they leave their unsuccessful business to join a cattle drive from Texas to Montana. The history and experience of the American West unfolds as the reader travels with Woodrow and Gus.

Texas by James Michener
Michener tells the story of the development of Texas, from 1527 to contemporary times, focusing on major events along the way.

Angle of Repose by Wallace Stegner
Retired historian Lyman Ward researches and writes about his pioneer grandparents in this Pulitzer award-winning novel.