7 Books About The West You Need To Know About
Every era in history is important to study. I must admit though, I have a partiality for the settlement of the American west and cowboy history. Below is a list of 7 great first hand accounts of life in the west, several of which give western films a run for their money as far as entertainment goes! They are vivid stories of the kind of men and women that came before us, the culture they lived in, and the work they did.
- Little Britches by Ralph Moody. This book takes place in Colorado, 1906, originally published in 1950. This book and the next two below (also by Ralph Moody) are among my all time favorite books, if I had to pick only a box full of books to keep, this series would be in it. These books set down on paper in authentic colors the story of growing up in a rugged western land, learning character, working with cowboys, and paint a portrait of a family who work together to build a life. Absolutely fantastic series of books. Illustrated by Edward Shenton
- Man Of The Family by Ralph Moody. Sequel to Little Britches, originally published in 1951. Illustrated by Edward Shenton
- The Home Ranch by Ralph Moody. 3rd book in the series. Originally published in 1956. Illustrated by Tran Mawicke
- A Bride Goes West by Nannie T. Alderson. Originally published in 1942, this book takes place in Montana during the late 1800’s. It is about Nannie, who leaves the her well-to-do Virginia comfort for a land of hardships and ranch life with her husband. Drawings by J. O’H. Cosgrave II
- No Life For A Lady by Agnes Morley Cleaveland. Originally published in 1941. This book takes place in New Mexico (There is a splendid map in the front of the book) and is the story of a lady and her three children who run a ranch, Agnes was one of the children. Illustrations were done by Edward Borein
- A Frontier Lady by Sara Royce. This tale of California during the early gold rush days was originally published in 1932. It ends with these words: “California as a state has rallied from numerous shocks, and is now smiling in prosperity; while her first flock of adopted children many of them, have grown old, and look back on years of wonderful experiences which they sometimes wish they could be recorded along with the history of their adopted State; for their children and their children’s children to read, that they might learn to love and reverence the God who through all the devious paths of life ever guides safely those who trust and obey Him.”
- Letters Of A Woman Homesteader by Elinore Pruitt Stewart. The original copyright was 1914, it was illustrated by N. C. Wyeth. The book is a compilation of letters written from 1909-1913 from the state of Wyoming on the life there.
Character, sound principles, hardihood, quite a sense of humor, zest for living, and a lack of fear of hard work, physical pain, or financial risk is what you will find in these books. Our ancestors were far from perfect, but they had a moral courage, bravery, and grit that many of us today would do well to learn from. These books allow you to sit down and hear them tell you about it first hand. A priceless collection of books.