This
collection of books focuses on fiction that has been written by authors who
specialize in stories that take place in the West. These titles include Western historical
fiction and tales of the American frontier.
If cowboys, Native Americans, gold miners, outlaws, or those who travel to
new frontiers in order to homestead are your favorite types of characters, then
you are a fan of this type of fiction.
When it
comes to great Western novels, remember that “the frontier” is a relative
term. The earliest Westerns took place
in the Appalachian Mountains since that area was once considered the great
Western unknown. It wasn’t until later,
the 1850s and beyond, that Westerns began to take place west of the Mississippi
River. Many consider the golden age of
the Historic West to have occurred for only three decades, from the end of the
American Civil War to the beginning of the 20th century.
The
books located on the display represent various periods of time in which the West
has been represented in fiction. There
are authors whom you will recognize and others who may be new to you. Along with the novels are collections of
short stories written by a variety of present-day authors. These books are great reads for the summer,
so take a look and move across the prairie through a work of literature. All of these Westerns and more are available
for you to check out here at the Al Harris Library.
