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3.3 AVERAGE
3.3 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
a favorite of my mothers and I read it when I was in the 8th grade; interesting to go back and reread with "adult" eyes and fun to read as we were traveling across the country of the purple sage.
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
medium-paced
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was a florid but engaging book, about how Mormon men are greedy and evil, Mormon women are suffering angels, and the love of a good woman can redeem a bad man. There is quite a bit of romance in this book, which I was not expecting at all. Definitely lots of sage though. The sequel, called The Rainbow Trail, apparently specifies that is the Mormon men of a particular generation who are the villains, so that might be interesting to look into.
You know how the ending of books is nearly always disappointing? Well the ending of this book makes up for every book I've ever read that doesn't quite conclude satisfyingly. I was on the edge of my seat as the author describes the wild chase through Utah into a remote canyon - by this point in the book you know all the protagonists and, having just visited Capitol Reef in Utah, I could really imagine the landscape. The book is a celebration of Utah in that respect - the giant boulders, red sandstone mesas and buttes and, of course, purple sage are described throughout and provide the perfect setting for this wonderful adventure. Absolutely brilliant read!
It’s an old book, written in 1912, and it shows - not always in a good way. The language is often overwrought, and the author seems to have an obsession with sage. I swear it’s in every other sentence for the first hundred pages or so, and later when the story picks up, Grey still manages to use it at least once per page.
There’s also the fact that it has absolutely no problem being almost comically prejudiced towards Mormons, and what probably seemed like a progressive attitude towards women in 1912 now seems horribly outdated. All the violence tends to happen “off-screen” as well, with witnesses recounting it back to the female protagonist (who usually faints).
Despite all this, I kept reading, and have to say the story of the sage-riders eventually got its hooks in me. There MUST have been a movie made of this, and I will watch it. Still, no more than three. Age does tell.
There’s also the fact that it has absolutely no problem being almost comically prejudiced towards Mormons, and what probably seemed like a progressive attitude towards women in 1912 now seems horribly outdated. All the violence tends to happen “off-screen” as well, with witnesses recounting it back to the female protagonist (who usually faints).
Despite all this, I kept reading, and have to say the story of the sage-riders eventually got its hooks in me. There MUST have been a movie made of this, and I will watch it. Still, no more than three. Age does tell.
adventurous
challenging
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No