The Call of the Canyon

The best parts of this book are the beautifully detailed descriptions of the landscape and the characters’ interactions with it. The story itself is problematic. Contrary to the author’s intent, I really liked Carley through most of the story. Although she was a little self-absorbed, she was spunky and independent and determined. When she arrived out West, she stubbornly pushed herself to cope with the physical hardships she was unused to, to prove to herself and to the man she loved that she was no “tenderfoot”. Her dawning appreciation of the beauty of the landscape was enjoyable to witness. Then it all went to hell when she began embracing the author’s (and her fiancé’s) ridiculous ideas about the duties of “American show more women”, which include giving birth to a “troop of healthy American kids” (I shit you not, that is a direct quote) and serving as her “American man’s” helper as he strove to build civilization in the West, while dressing modestly and unfashionably, so as to not distract the men from their own duties, and not pursuing any interests of their own. This whole modesty concept is reinforced through a running commentary by all Western characters on her fashionable city dresses being so revealing. This being set around 1920, this wanton display included rolled stocking and exposed calves. And a woman so dressed should be neither surprised nor upset when sexually assaulted. Instead, she should be upset with herself for inviting such a natural response from men.

I try to judge all books by the mores of the times in which they are written, but remember that this was published within a year of The Great Gatsby, which also had some things to say about 1920’s decadence, but none of it was about women staying in their place behind their menfolks and pushing out packs of kids and covering their legs so they don’t invite assault.

Audiobook, read by John Bolen. The audio quality was poor, with a lot of static and background noise, and Bolen’s performance was unimpressive. He sounded uninterested in the material, and the voice he used for Carley was a really strange sort of faux-British accent that I guess was supposed to represent an upperclass, East Coast, voice. Rating 2 stars only because I was able to finish and for the way the landscape was brought to life.

Read for the 2017 Romance Bingo. It fits the following bingo squares:
Key to My Heart: Because the MC has a complete change of heart once she embraces her lover’s philosophy and way of life. It unlocks her happiness and purpose in life.
Wedding Bells: Because the whole point was to get him to marry her, and apparently, marriage was the only acceptable quest.
Historical Romance: Post WWI. Although it was actually a contemporary romance at the time it was written, so maybe not.
Second Chances: She rejects his way of life and breaks the engagement, then goes running back after her change of heart, hoping that he hasn’t already married another. Of course, HEA, with her barefoot and pregnant for as long as she’s fertile. show less

I listen to books via audio versions and like Audible.com's version of this book.

It mixes southwest scenery with New York society of the 20's. I enjoyed very much the writing and portrayal of the scenery and the color of the characters.

It is 1919 and Carley Burch is a young orphaned woman who lives a socialite’s life of ease and pleasure in her New York City family home with her aunt Mary. Her fiancé Glenn Kilbourne has come home an injured, sick, and broken man after fighting in France during World War I, so he has gone West to Arizona, near Flagstaff, that he might recover his health. However, Glenn’s letters to Carley are becoming increasingly puzzling, so she makes a surprise visit to see him. While there she stays in the lodge run by his neighbors, Mr. and Mrs. Hutter and their daughter Flo, who seems to be sweet on Glenn, and meets their hired men, Charley and Lee, the latter of whom had been Flo’s boyfriend. She also meets the rude, crude Raze Huff, a show more sheep dipper who has eyes for her.
Glenn has become a hog farmer and realizes that he can never return to his former shallow life. Carley, while she loves the West, thinks that she can never be the wife of a simple hog farmer, so she breaks their engagement and returns to New York. However, even though she throws herself back into her socialite’s life, she finds it empty and unsatisfying. Finally, she decides that she must return to Arizona and marry Glenn. When she arrives, Glenn and the Hutters are away to buy hogs. She even purchases land near Glenn’s farm which he had earlier expressed a desire to obtain so that he might expand his operations, and has a house built on it. So what will she do when she hears a rumor that during her absence Glenn has married Flo? Zane Grey was one of the favorite authors of my father, who enjoyed Westerns. Not all of Grey’s books were bang-bang, shoot-‘em-up cowboy stories of the Old West, like his most famous one, Riders of the Purple Sage (1912).
The Call of the Canyon is a more contemporary, romantic tale, yet it still is characterized by a love of the West that shines through in his so many of Grey[s other novels. It is filled with beautiful, lengthy descriptions of the Arizona countryside and a passion for the West and its scenery. I found it an enjoyable book. Carley’s ultimate conclusions about the emptiness of her life in response to her friends’ pleas are just as relevant today as they were in her time. This excellent story opposes drinking, smoking, immodesty and strongly opposes idleness, selfishness, and living for high society, and it strongly advocates man as bread winner and woman as homemaker, wife, and mother. But it is marred by a few profanities. There are also several references to dancing and one reference to the Grand Canyon’s existence for “millions of years,” but many instances of gratitude to God for blessings and beauty are found. I recommend it for teens and adults. show less

The book takes place soon after World War I. The basis of the book is a woman whose fiancé travels west to Arizona to heal from the injuries he sustained in the war. At the beginning of the book, she is a New York socialite who doesn’t seem to understand what is means to be an American. She travels to Arizona to see her fiancé, Glenn. As she spends time out there, she learns to love the land, even if she does not want to admit it to herself. She returns home and realizes that she does indeed want to live in Arizona.

This is as much of a romance as it is a Western. As the author describes the scenery in Arizona, you can tell that he loves the wilderness. There are detailed descriptions of the area in Arizona that the story takes show more place.

This is more of a romantic Western then a true romance novel. I did enjoy the book, but won’t make it a habit of reading this type of books all of the time. show less

When Zane Grey is doing plot westerns, he's very good. But l;et him stick some environmental descriptions in, he gets lost in the poppies.

a quick Zane Greynsince i was hiking the canyon where they shot the movie based on the book. tht made the book more vivid. otherwise just a typical Grey.