Synopses & Reviews
I had lain in my bed thinking of our visitor out in the bunk in the barn. It scarce seemed possible that he was the same man I had first seen, stern and chilling in his dark solitude, riding up our road. Something in father, something not of words or of actions but of the essential substance of the human spirit, had reached out and spoken to him and he had replied to it and had unlocked a part of himself to us. He was far off and unapproachable at times even when he was right there with you. The Starrett familys life forever changes when a man named Shane rides out of the great glowing West and up to their farm in 1889. Young Bob Starrett is entranced by this stoic stranger who brings a new energy to his family. Shane stays on as a farmhand, but his past remains a mystery. Many folks in their small Wyoming valley are suspicious of Shane, and make it known that he is not welcome. But dangerous as Shane may seem, he is a staunch friend to the Starretts—and when a powerful neighboring rancher tries to drive them out of their homestead, Shane becomes entangled in the deadly feud. This classic Western, originally published in 1949, is a profoundly moving story of the influence of a singular character on one boys life.
Review
"For readers willing to think about this issue . . . there is no better vehicle than this short, engagingly written story of one rifle and its fatal impact on one modern boy."--
School Library JournalReview
"If you read only one western in your life, this is the one."—Roland Smith, author of
Peak
"Shane is a work of literature first and a Western second."—St. George Daily Spectrum
"A real superiority here."—Kirkus Reviews
"Its pace is steady. Its tension is of the uncoiling spring variety. Its as clean as a hound's tooth."—Saturday Review of Literature
"The author has created a tale which captivates the readers attention from beginning to end. . . . The book almost demands completion in one sitting."—Library Journal
Synopsis
A treasured rifle passed down through generations is the cause of a tragic accident in this timely tale. With subtle mastery and precision, this tough, thought-provoking novel challenges the idea that firearms don't become instruments of destruction and murder until they are placed in human hands.
Each book includes a reader's guide.Synopsis
A priceless, handcrafted rifle, fired throughout the American Revolution, is passed down through the years until it fires on a fateful Christmas Eve of 1994.
Synopsis
After building a handsome rifle, his greatest piece of work, in 1768, gunsmith Cornish McManus is forced to sell the rifle in order to support his family, and the rifle becomes a testament to history as it passes from owner to owner. Reprint.
Synopsis
A treasured rifle passed down through generations is the cause of a tragic accident
Synopsis
Shane, a stranger the Starretts take in to their home in Wyoming in 1889, becomes involved in a feud between a cattle rancher and the local homesteaders.
About the Author
Jack Schaefer (1907-1991) was born in Cleveland, Ohio, and studied at Oberlin College and Columbia University. Shane, his first piece of fiction, began as a short story. Mr. Schaefer went on to write many other stories and novels set in the West, earning a devoted following of readers that continues to grow.Roland Smith is a former zookeeper and leading expert on red wolves as well as an author. He lives on a small farm near Portland, Oregon.