The Rainbow Trail

The Rainbow Trail by Zane Grey

A former minister turned wanderer journeys through the untamed West, burdened by past failures and haunted by a mysterious dream of rescuing a lost woman. Disillusioned by narrow religious dogma, he tests his resolve against the vast, shifting desert and its rugged inhabitants. In remote trading posts and hidden settlements, he encounters both kind and brutal characters—a taciturn trader offering sparse counsel; Native Americans whose ancient, spiritual ways sharply contrast with the greed and self-interest of white settlers; and devout, polygamous Mormons whose secret courts and sealed wives reveal a darker side to frontier religion. His path leads him into intimate, conflicted relationships with Native and Mormon women. A sensitive Indian girl and a solitary, ethereal young Mormon—called by some a “Sago Lily” for her delicate beauty—symbolize the dual pull of elemental nature and the tragic cost of societal entrapment. The man’s encounters awaken in him both renewed artistic vision and fierce personal passion, even as he finds himself embroiled in violent confrontations with outlaws and the relentless pressure of legal authorities determined to dismantle the hidden, polygamous settlements. Amid bitter courtroom interrogations of women accused of being secret wives and brutal ambushes set by hostile Indians and outlaws alike, he endures physical assaults and near-fatal ordeals. Each trial forces him to confront his vulnerability, the harshness of the land, and the moral ambiguity of his own impulsive desires. The desert itself becomes a crucible where the protagonist is repeatedly tested—by scorching heat, relentless storms, and even from the sting of desert ants—each hardship deepening his understanding of personal honor, redemption, and the tenuous relationship between faith and human frailty. In moments of rare beauty—when the sun sets over red canyons, when delicate wildflowers sway under a gentle wind, or when the ancient voices of the land murmur through the cedars—he perceives a glimmer of hope. These instants of transcendence contrast with the grim realities of betrayal, violent encounters, and a judicial inquest into religious transgressions, all of which force him to reassess the meaning of faith and the possibility of salvation beyond dogmatic confines. Haunted by memories of lost love and the weight of his own disgrace, he resolves to continue his quest, hoping that by braving the stark, majestic wilderness and the moral complexities of its peoples he will ultimately reclaim both his artistic soul and the secret treasure promised at the foot of a rainbow.

By Zane Grey · First published 1915 · Genre: Western, Adventure, Historical Fiction · 20 chapters · 117,065 words

First lines

Shefford halted his tired horse and gazed with slowly realizing eyes.

A league-long slope of sage rolled and billowed down to Red Lake, a dry red basin, denuded and glistening, a hollow in the desert, a lonely and desolate door to the vast, wild, and broken upland beyond.

Genres

Tags

western · adventure · romance · frontier · historical · action · journey · quest · cowboy · ranching · horseback · wilderness

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The Rainbow Trail is listed on Textopian as a novel by Zane Grey, dated 1915 CE.

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