Betty, Zane

Zane Grey's debut novel, which he self-published in 1905, "Betty Zane" is the first book in Grey's "Frontier Trilogy" and tells the true biographical story of Elizabeth "Betty" Zane, a hero of the American Revolutionary War and direct ancestor of the author. While under siege at Fort Henry by American Indian allies of the British Army and faced with dwindling supplies, the lovely and sixteen-year-old Betty bravely volunteers to venture out of the fort to retrieve what is needed for the battle. The British soldiers underestimate her because she is a woman and they allow her to leave and return to the fort, unaware that she is carrying gun powder left at her family's cabin. Betty's audacious act gives the American revolutionaries the firepower they need to end the siege. Her heroism provides a needed morale boost and was critical to the American victory in the war. "Betty Zane" is an exciting tale of an unlikely hero and helped launch Zane Grey's career as one of the most famous and celebrated authors of the American West. This edition includes a biographical afterword.