The Young Forester is a novel by Zane Grey. The story follows the adventures of Ken Ward, a young man who becomes a forest ranger in the mountains of Arizona. Ken is an expert in the ways of the wilderness, having grown up in the woods with his father, who was also a ranger. Ken is joined by his friends, Dick Leslie and Jim Williams, as they patrol the forest and protect it from poachers and other threats. As the story unfolds, Ken falls in love with a young woman, who is visiting the area with her father. Nellie's father is a wealthy businessman who is interested in buying up large tracts of land in the area, including the forest where Ken works. Ken becomes torn between his love for Nellie and his duty to protect the forest from her father's plans. Throughout the novel, Ken and his friends encounter many dangers, including wildfires, dangerous animals, and treacherous terrain. They also face conflicts with poachers and loggers who are illegally harvesting timber from the forest. In the end, Ken is able to reconcile his love for Nellie with his duty to protect the forest. He devises a plan to convince Nellie's father to leave the forest alone and preserve it for future generations. The novel ends with Ken and Nellie happily together, and the forest saved from destruction.
Pearl Zane Grey was an American author and dentist known for his novels and stories. He was born on January 31, 1872, in Zanesville, Ohio. He was the fourth son born to Alice "Allie" Josephine Zane and Lewis M. Gray. His mother was a Quaker immigrant whose forefather Robert Zane came to the American colonies in 1673. His father was a dentist. Grey studied dentistry from the University of Pennsylvania and completed his graduation in 1896. He got married to Lina Roth also known as Dolly in 1905. He had anger issues, depression and suffered mood swings which affected his life. And so, Grey spent most of his time away from the family, while Dolly managed his career and raised their three children. Their family moved to California in 1918 and settled in Altadena, California in 1920 in a home they named as Zane Grey Estate. Grey continued writing during 1930s and was in great depression. From 1925 to his death in 1939 he travelled away from his family exploring the unspoiled lands, particularly the islands of the South Pacific, New Zealand and Australia. He died on October 23, 1939, aged 67 at his home in Altadena, California due to heart attack.
