THE CALL OF THE CANYON

The Call of the Canyon is a 1924 novel by American author and dentist, Zane Grey, first published by Harper and Brothers in 1924. Set in the American West of the Roaring Twenties, it tells the story of Glenn Kilbourne, a US Army veteran, who returns from the battlefields of World War I "shell-shocked and gassed", and otherwise ‘incapacitated,’ and Carley Burch, his New York socialite fiancée who visits him. The novel explores themes of love, self-discovery, and the contrast between urban and wilderness life, as Carley grapples with the allure of the West and Glenn's changing feelings. The novel highlights the stark differences between the fast-paced, superficial life of New York City and the restorative, yet harsh, life of the Arizona wilderness. Carley's journey is one of self-discovery as she confronts her own prejudices and learns to appreciate the simple life. Glenn's transformation is also central, as he finds healing and purpose in the West.