New 6x9 inch paperback edition. "The Virginian" was the first western genre novel introducing the cowboy as a romantic hero. Set in Wyoming, Wister weaves a tale of action, violence, hate, revenge, love and friendship that revolves around the Virginian's confrontations with a rival gambler, chasing cattle thieves, and an ongoing romance with the local schoolteacher from back east who is not used to the wild west. Owen Wister is the "father" of western fiction. Like his friend Teddy Roosevelt, Wister became fascinated with the culture, lore and terrain of the west after his first trip to Wyoming in 1885. Wister was a lifelong friend of the famous western artist Frederic Remington, and Mount Wister in Grand Teton National Park is named after the author.