Though Zane Grey's Western novels are always packed with plenty of pulse-pounding action and adventure, they are also philosophical and sophisticated, which often comes as an unexpected surprise to first-time readers of his work. Desert Gold contains the best of what made Zane Grey one of the most renowned writers of Westerns — sweet romance, action-packed thrills, heartrending descriptions of the Western landscape, and plenty of thought-provoking talk about the virtues and travails of frontier life.