Pearl Zane Grey (1872-1939) was an American author of popular adventure novels presenting an idealized image of the American frontier, best known for his 1912 novel, Riders of the Purple Sage. The Desert of Wheat tells the story of the son of a German Farmer and his experiences in his fight for his land, wheat, family, and country. The book takes place in the Columbia basin in northwestern United States and British Columbia, Canada, during WWI.