The Young Forester

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.