I’ll never forget the final scene in the movie The Searchers. After all the trials and tribulations of the search for Debbie, Ethan (John Wayne) walks out of the house alone and determined. What a powerful image! Westerns are action packed, full of heroes and villains. Cowboys, saloon girls, Native Americans, gunslingers and sheriffs populate the dramas. Set between the civil war and the beginning of the 20th century, these stories frequently feature a loner who rides into town, cleans things up and rides out again. Often nature is featured as a character that challenges the hero/villain with danger and survival. The plots revolve around rugged individuals and the battle of good and evil.These stories are a good addition to your summer reading list.