There is a lot to be learned from reading accounts that come from the same period as their historical topic. Ned Buntline was certainly very much in tune with the readers of the period. As literature struggled to emerge from flamboyant Victorian style to a more realistic vision, the western hero emerges as image of strength and survival. The author''s effort to weave a plot using male/female identity twists was probably considered creative at the time. (Amazon)
