Dolly and Zane Grey: Letters from a Marriage

by Candace C. Kant

Overview of Dolly and Zane Grey: Letters from a Marriage

Popular western writer Zane Grey was a literary celebrity during his lifetime and the center of a huge enterprise based on his writing, which included books, magazine serials, film and stage versions of his stories, even comic strips. His wife, Dolly, closely guided Grey's career almost from its beginning, editing and sometimes revising his work, negotiating with publishers and movie studios, and skillfully managing the considerable fortune derived from these activities.

Dolly maintained the facade of a conventional married life that was essential to Grey's public image and the traditional middle-class values his work reflected. This facade was constantly threatened by Grey's numerous affairs with other women. The stress of hiding these dalliances placed a huge strain on their relationship, and much of Zane and Dolly's union was sustained largely by correspondence. Their letters—thousands of them—reveal the true nature of this complex partnership. As edited by Candace Kant, the letters offer an engrossing portrait of an extremely unorthodox marriage and its times.

Synopsis of Dolly and Zane Grey: Letters from a Marriage

Much has been written about Zane Grey but little is known about his wife, Dolly, or their marriage. With three children, houses, yachts, fabulous wealth, and a long lasting marriage, they appear to be a conventional couple, but the reality of their personal life is startlingly different from the public façade. Zane Grey became the name for a huge enterprise based on his writing, which included books, magazine serials, film and stage versions, children’s books and even comic strips, but he did not create this enterprise alone: Dolly guided, directed and managed his career. After editing his hand written manuscripts, she handled the business of publishing, meeting and negotiating with publishers, overseeing contracts, directing arrangements with movie studios, managing the finances, keeping her eye on the book market, determining how many and which manuscripts should be published, and perhaps most importantly, maintaining the facade of a conventional married life. His numerous affairs with other women might have threatened his reputation. Most of these relationships lasted many years. Dolly knew all about them, and both Dolly and Zane took great pains to hide his affairs. Much of their married life was spent apart and their marriage was sustained by a constant correspondence. It is in these letters that the nature of the marriage is revealed. It is also in these letters that we can see the extent of Dolly’s participation in his business life as well as her own remarkable personality.

About the Author, Candace C. Kant

Candace Kant has spent much of her professional life researching, writing and speaking on Zane Grey. She is a professor of history at the College of Southern Nevada

Reviews of Dolly and Zane Grey: Letters from a Marriage

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