The Winning of Barbara Worth [Paperback]

Harold Bell Wright (Author), T. Graham Cootes (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 26, 2004

1911. Another story of the West from Wright, who, prior to his artistic and writing career, served as a minister. The book begins: Jefferson Worth's outfit of four mules and a big wagon pulled out of San Felipe at daybreak, headed for Rubio City. From the swinging red tassels on the bridles of the leaders to the galvanized iron water bucket dangling from the tail of the reach back of the rear axle the outfit wore an unmistakable air of prosperity. See other titles by this author available from Kessinger Publishing.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

"The secret of [Harold Bell Wright’s] power is the same God-given secret that inspired Shakespeare and upheld Dickens." --Philadelphia Sunday Dispatch

"It is this almost clairvoyant power of reading the human soul that has made Mr. Wright’s books among the most remarkable works of the present age." --Oregon Journal --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

About the Author

Harold Bell Wright religious practices led him to write the first of many books, all of which address particular problems. His main goal for writing lay within his desire to write about the goodness of mankind. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 516 pages
• Publisher: Kessinger Publishing, LLC (July 26, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1417941162
• ISBN-13: 978-1417941162
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,521,344 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Rich Story--Engagingly Told, December 29, 1999

By 

Steven Fantina (Phillipsburg, NJ USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Winning of Barbara Worth, The (Paperback)

Reclamation, engineering, and irrigation are topics that do strike me as terribly piquant. I wouldn't have believed that a novel devoted to such subject matter could be so interesting, but Harold Bell Wright can manipulate the English language in a way equaled by very few other authors. As the desert becomes a thriving community, the reader is right there actually taking part in all the transmutations.

With his usual multi-dimensional characters and the plot's rococo developments, the story thoroughly captivates as it moves quickly through its exciting labyrinth.

Those familiar with Wright's earlier books (Shepherd of the Hills, The Calling of Dan Matthews, and That Printer of Udells) will be in for a surprise. While they all prominently featured ministers, this book is clergyman-free and makes only minor references to religion. Still this equally wholesome read is subtitled as "the Ministry of Capitalism," and its portrayal of ethical business dealings, employer-employee loyalties, and the costs of progress make this work from the early twentieth century vitally relevant to the early twenty-first century.

I do agree with the bottom reviewer who pointed out that this page's book description boasting illustrations, an introduction and a preface (none of which exist in this version) does not apply.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Epic story on capitalism, September 21, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Winning of Barbara Worth, The (Paperback)

An epic, fictional, western story of the settling of the desert in the Imperial Valley, CA. Two rich capitalists, Jefferson Worth, and a New York company decide to channel water and help irrigate the barren land.

The two forces, work together but soon the NY Company realizes it needs money to satisfy the stock holders, so they resort to "Capitalist" tricks against Worth and using cost saving techniques at the expense of safety.

There are many characters, but Worth has an adopted daughter, named Barbara. The company has a lead engineer named Willard Holmes who does what the company wants regardless of the moral implications. He likes Barbara, but she shuns him saying he lacks conviction and is a mere puppet.

There is significantly more to do this book than what I have mentioned. I found it fairly deep for a Western book. At the time of the writing, the Socialist / Communist movement was very strong and people questioned the moral values of Capitalism. Wright successfully demonstrates that Capitalism for money sake is wrong where as Capitalism for the benefit of helping / growing people is right. Worth is the shrewd business man who wants to make money but at the same time help the people that are making him rich by allowing them to earn money as well. This book could almost be a primer for business ethics. I'll be looking forward to reading more of Wright's books as they are well thought out and are always engaging.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Better than a First Edition, May 27, 2005

By 

Dave Hadsell (Coast of Washington) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The winning of Barbara Worth (Hardcover)

I am an avid collector of works by Harold Bell Wright, and cherish all my first editions. However, this reproduction, which closely resembles the first edition, contains all the original unedited text plus many added features making it a real treasure. The story is a wonderful mix of romance, human nature, good & bad, and historically correct events. A great addition to any library and a must have for collectors of HBW.