Adrienne Richard: A Trailblazer Among Western Authors in 20th Century American Literature
If you’re fascinated by the grit and allure of Depression-era western novels, then Adrienne Richard’s work is sure to spark your imagination. As one of the authors who helped define coming-of-age novels set in the American West, Richard combined cowboy stories and well-researched historical settings in a way that appealed to adults young and old alike.
As one of the authors who helped define 20th Century American literature, Richards was nominated for several awards and her books were reviewed in the New York Times. Defying the false stereotype that western novels must be written by men, Richards lyrical writing offers insight into both historical realities and timeless human struggles and elevated the beloved western genre for entire generations.
In the expansive tapestry of twentieth-century American letters, the life of Adrienne Richard (1921–2022) stands as a testament to creative endurance and quiet determination. Best known as a 1975 National Book Award finalist for Wings (source), she also authored three other novels—Pistol, The Accomplice, and Into the Road—as well as the nonfiction work Epilepsy: A New Approach and a celebrated poetry collection, Looking for Flannel Pajamas: Selected Poems 1993–2010.
Born north of Chicago in 1921, Richard spent her early years traversing city streets and country roads: from Winnetka’s progressive schools to the bustling lanes of Chicago itself, where her father ran Blakeley Printing Company. Her thirst for exploration carried her to the University of Chicago, where she met her husband Jim—a partnership that profoundly influenced her creative life. Novels such as Pistol (source), which earned a Children’s Literature Association Phoenix Award nomination (source), and Wings (source) reflected the wide horizons of her youth, her travels, and the rich storytelling traditions she inherited.
Richard balanced her literary ambitions with her gift for connecting deeply with others. She pursued graduate work, welcomed companions to her Weston, Massachusetts, home for lively discussions, and traveled often. Through it all, she continued to write, eventually shifting her focus to poetry in her later years, valuing the succinctness and immediacy of the form.
Richard’s body of work—now available through her Amazon author page—reflects a life of careful research, profound empathy, and an enduring love for the written word. In passing, she leaves behind not only a record of thoughtfully rendered characters and vivid landscapes but also the memory of a singular spirit: endlessly curious, reflective, and unafraid to face life “looking the whole naked business square in the eye.”
In her own words, from her Amazon Author Bio ![]()
"I am tempted to say: Very little more is known. In the deepest sense this is true, but still there are the facts.
I was born north of Chicago in 1921. My pre-school years were spent with two brothers, one older and one younger, where my parents’ busy household included one grandmother or the other, a story-telling laundress named Nettie Proctor. I remember trips to Schlosser’s Market, Wilson’s Bakery, Zick’s Department Store, the green grocer’s, the bank, the library, the railroad station; later, progressive Winnetka schools, Horace Mann Grade School, Skokie Junior High, and New Trier High School. Certain features demarcated my physical horizons – the great Lake Michigan to the east, the farmlands and great prairies to the west, the woods around our house.
As my world grew wider, Chicago was central: my father’s place of business, the Blakeley Printing Company on the Chicago River; the World’s Fair of 1933 with its Italian airplanes and Chinese dancers; Saturday excursions to the Chicago Art Institute and the Field Museum; summer trips by car to Canadian lakes, to New Mexico; one year spent in the Ojai Valley; two years in Tucson where I graduated from high school, many visits to northern Mexico.
All this time, I was learning, observing, finding my ever-changing self, and finding my way as a writer, starting first with journalism. Wars in distant reaches of the world, the loss of friends. Then love, our wildly modern house in Davenport, Iowa, my own family including three sons; my husband, Jim, our shared perspective on the world and what we should do in it.
I met Jim at the University of Chicago. He came from Miles City, Montana. We were together 49 years, from 1943 until his death in 1992, with a year and a half separation during World War II. Some of his stories of growing up in Montana in the 1930’s went into my young adult novel, Pistol (The New York Times ‘Top Ten’ in 1969). Experiences in Israel on the archaeological site became the background for the second book, The Accomplice; stories of my own life in my third novel, Wings. My sons were the models for the brothers in my fourth novel, Into The Road, three pressed into two characters.
In 1992, when Jim died, I was 70, and as the survivor, I realized I faced the re-design of my life. I wanted to get back to some creative work. Yet I feared the long days of writing novels closed off in my library for a year or more. I needed projects that took me out into the world, engaged me with people. The brevity of a poem appealed to me. Unlike a novel, it didn’t take two years to write one. Now, more than 20 years later, I have a body of work, with many rewarding moments, and many beloved friends to thank for the richness of these years. This book of poetry has come of all this.
Adrienne Richard
Weston, Massachusetts"
1969 New York Times Book Review for "Pistol"
In reflecting on Adrienne Richard’s literary legacy, it’s clear she holds a distinctive place within Twentieth-Century Women’s Writing. From her evocative portrayal of Montana-Set Western Literature to her vivid descriptions of personal journeys, her novels remain a testament to Female Voices in Frontier Fiction. Whether you’re a devoted fan of Historical Western Fiction by Women or simply seeking a refreshing perspective on the American experience, Richard’s work still resonates—reminding readers of the power stories hold to shape and reflect our shared heritage.
References & Further Reading
