56 Weeks with Nancy Drew - The Secret of Shadow Ranch

Week 5, Book 5

Welcome to the 56 Weeks with Nancy Drew series! If you are new here, welcome. You can find my introductory post to this series here. Please note I will be including plot spoilers in this review series. I explain my reasoning at the start of this post.

Edition pictured: Revised text (20 chapters, 175 pages)

Cover illustrated by: Rudy Nappi

Revised text publication date: 1965

Original text publication date: 1931

My edition printed: approx. 1978

Ghostwriter: Mildred A. Wirt Benson

Editor: Harriet Otis Smith

Revised by: Grace Grote

Setting: Phoenix, Arizona & Shadow Ranch in Arizona (150 miles away from airport)

Originally published in 1931 and written by Mildred Wirt, I will be reviewing the revised text edition of The Secret of Shadow Ranch, published in 1965 and pictured above. 

Nancy arrives in Phoenix, Arizona where she is met by her friends, cousins, Bess Marvin and George Fayne. The plan is to spend the summer at Shadow Ranch, owned by the girls’ aunt and uncle. But Nancy is barely off her plane before the cousins inform her that they have to go home tomorrow (1). There’s a mystery at the ranch and Uncle Ed thinks it isn’t safe for the girls to be there (2). The girls advise Nancy to let Hannah, the Drew’s housekeeper, know she will be returning home tomorrow, but Nancy has other ideas. The cousins take turns telling Nancy the details of the mystery. 

Bet and Ed acquired Shadow Ranch two months ago as payment for a debt. They had always wanted to be ranchers, so they moved there and began work. Then the accidents started. Since then, there have been so many unexplained happenings that they believe the ranch is being sabotaged (4). The girls thought their aunt and uncle were overreacting, but they were convinced as soon as they caught sight of the phantom horse (5)!

According to legend, the phantom horse is the ghost of the horse belonging to old-time outlaw, Dirk Valentine. Dirk Valentine was the sweetheart of Frances Humber, the daughter of the local sheriff, the original owner of Shadow Ranch. One night, Dirk went to the ranch to see Frances and the sheriff shot him. As Dirk died, he put a curse on the Humber property. Now, when the ghost of Dirk Valentine’s horse is seen running across the meadow, destruction is said to follow (5).

Nancy is quick to spot that the phantom horse must be a trick and that someone is trying to scare Uncle Ed and Aunt Bet away from Shadow Ranch (6). The question is, why?

Along with friends Bess and George, Nancy stops a gang of thieves, reunites a kidnapped bank manager with his daughter, uncovers the secret behind the phantom horse, and finds a hidden treasure! But she still has enough time to go horseback riding, shopping, go to the rodeo, win a square dancing competition, stop a shoplifter, show off her knowledge of textiles, bake a chocolate cake, appreciate a handsome cowboy when she sees one, eat 16 meals, including tacos and spicy chilli and a lot more cold sodas than usual. Gotta stay cool and hydrated when your detective work takes you to the desert!

This book is particularly interesting as there are a lot of firsts in it. It’s the first Nancy Drew Western. It’s the first book where cousins Bess Fayne and George Marvin are Nancy’s sidekicks instead of Helen Corning. And it’s the first time we hear mention of Ned, the one love interest of Nancy’s that is mentioned throughout the series.

Let’s talk about the genre of this book first. We know it’s a mystery of course, but when I read the synopsis (which appears on the first page with text in my edition) I was surprised by the last sentence. 

    For those who enjoy a suspenseful thriller, Nancy Drew’s first Western adventure makes truly fascinating reading.

For one thing it had never occurred to me that this book was a Western. While Nancy and friends do spend time outside in Arizona, they are only visiting for the summer and they have access to vehicles. I’ve always thought that the characters in Westerns need to spend extended time in the harsh environment and struggling to survive in those conditions. Is there any struggle when you are a wealthy tourist visiting for the summer, riding horses you don’t have to care for, taking a vehicle into town or even into the city when you need a day of shopping, and the rest of the time having all of your meals provided by a live-in cook? Well, I don’t think so. But there are definitely scenes that have a Western feel to them, I’ll grant the publishers that. Nancy and friends do hit the trails on horseback, outwit outlaws, and do battle with the elements in the great outdoors. However, they always manage to get back in time to shower and change before enjoying a meal they didn’t have to prepare for themselves.

Describing this book as "Nancy Drew’s first Western adventure" makes it sound like there are more of them to come. But I’m fairly sure this is the only book in this series that could be described as a Western, by any stretch of the imagination. If you can think of another, please pop it in the comments! Also, I’m not an expert on the Western genre, or even on Nancy Drew, for that matter, so if you believe this  book fulfills the criteria of a Western, please feel free to set me straight.

In my mind, one of the most exciting things about this book is the introduction of Bess and George. Now, this isn’t to say I don’t like Helen Corning, because I like Helen a lot and it makes me sad that she just drifts out of the series. I like that Helen is three years older than Nancy and that they are still good friends even though they are at different phases in their lives. A three year age gap is nothing to an adult, but when you’re a nine year old reading these books, three years seems like a big difference. It can’t help but fill you with awe that Nancy not only has a friend who is three years older than her, but who also treats her as an equal.

I also like how Helen and Nancy play off of each other. Helen is quick to speak her mind and quicker tempered than Nancy. At the start of The Mystery at Lilac Inn, Nancy and Helen’s canoe capsizes. Afterwards, Helen expresses her annoyance about a man nearby who must have seen them but didn’t offer to help. While Nancy doesn’t seem bothered by the incident, Helen is steaming. In The Hidden Staircase, Helen is frightened by a face appearing in the window, but upon investigation, no one is there and there is no evidence that anyone had been. While Nancy goes straight for the logical explanation, Helen comments that she had never before believed in spooks but the ongoing incidents at the house are starting to make her wonder.

Helen is a likeable character with human faults and frailties, who allows her emotions to get the better of her in times of stress. While Nancy acts correctly, moderates her emotions, and always thinks logically.

So now that I have defended Helen, let’s talk about the cousins.

    The three girls had grown up together in River Heights, and had shared many exciting adventures. (2-3)

So we know that Nancy has known Bess and George since they were children. Later, they are referred to as Nancy’s “best friends”. If they are all such great friends why were they not even mentioned in the first four books? Helen gets engaged, drops out of Nancy’s life, and then Nancy remembers she has two other best friends. Is that what we are supposed to think?

From the start, Bess and George are typecast in a way that I don’t think Helen is. Here’s our introduction to Bess.

    The pretty, slightly plump blonde was not smiling as usual. (1)

Bess is pretty, usually smiling, and is, apparently, “slightly plump”. From what I’ve noticed Bess is never depicted on the cover art or the internal illustrations of this series as being any less trim than Nancy and George. That in itself is a problem. If you are telling young girls that this character is fat and she looks like everyone else, then doesn’t that just create an impossible and very unhealthy standard? But no one comments on Bess’s weight, besides her cousin George, who seems to make some snide remark about it every time Bess eats or talks about eating. I’ve noticed George only does this when it is just the three friends together. Perhaps, George doesn’t want the chance of someone standing up for Bess?

    “This mystery has me so upset,” she declared, “that my appetite is gone.” Then she added, “I’ll have a double chocolate sundae with walnuts.”

    Nancy and George grinned. “Poor girl,” said George, “she’s wasting away.”

    Bess looked sheepish. “Never mind me,” she said. “Start telling Nancy about the mystery.” (4)

Later, George makes a more blatantly mean comment to Bess.

    Bess sighed. “I’m so hot, I’d like to have a cold drink and I think I need a hot dog to go with it.” 

    George grinned. “Eating is really a very fattening hobby, dear cousin.” (138)

Bess isn’t given the opportunity to say anything because they are interrupted, which is a bit disappointing. I would have liked to know how Bess would have responded to George’s needlessly hurtful comment.

We tend to think of Nancy in the revised text editions as being perfect. But I think this is one instance where she doesn’t get it right. Nancy is present on both of these occasions, but she doesn’t stick up for Bess. Nancy either exchanges a grin with George or she remains silent. I have no problem reading about a character with faults. Faults make a character feel human. What I do take issue with is a character who always knows what to do behaving like this, because that means Nancy believes that George bullying Bess about her weight is acceptable. And I know it’s not acceptable, but I’m an adult. When I was a child, I didn’t see anything wrong in George being mean to her cousin. Aren’t siblings and cousins supposed to make fun of each other? As an adult, I recognize that any fun being had here is one-sided.

As a child, I didn’t see George’s behaviour as bullying or fat shaming. Fat shaming wasn’t in the lexicon back then and it most certainly wasn’t when these books were written and revised. I saw George’s behaviour as evidence that George didn’t like Bess as much as she liked Nancy. That might be part of what is going on here. I think it’s a sign that George doesn’t like herself very much. But I also wonder if George isn’t a teensy bit jealous of Bess. Bess is fun and she eats when she feels like it. I mean, I know which one of the two cousins I would prefer to be friends with!

Part way through this book, a question popped into my mind. Did the writers, editors, and revisers, and ultimately, the publishers, do a disservice to Bess?

Let’s have a quick description of George for comparison.

    George Fayne, an attractive tomboyish girl with short dark hair. (1)

 

The word “tomboy” is dated, but from it we can assume that George is athletic and perhaps less feminine than Bess. And I think this is a fair assessment. George is strong and capable, purposely sticking out her foot and tripping the big baddie at the climax (173). While she doesn’t have Nancy’s detective skills, she can look after herself. In contrast, Bess is often treated as a figure of fun. 

When Nancy has first arrived in Phoenix, Bess notices Nancy’s knitting bag and asks what her friend is making. Nancy explains that she is knitting a sweater for her father.

    “He’ll love it. Not to change the subject, but there are some handsome cowboys at the ranch,” Bess remarked. As she told Nancy of the fun she and George had been having, Bess grew more cheerful. (4)

Bess is all about the boys. She is always looking to matchmake and puts forth effort to always look her best.

Early on the book, when they are driving from the airport to Shadow Ranch, they get caught in a storm that blows the sand across the landscape with such force that it sifts through the cracks around the windows and doors (14). Once it dies down, Nancy pulls the truck over so they can freshen up.

    She poured some water from the Thermos onto her clean handkerchief and wiped her face and hands. George and Bess did the same, then the girls combed their hair and put on fresh lipstick.

    Bess giggled. “I don’t know why we bother. There’s no one out here to see us but prairie dogs and lizards!”

    “Cheer up,” said Nancy. “You’ll soon be back among all those handsome cowboys!” (16)

Nancy says, “you’ll” instead or “we’ll”, implying that it is only Bess who is freshening herself up for the cowboys. However, I think it is fair to say Nancy and George do their fair share of flirting with cowboys in this book too. After all, it is all three of the friends who find dates among the cowboys at the ranch.

Later on, just after the cold soda and hot dog incident, two men try to kidnap Nancy by the refreshment stand at the rodeo, and it’s Bess who is first to come to Nancy’s aid.

    “Bess’s voice rang out. “She is not going with you!” (140)

George then chimes in with “Let her go!” (140). Oh, and why are Bess and George down by the refreshment stand instead of up in the stands watching the guys compete in the rodeo? Because Bess wanted a hot dog. 

This is one incident where Bess comes out as the stronger of the two, but more often it seems as though the character of Bess is being used as a foil for Nancy.

Bess is more traditionally feminine than either George or Nancy. Across the series, she is always the one who is more easily scared and less likely to want to do detective work. We are meant to identify with Nancy, who manages to be feminine, to still comb her hair and refresh her lipstick after going through a sandstorm, but she is also brave, knowledgeable, and skilled in basically anything one could be skilled in. She is never in a situation where she says, “I don’t know anything about that subject” or “I don’t know how to do that”.

In one scene, Bess is being taught how to rope a steer by one of the cowboys. (44-46). The “steer” is played by a cowboy named Bud holding his hands on his head like horns as he prances in front of Bess’s horse. Nancy and George show up and watch from the sidelines. 

    Bess frowned, bit her lip, and managed to get a noose twirling. Then plop—it dropped over the head of her own horse! 

    Tex gave a piercing whistle. George and Nancy burst into laughter while the “steer” helped blushing Bess to dismount.

    “Never mind,” said Nancy. “You didn’t want to be a cowboy, anyway.” 

    As the boys called joking remarks about the next roping lesson, the girls walked off together. (46)

On her first try Bess fails, and then gives up. If it had been Nancy, she would have executed it perfectly on the first try. If, by some miracle she was not successful, then she would have kept trying until she was not only successful, but until she was roping steers like a pro.

And while Bess is the only one of the friends to have trouble crossing a river on horseback, we know it is only her horse that doesn’t like water. This sets it up so that Nancy can come to the rescue, by taking the reins of Bess’s horse and leading him to land. 

But we could look at this from another angle. If it wasn’t for Bess telling everyone about Nancy’s bravery over supper later, cowboy Dave may not have come around and admitted to Nancy that he was wrong in assuming that Nancy was a “tenderfoot” (75-76).

The next day, the ice has thawed between the two.

    She admired the confident way he did his job and his kind, firm manner with the animals. “I do hope he’s not mixed up in the mystery.” She sighed. (89)

Nancy isn’t much of a sigher, so you know she’s got it bad for Dave.

 

I think it’s interesting to note that when the group returns to the ranch after a rough river crossing, it isn’t only Bess who scoots off to shower and change (74-75). It’s all three of them!

So, I guess I haven’t answered the question I raised about whether a disservice is done to Bess. I think how she is portrayed as being “slightly plump” and how she is treated by George (and Nancy) in that regard does more of a disservice to the readers of these books. In this book, Bess seems capable of looking after herself, as far as her cousin is concerned, anyway. Perhaps the characters of both Bess and George are nothing more than foils for Nancy. I’m sure my thoughts on this topic, and many others, will develop as I continue through the series. 

Favourite quotation

In most books, the main character goes through some personal journey of growth as the story progresses. This doesn’t happen with Nancy Drew, because as we’ve discussed, she’s (mostly) perfect already. (She is in the revised text editions, anyway. Original text Nancy is more human.) Instead, I think it’s the reader who gets to take away a kernel of knowledge from these books.

In this one, we learn that what happens in Arizona, stays in Arizona. At least, according to Nancy!

    When he was out of earshot, Alice said, “As for you, Nancy, he’s really flipped!”

    “And what’ll poor Ned do?” George teased.

    Nancy grinned. “We’ll be home by the time he gets back from Europe.” (111)

Got that? As long as your boyfriend is in Europe and you get home before he does, it is fine to flirt with handsome cowboys on a trip out of state.

I found it very funny that Ned is mentioned in an off-hand way, as though we already know all about him. Apparently, Bess and George aren’t the only people in her life Nancy has been keeping secret!

More importantly, what we learn in this book is that listening to our bodies’ need for sustenance is as good for our own health as it is for our friends’, especially if the friend in question is about to be jumped by two baddies! So go on. Get yourself a hot dog to go along with that cold soda you've been craving!