Owen Wister was an American writer known for his western novels. He attended Harvard Law School and practiced law in Philadelphia. Wister was fascinated with the culture, lore and terrain of the west. Wister's most famous work is the 1902 novel The Virginian. Lin McLean is an honorable young man. He is successful at roping cattle or winning the beautiful girl. The book is made up of a series of sketches starting with How Lin McLean went East.