When Jo Jeffers was a young girl suffering from asthma, she promised herself, "When I grow up, if I ever do, I shall go to Arizona and be a cowboy." She did both, and Ranch Wife tells the story of her life as wife and partner of a rancher in the high country of northeastern Arizona. Here she describes the routines of ranch life and vividly recalls the dust storms, plagues, and other hazards that challenged the young city-bred woman. It offers readers not only an insider's view of a working ranch but also an appreciation of how ranchers' wives help sustain such a rugged enterprise.

"Well written, enlightening and entertaining . . . The reader feels he has a ringside seat, especially during the month-long roundup that is described from start to finish. . . . The author's love and knowledge of ranching and its place in America should appeal to readers who know the Southwest and to those who would like to do so." —Library Journal