Heart of the West Author:O. Henry Heart of the West, first published in 1907, collects many, though not all, of O. Henry’s Western stories, and most of the stories in the book, though not all, are set in Texas. Perhaps reflecting William Porter’s own experience as a young man in the middle of nowhere on the Texas prairie, where women were few and far between, many of the sto... more »ries are comic tales of romantic rivalry, usually featuring two bluff and feckless young men in competition for the attention of the same rather remote and demanding young woman. This comically romantic longing is often deflected into an outlandish competition, the winner of which is supposed to get the girl.« less