222 pages / The novels of Don Berry rank among the best to emerge from the Northwest and can be considered as serious entries in a growing group of New Western novels. While the term "New Western" is widely used, definitions of its meaning are diverse and at times conflicting. This study delves into the diversity and presents a definition of the New Western novel as a historical tool. The New Western is seen as a probe into the themes and traditions of the western experience, and. as such it can be used in the study of history. The use of fiction in the study of history presents several problems, however, because a novelist goes beyond the usual constraints of a factual record. How the novelist uses, or in some cases abuses, the historical record is important to the historian. This study examines Don Berry's Trask as an example of a New Western novel to determine the manner in which the historical records and traditions of the Northwest have been adapted to use in fiction.