Etta: A Novel

When Philadelphia debutante Lorinda Jameson’s bankrupt father commits suicide, the infamous Black Hand mafia is dispatched to collect his debts—or her head. The young orphan rechristens herself “Etta Place” and goes west to earn her keep as a waitress in a remote railroad outpost. But fate and murder soon intervene, and Etta joins forces with Butch Cassidy’s notorious gang, The Wild Bunch. In their hide-out at Hole-in-the-Wall, Wyoming, Etta meets Harry Longbaugh, a.k.a. the Sundance Kid, and begins the passionate and tragic romance that will be the great love of her life. Every step of the way, Etta’s life on the lam is fraught with danger and excitement.

Weaving together Etta’s diary entries, Pinkerton Detective Agency memos, and recreated newspaper articles, Gerald Kolpan’s history-based novel brings to life the riveting story of an extraordinary woman.