The Sunday Salon

I received this book from LibraryThing's Early Reviewer program. It does not release till March 24, 09.











There hasn’t been much information known about Etta Place, the girlfriend of Harry “The Sundance Kid” Longbaugh. So when author, Gerald Kolpan, first heard about this, he became very intrigued and began to research all he could about Etta Place.

Mr. Kolpan’s first novel, Etta is a fictional story of just who Kolpan imagined Etta Place might have been and where she came from.

Lorinda Reese Jameson was born to a banker and his wife. When she was just eighteen years old, her father took his own life. Lorinda left the streets of Philadelphia. She arrived in Grand Junction, Colorado, where she started her job as a Harvey girl as well as her new life as Etta Place. She was a waitress, working in the hotel; serving passengers as they made their way along the train. Soon Etta finds herself a wanted woman and one of the first to make a brief stay in the Grand Junction jail.

It is not long after she escapes that she makes her way to Hole in the Wall. There she joins up with The Wild Bunch gang, run by leaders…Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid. Soon, Etta, Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid are running wild through the great outdoors of the West.

I am a fan of the westerns and historical novels. So when I read Etta, you can bet I was delighted with joy that I got the best of both worlds all rolled up into one amazing novel. Mr. Kolpan has such a wonderful imagination and a talent for bring it to life within the pages of this story. Right away I was drawn. Once I started reading, I couldn’t stop. I ended up finishing this book in one sitting. Being from Grand Junction myself and reading Etta Place’s brief stint there was fun to read about. The letters Harry would write to his father in addition to the diary entries of Etta’s added a nice touch to the story. I have recommended to all my friends to check out Etta. Mr. Kolpan has gone down in my books as a must read author.