She rode with the most famous outlaws of her time. Then she vanished.In the fall of 1895, Etta Place falls in love with Harry Longabaugh, alias the Sundance Kid. She gives up everything to follow him and his partner-in-crime, Butch Cassidy, in their outlaw life across the continent and beyond. Breathtakingly beautiful and every inch a lady, Etta can also ride and shoot as well as any man. As … man. As their fugitive life begins to crumble, she finds herself alone and living in a convent with her newborn son. Knowing she can’t hide away forever, she moves halfway across the country to begin anew. Etta prays her past won’t catch up with her.
In 1911 Emily Pleasants steps onto the train station platform of Pine Creek, Minnesota with a teacher’s contract in hand and a secret life she’s fled. A young widow with a small son, she’s searching for a safe place to raise her child where no one will recognize her. She meets Edward Sheridan, a successful merchant and bank owner, who quickly falls for her beauty, intelligence, and kindness. Still, she worries her notorious past will threaten the one thing dearest to her—her son.
From the deserts of Texas to the sweeping vistas of Wyoming, the refinement of New York City to the lush valleys of Argentina, Etta followed the outlaw men she loved so dearly. And then, she disappeared.
One woman, two separate lives. What became of the elusive Etta Place?
more
MISS ETTA: A NOVEL by Deanna Lynn Sletten is a captivating historical fiction book which imagines the life of Etta Place who was the partner of the Sundance Kid. Etta disappeared from history, but Ms. Sletten has done an epic job of reconstructing facts when known and extrapolating when not known. When reading or watching the movie about Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, I have always wanted to know what happened to Etta and this book is a rendering of the story that I could not put down and happily satisfied my curiosity.
In 1895, Ethel Emily Pleasants is about to start her first teaching position when she meets Harry Longabaugh, also known as the Sundance Kid. Emily is beautiful and very ladylike, but she grew up on a ranch and is able to ride and shoot as well as any man. She knows Harry and his best friend Butch are outlaws, but she loves the Kid so much she is willing to give up everything to follow them. Harry uses the alias Place while on the run and so Emily becomes Etta Place.
In 1911, Emily Pleasants arrives in Pine Creek, Minnesota with her three years old son, Harry to accept a teaching position in their small-town school. Edward Sheridan meets the widow with her son at the train depot and quickly falls in love. Emily hopes that this will be the place where she can finally quit running and looking over her shoulder as the Pinkerton men have never stopped looking for her, Harry and Butch. She wants a safe place to raise her son.
Etta travelled the world with the outlaw men she loved until they were separated and she disappeared from history. What happened to Etta Place?
I loved this story! Ms. Sletten brought Emily “Etta” to life for me and whether the facts and imaginings are true or not, I hope her life was just like this story. Ms. Sletten’s characters are all fully fleshed and you just fall into the story and do not want to leave. It is a grand adventure with plenty of romance, action and history.
I highly recommend this story and author!
I’ve always loved the movie Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid starring Paul Newman and Robert Redford. I can’t even guess how many times I’ve seen it. There is also a female character in this story, Etta Place. Little is known about her after the outlaws’ lives fell apart.
I was so excited when I heard that one of my very favorite authors was working on a book depicting what she thinks Etta’s life might have been like after she is separated from the duo. Miss Etta is a believable, heart-warming tale that looks at what life was like for a woman in the early 1900’s. It was even tougher for someone like Etta, who was trying to leave her old life in the past and start all over with a new one.
Etta moves to Minnesota, remaking her life as Emily, a young widow with a little boy. She is a strong woman who just wants to raise her son to be a good man, all while living in the fear that her other life will be found out. Is a happy, carefree life and a good man to love even possible for her to think about?
Etta and Harry, the Sundance Kid, had a deep loving relationship—their story was such a beautiful love story, even though they led very unusual lives, very tough lives. Their strong bond and the deep love that they had for each other gets them through the tough times, even at the very end.
I would love to think that Miss Etta’s life ended up the way that Deanna wrote about it here. Sure, she had a tough life with tough decisions to make and she did it all while raising a little boy, a boy who was safe and loved. Miss Etta is a wonderful tale that ended for me just the way I wanted it to. I absolutely loved everything about this story.
This is one of the best books I’ve ever read. If you like historical women’s fiction, grab a copy of Miss Etta.