“Evans and Sontag were among the most notorious outlaws of the American West. Now Train Robber’s Daughter presents for the first time the true story of Eva Evans, the teenage daughter of Chris Evans, whose life was just as dramatic as that of her train robbing father. From her first-hand accounts of the manhunt for her father; her romance with his bandit partner, John Sontag; her career on the stage, portraying herself in a popular blood and thunder melodrama; her later social activism and friendship with Emma Goldman; and her surprising admission, at the end of her life, of her father’s guilt, O’Connell tells a gripping story that not only entertains, but is a valuable contribution to California history.”

                                  John Boessenecker, author of Badge and  Buckshot: Lawlessness in Old California

 “A tale of train robberies, ambushes and shoot-outs with posses, it is also a little-known saga of loyalty and betrayal surrounding Eva Evans, a young girl whose devotion to her outlaw father knew no bounds. O’Connell adds much fresh research to flesh-out the story of Eva’s life in a biography that is truly a unique and fascinating read.”

William B. Secrest, author of California Desperadoes 

and Perilous Trails, Dangerous Men