Montana Rhapsody: A Novel

by Susanna Solomon

Laura Fisher, pole dancer extraordinaire, has just moved to Great Falls, Montana to start over. When she takes to the stage for the very first time, she has no idea that her evening will end with her fighting off three men intent on taking her virtue, taking a leap out of a second story window, and a wild ride in a convertible to the small town of Fort Benton. The next day, with the thugs still chasing her, Laura embarks on a three-day canoe camping trip with E.B., a man she’s just met—despite the fact that she doesn’t even know how to swim.








Out on the river, Laura encounters swarms of mosquitoes, a broken and leaking canoe, hail the size of golf balls, and an evil man named Tucker Claymore. Meanwhile, E.B. ,a broken-hearted farmer, becomes sick and is chased by a granny with a gun, among other misadventures. Along the way, Laura and E.B. meet a number of characters, including Campbell Carr, a businessman from New York who is on the river to mend fences with his fourteen-year-old daughter, Francine—a girl who knows better than to believe anything Dad says—and Daisy, Campbell’s mistress, whom he has also invited and plans to introduce to his daughter.








Montana Rhapsody is a romp through the wilderness with these five disparate characters, all of whom want something—and all of whom are challenged in ways they never expected by their time on the river.

321 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 3, 2018

About the author

I've been a writer since I was a kid - and used to be a freelance journalist in my twenties. I took a side road and went back to school to study engineering at age 30 and graduated summa cum laude in 1987, I've been an electrical engineer ever since - but -

writing is my first love. I have enjoyed writing these slices of life short stories based in Point Reyes California and am currently at work on a collection of short stories based in Paris.

It's time to go back, don't you think?

I've lived in California many years.. I was raised in Cambridge Mass, a place where Justin, one of my characters, now goes to college.

Reviews

[Rita Gardner · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a quirky page-turner and a perfect summer read. The protagonist is a conflicted pole dancer who finds herself running from some really bad guys and (uhappily at first) finds herself escaping them on a canoe trip down the Missouri River in the wilds of Montana. The story takes as many eddies and turns as the river itself, with a cast of characters each with their own secrets. Susanna Solomon takes us on a really enjoyable ride through a lot of turbulent rapids, with good writing and sly humor.

[Amy Peele · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wild fun and adventure abounds in this page turner. You are on the river with the craziest combination of characters. Who knew a pole dancer could stir up so much trouble and excitement. A quick read.

[Josie]

I have no idea why the names of the characters needed to be at the beginning of the chapter, as if highlighting who the focus was (but not the POV character only). This was irritating and added little the story. I also thought it was annoying that we get this big introduction between Laura and Campbell, but he's not actually the hero. That seemed like a wasted opportunity for relationship development. The writing also felt quite flat to me. I ended up DNFing this one.