The Third Rainbow Girl

The Long Life of a Double Murder in Appalachia

De: Emma Copley Eisenberg

Narrado por: Emma Copley Eisenberg

A stunning, complex narrative about the fractured legacy of a decades-old double murder in rural West Virginia -- and the writer determined to put the pieces back together.
In the early evening of June 25, 1980 in Pocahontas County, West Virginia, two middle-class outsiders named Vicki Durian, 26, and Nancy Santomero, 19, were murdered in an isolated clearing. They were hitchhiking to a festival known as the Rainbow Gathering but never arrived. For thirteen years, no one was prosecuted for the "Rainbow Murders" though deep suspicion was cast on a succession of local residents in the community, depicted as poor, dangerous, and backward. In 1993, a local farmer was convicted, only to be released when a known serial killer and diagnosed schizophrenic named Joseph Paul Franklin claimed responsibility. As time passed, the truth seemed to slip away, and the investigation itself inflicted its own traumas -- turning neighbor against neighbor and confirming the fears of violence outsiders have done to this region for centuries.

In The Third Rainbow Girl, Emma Copley Eisenberg uses the Rainbow Murders case as a starting point for a thought-provoking tale of an Appalachian community bound by the false stories that have been told about it. Weaving in experiences from her own years spent living in Pocahontas County, she follows the threads of this crime through the complex history of Appalachia, revealing how this mysterious murder has loomed over all those affected for generations, shaping their fears, fates, and desires. Beautifully written and brutally honest, The Third Rainbow Girl presents a searing and wide-ranging portrait of America -- divided by gender and class, and haunted by its own violence.

Reseñas de la Crítica

Apple Books, "Best Books of January"
Amazon, "Best Books of January 2020" in Nonfiction and History
Amazon, "10 Best Mysteries & Thrillers of the Month"
Indie Next Pick for February 2020
O Magazine, "16 of the Best Books to Read this January!"
Electric Lit, "20 Most Anticipated Debuts of Early 2020"
The Millions, "Most Anticipated: The Great First-Half 2020 Book Preview! "
Library Journal, "Editors' Fall Picks for 2019"
Publishers Weekly, "New True Crime Books 2019-2020"

Southern Independent Bookseller Association, "Okra Pick for Winter 2020"
SheReads, "Most Anticipated Memoirs of 2020"
Esquire, "The Best Books to Elevate Your Reading List in 2020," "24 Best Books of 2020"
Mary Sue, "Books in 2020 That Will Make You Want to Smash the Patriarchy"
Booklist, "Chills with a Thrill"

"Headlines only deliver digestible tropes: Backcountry hicks confront hippie celebrants, two dead. But for the indefatigable Emma Eisenberg, approaching the murders at Briery Knob is about more than who fired the gun. An affection for this law-resistant corner of West Virginia enables her to transcend the simple formula of white male rage. Stepping into darkness, she extracts a nuanced sense of place and draws a map with historical connections."—Nancy Isenberg, New York Times bestselling author of White Trash: The 400-Year Untold History of Class in America

"Part crime narrative and part soul-searching memoir, Emma Copley Eisenberg's The Third Rainbow Girl has so much wisdom to offer. It's about the corrosiveness of preconceived notions, and about how trauma ripples through cultures and generations, and about finding connections in others and strength in oneself. Rich in detail and sensitivity and intelligence and honesty, this is a book you won't want to put down, one that will stay with you for a long time."—Robert Kolker, New York Times bestselling author of Lost Girls: An Unsolved American Mystery

"Emma Copley Eisenberg has written a true crime book that brings to mind Truman Capote's masterpiece In Cold Blood: elegantly written, perfectly paced, and vividly realized people and places. Equally impressive is her refusal to condescend to the inhabitants of the Appalachian community where the crimes occurred. The Third Rainbow Girl is a major achievement."—Ron Rash, New York Times bestselling author of Serena

Narration is...odd

Sometimes the author is the best narrator, but often times I find that they're unfortunately not. In this case, the narrator (author) sounds bored and disconnected, which is odd knowing she wrote the book. I think it'd be great to read a physical copy, but I wouldn't recommend the audio version.

More than I was expecting

True crime plus sense of time and place plus memoir equals totally enthralling tale of the ways our real lives intersect history. I couldn’t stop listening. Eisenberg’s story has given me much to ponder.

all over the place

If you were a resident or even familiar with this area of WV it is interesting. It has a lot of garble that is unnecessary for the story. It if almost as if she had taken a story, didn't have enough to create a book, so she throws in a bunch of details about her life. Details that have nothing to do with the story. She has mentioned people in her book without asking for their permission or even as a courtesy to inform them they are mentioned.

So well written

I was first mainly interested in the murders and investigation but the personal journey was the better part. I would usually not be very interested in a story of personal journeys but it was so honest and compelling. I had to write a review. Especially in the heightened climate of cultural appropriation. This story was told in a way the honors both the people and the author. Well Done

Murder Mystery Plus

I downloaded for the murder mystery but stayed for the poignant commentary on West Virginia. As someone who lives not quite in this area but close I felt she captured the complicated nature of the area that is so often diminished and caricturized in writing. The beauty and difficulty of growing up and living in such a place is a unique experience and I enjoyed reading her talk about it.

Immersion

The author immerses the reader in the story by providing multilayered and personal context. The sense of close-knit Appalachian community comes through, with the myriad of complexity in human realtionships laid bare, deeply adding to this story. Tragic on many levels.

A debut book that appears to be written by a veteran writer.

This book is a wonderfully written and compelling story of a tragedy and those who touched it in numerous ways. A gifted author’s first book. Amazing. Buy it and see for yourself.

This is one to read

Interesting story, interesting personal insights. i usually enjoy hearing the author read, but this is an exception Should have gotten an actor to read.

unique.perapective dry in parts

worth the read . I just found some insights to be redundant. however , overall, I can appreciate the author's insight from personally working in that unique part of West Virginia , and it's local culture .

Outsider defining my home state better then I could and justifying why!

Emma does a great job of detailing every feeling and emotion that comes with living in any small town Appalachia! Rather your from Pocahontas County, or the eastern side, near DC, she easily explains why this mighty state is so precious, yet so, unusual. Read and change my mind!!!