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 … 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.more
When I heard this book was set in my home state of West Virginia, I had to read it and was not disappointed. The author’s research was obvious as the little details in the story put you right there alongside the people in the interviews and scenes about what took place. This definitely left a chill down my spine and is a book I will not soon forget!
This book had an interesting format- part true crime and part memoir. The author spent time working in West Virginia and learned about the 1980 murder of two young women on their way to a festival known as the Rainbow Gathering. The murders became known as the Rainbow Murders and Eisenberg alternates chapters about her time working in West Virginia and her research on the murders. The format made it seem slightly disjointed to me but the chapters about the crime and the subsequent conviction and eventual release of a local man were fascinating.
Interesting take on the history and culture of West Virginia and a terrible crime committed there.
Enjoyed it immensely. It combines three different stories of a Murder, a coming of age and a history of southern West Virginia and its people.
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.
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.
I blazed through this book, which is a true crime page-turner, a moving coming-of-age memoir, an ode to Appalachia, and a scintillating investigation into the human psyche’s astounding and sometimes chilling instinct for narrative. A beautiful debut that will stay with me for a long time, whose story mesmerizes even as it convinces you to find all mesmerizing stories suspect.
The Third Rainbow Girl succeeds on two levels: first, as a deep dive inquiry into the 1980 murders of two young women in Pocahontas County, West Virginia, and the ensuing, tangled investigation, and second, as an intimate and humane portrait of a close-knit Appalachian community, the kind of place that is often reduced by outsiders to little more than a cliché of itself. As Jimmy Breslin once wrote of the legendary New York chronicler, Damon Runyan, ‘He did what all great reporters do… he hung out.’ A remarkable book.
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.
Emma Eisenberg has distinguished herself as a reporter of remarkable wisdom and conscience, and her powers are on full display in The Third Rainbow Girl. Eisenberg’s meticulous, compassionate reporting does not promise any of the easy answers we might expect from true crime: neither about what happened to the Rainbow Girls, nor about poverty, injustice, and the fate of outsiders — whether hippies, hitchhikers, carpet baggers, or journalists-who give and take in this country’s poorest areas. Her insights are hard won, deep, and devastating, making this an unforgettable debut.
#NetGalley #The Third Rainbow Girl #Hachette Books
I thought this story sounded very interesting. I tried numerous times over three months to read this and I could not get into the story. It was slow and I felt contained some interesting information and a lot of unnecessary information. I truly hate to give a bad review, but I do have to give an honest one.
3.5 Stars!
Honest, descriptive, and informative!
The Third Rainbow Girl is the candid, compelling story detailing the senseless murder of two young women in the woods of West Virginia during the summer of 1980, the subsequent, complex, frustrating, neverending battle for justice, and the author’s own thoughts and experiences of spending time in the area.
The writing is educative and direct. And the novel is a well researched, sincere tale of a crime with no quick, straightforward conclusion and one woman’s personal struggle to discover a self-identity, contentment, and a sense of purpose.
The Third Rainbow Girl is, ultimately, part memoir, part true crime that includes valuable, insightful data into a state plagued by inequality and low socioeconomic status and a murder investigation riddled with inconsistent statements, retracted confessions, and little to no concrete evidence.
The Third Rainbow Girl: The long life of a double murder in the Appalachia by Emma Copley Eisenberg
January 21, 2020
Hachette Books
True crime, nonfiction
Rating: 3/5
I received a digital ARC copy of this book from NetGalley and Hachette Books in exchange for an unbiased review.
This book is more of a memoir than a true crime story. On June 25, 1980, Vicki Durian (26) from Iowa working as a HHA and Nancy Santomero (19) dropped out of a NY college to work in a Tucson thrift shop were murdered in southeastern West Virginia. They died in Pocahontas County where they hitchhiked to attend the Rainbow Gathering peace festival.
It was during the author’s experience living and working for almost 1-1/2 years in Pocahontas County that she developed an interest in this cold case. Likewise, she had spent many summers there as a Volunteer in Service to America (VISTA) to help alleviate poverty by empowering teenage girls to pursue their education. She states that her 5 years of research spanned over 7 states.
With that in mind, this is not a true crime novel in traditional sense, far from it. By the end of the book it is noted that was the author’s intention. She wanted to record her memories in West Virginia as well as the unsolved murders which occurred there. She felt deeply moved and sought to interview many of the people who lived through the terrible ordeal. There were many trials and accusations many about 7 local men who were considered disorderly drinkers. There was plenty of speculation regarding the police and politics of the handling of the situation.
Honestly, I was expecting a rather traditional true crime novel and felt confused and deflated at times. Although the two stories, that of the author and the cold case, are interesting it wasn’t my cup of tea. The story reads as unconventional as the author describes herself.
In the end I had to wonder about the title, The Third Rainbow Girl. It is only at the end that focus is given to Elizabeth Johndrow who was considered the “third rainbow girl” who survived because she left to return home before the group reached their destination.
The author relates so well with the characters and setting that she could be considered the third rainbow girl. Although she lived and worked in Pocahontas County many years after the crimes were committed, her experiences entwined with the history feels almost akin to her bearing witness to the events.
Where have I been? I can’t believe I have never heard of this story. I was scrolling through Netgalley looking for a book to request, and this one grabbed my attention . Growing up in neighboring SW Va, I was interested and intrigued, as I had never heard of the Rainbow Murders. I was engrossed in the book from the beginning, the authors description of West Va was very accurate, and it was surreal recognizing all the county, and city names, as I have traveled through these places so many times. WVa, just like the SW part of Virginia, is a beautiful area, the mountains are breathtaking. Pocahontas County in particular, has always been etched in my memory from when I was in school, because in the winter if we had snow, the crawl on the TV, always had Pocahontas County closed, as it’s so high in elevation, and gets pounded. I remember thinking they will be in school until July!! The author does an excellent job in describing the people of this area. Most I have encountered have been “good ole county boy” types of people, hard working, and simple, but as many small towns, there is corruption, and you do encounter some backwards people in the hollers, as I did when I assisted with taking food, and clothing over certain areas were a huge flood devastated the area a few years back. Ok, I have rambled. *****The story is about 2 free spirited young women, hippies if you will, Vicki Durion of Iowa, and Nancy Santomeros, of NY, who met by chance in Arizona, and decided to hitchhike to WVa to a peaceful Woodstock type of event, called The Rainbow Gathering. Sadly, neither one would make it, as their bodies were found, shot, in a field in a remote area called Briery Knob on June 25, 1980. The book goes into detail about the background, and upbringing of both women, and the case, which is still basically unsolved to this day, even though several people have been suspects, and even arrested/jailed for the murders. I can’t imagine the pain the parents and families of these women have endured. The author does a fantastic job with the research of this book, but skims a lot of the courtroom proceedings, thankfully, , (because I truly dislike books that have so much focus on courtroom proceedings). The book doesn’t read like a typical crime book, it’s entwined with the background of the author, and her personal ties with the area, which I found unique. I truly loved the book!!!
Thanks so much @Netgalley @Hatchettebooks . The book will release in Jan 2020.