Rainbow Black

Bookseller recommendation

“A weird, and yet utterly compelling, look at the consequences of a child getting caught in the American 'justice' system. Thrash captures both the uncertainty and impulsiveness of a young teen who has both utterly lost her way and has been put in a situation where she needs to make life-changing decisions. Excellent on audio, as the narrator expertly captures the entire range of emotions that our main character goes through. I'll be thinking about this one for quite a while. ”

— Melissa • Watermark Books

Bookseller recommendation

“The setting: 1980s New Hampshire, a society roiled by suppressed memories. The characters: two young teens, parents convicted of child abuse arising from these memories. Maggie Thrash does not shy away in this compelling story.”

— Willard Williams • Balin Books

Bookseller recommendation

“Rainbow Black is so many things; a mystery set at the height of the 80/90s Satanic Panic, a queer coming-of-age love story, 400 pages of injustice and resilience. We start our story with Lacey Bond, a thirteen-year-old burgeoning lesbian with hippie parents that run a daycare in the woods of New Hampshire and an older sister that outshines her in every way. Lacey's problems are pretty typical - excluding her mother's obvious drug addiction - until her parents are arrested on charges of over 30 counts of child abuse and occult activity. Lacey and her older sister Eclair have to endure months of classmates testifying to the abuse, court-ordered therapy and national media coverage, all without any real support. After a violent crime sends Lacey running, we're thrown into the future where she lives with her partner in Montreal, having found community, stability and comfort - but no real closure, and a past that is rapidly catching up to her. At once wild, darkly hilarious, and harrowing, Rainbow Black is the story of relationships forged through trauma and reinvention in the face of tremendous loss. Packed with extraordinary detail and tension, this is not a book you'll want to put down.”

— Emma • Quail Ridge Books