In 1988, two women were shot while hiking in Pennsylvania on the Appalachian Trail. Five bullets struck Claudia Brenner, four of which hit her in the head and neck, two struck her girlfriend, Rebecca Wight, and the last bullet missed both of the women completely. Eight fateful bullets were purposefully, intentionally, and deliberately chambered and fired one-by-one at these innocent women who were simply out for a three-day hiking and camping trip.
Eight Bullets tells the story of events leading up to, surrounding, and in the aftermath of this awful and tragic day and, fortunately, Claudia survived to tell it. Claudia recounts that the two women, looking for some alone time and privacy, decided to hit the trail to reconnect. They thought they were alone and happened upon a single person whose demeanor just didn’t sit right with them. They decided to move on down the trail and find another place to camp to get away from him.
After hiking for the day, they set up their campsite, ate dinner, and began to be intimate with each other. Shortly thereafter, mayhem ensued. Claudia was struck first and while they tried to obtain cover from the barrage of bullets, Rebecca was struck twice, fatally. Confused, hurt, and bleeding, Claudia had no other option than to seek help. She managed to hike three miles alone in the dark to the nearest road where she was able to find help.
The raw honesty in Claudia’s narrative is truly captivating. I read through the book very quickly because I just needed to know what happened, how it happened, and why it happened. From the details leading up to and regarding that day to the page-turning capture of the shooter, whose name I will not give credit to here, to the description of the healing process for Claudia both physically and mentally, the book was well-written.
I would Absolutely recommend this book for a number of reasons. The book is engaging and the bravery of Claudia is inspiring. The year 1988 was a very different time for the LGBTQ community. While anti-LGBTQ violence still occurs today, overall there is far more acceptance and tolerance globally. Claudia describes her apprehension to being honest with the police regarding her relationship with Rebecca during one of the most important events of her life. Her fear of being “outed” and of the reactions of the police overshadowed the necessity for transparency. Claudia does, however, praise the officers for their respectful and diligent police work once she felt confident enough to tell the full and complete truth. There is so much more to know about this story. You Absolutely must read it!
