The Poison Tree: A True Story of Family Violence and Revenge

by Alan Prendergast

Book Overview

Edgar Award Finalist: The shocking account of a Wyoming father who terrorized his family for years--until his children plotted a deadly solution. One cold November night, in Cheyenne, Wyoming,... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0399131388
• ISBN13: 9780399131387
• Release Date: January 1986
• Publisher: Putnam Publishing Group
• Length: 350 Pages
• Weight: 1.25 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Decent book

I went to school with the Jankhe's and after a recent high school reunion, I was more interested in their story.

TOLD WITHOUT SENSATIONALISM

I have had this book for years and years, and just now read it. It is one of the BEST true crime books I have ever read, and I have read hundreds! This is such a sad story about child abuse and it's terrible consequences, but I found the two children, Richard and Deborah, very sympathetic and very likeable. The terrible tale rings true for the times, with a naive and frightened (to death) mother and an extremely cruel father. The children are the epitome of what we call survivors. The author is a fabulous writer who lets his story unfold in its own time with no high drama, although the dramatics are certainly there! Since this book was published in the late 1980s I am now wondering what has become of Richard and Deborah. I checked Google, but so far can find no information about them since those trying days. In any case, if you read true crime, do not miss this one! Like I said, it was written before the days of high drama and sensationalism and is a great story we can learn from. And we can root for the children here, who are now adults and hopefully are having productive and enjoyable lives.

Excellent book--well researched and objective.

This book is very well done! No one deserves to be murdered but, on the other hand, no child deserves to be abused by the child's parent--ever. When the system let the children down, the children took matters into their own hands. The two teens murdered their father, a murder that shocked Wyoming 20 years ago and has not since been forgotten. Prendergast accurately describes the 2 teen's trial and appeal court proceedings for the murder of their father, while providing insight into the family's dysfunctional dynamics not available in the court records. Through the mother and children, the reader learns how Richard Jahnke had routinely inflicted physical, emotional and sexual abuse in varying degrees on his wife, daughter and son. Much of the author's information came from the family, sources which are not reliable depending on how and what each one chose to recall. Each one's recollection was clearly skewed by that person's age, grief, anger, abuse, shame, and family position. However, the author never loses objectivity in telling the story through their eyes and their insights. I knew how the story ended, but I couldn't put the book down--it IS that well written! Highly recommend to anyone from Wyoming or interested in the state of mind which exists behind patricide.