Dear Jacob: A Mother’s Journey of Hope

Description

With stunning detail, Patty Wetterling shares the untold story of the 27-year search for her son Jacob – and its astonishing conclusion.

In 1989, eleven-year-old Jacob Wetterling was kidnapped not far from his home in St. Joseph, Minnesota. The community quickly rallied around the family, and Patty Wetterling, Jacob’s mother, stepped into the spotlight. Within days, the call to find Jacob traveled far and wide, with hundreds of stories in local and national media, including coverage in the New York Times. Minnesota’s governor sent National Guard troops to aid in the search. Around the country, people posted flyers, sent letters of support, and turned on porch lights in solidarity.

As the criminal investigation stretched from weeks to months to years, Patty devoted herself to advocating for children. She successfully lobbied for the passage of the 1994 Jacob Wetterling Act, which established sex offender registries. She served on the board of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children for over twenty years and became a nationally respected authority on child protection.

Punctuated by Patty’s letters to her missing son, Dear Jacob brings readers into the heartbreak of a parent’s worst nightmare. It also describes the development of an unexpected friendship with an inquisitive blogger, Joy Baker, whose deft research uncovered clues that ultimately led to the conclusion of the twenty-seven-year-long missing persons case.

Cowritten with Baker, this memoir chronicles both a personal and a collective story of contemporary history, one that permanently changed public policy and the way we parent our children. It also shows that communities can heal after tragedy, and that families can still experience love, happiness, joy, and hope.

Review

” Dear Jacob‘s exceptional candor, intimate details, and rare behind-the-scenes stories give startling insights into one of the country’s highest-profile child murder cases. I covered Jacob’s story for decades as a journalist, but I was surprised at how much I didn’t know about Patty Wetterling’s journey. This book is a must-read for anyone working on unsolved abduction cases, whether they are journalists, law enforcement investigators, or people who want to know more about what happened to Jacob Wetterling.”
–Caroline Lowe, former TV crime reporter and journalist

“Patty Wetterling has displayed incredible courage as she’s turned her family’s grief into meaningful action. As a tireless advocate for missing and exploited children, she has honored Jacob’s memory by helping to change countless lives for the better. This book tells that powerful story and inspires us all to make the world a safer place for our children.”
–Amy Klobuchar, US Senator from Minnesota

” Dear Jacob shares the trauma of a parent’s worst nightmare. The kidnapping of Jacob made Patty and Jerry Wetterling members of the club nobody wants to belong to. This story takes you inside their lives, showing the struggle of not knowing where your child is. The journey of finding hope allowed them to keep moving forward, pushing them beyond what they could imagine life would be.”
–Ed Smart, father of Elizabeth Smart

“I could not put this book down. Dear Jacob is the gripping story of a mother’s strength and perseverance in the face of agonizing ambiguous loss. Patty Wetterling satisfies our collective need for ‘knowing’ exactly what happened to her son. At first ‘not knowing’ Jacob’s whereabouts, and then ‘knowing, ‘ Wetterling managed to find hope in both, working for the benefit of sexually abused and missing children. Jacob became everyone’s child, and Jacob’s Hope is now transformed into hope for a safer and saner world for all children.”
–Pauline Boss, PhD, author of Ambiguous Loss and The Myth of Closure

“Following Jacob’s abduction, Patty and her family were thrust into a world of unimaginable pain. Each riveting page of this book reveals glimpses of a mother’s unwavering devotion to her son and her commitment to bringing Jacob home. Patty continues to honor her son’s legacy as a physical embodiment of hope and provides a lifeline for families searching for their own missing children.”
–Michelle DeLaune, president & CEO, National Center for Missing & Exploited Children

About the Author

Patty Wetterling is a national advocate, visionary, and educator on the prevention of child abduction and exploitation. She served on the board of directors for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children from 1991 to 2021 and was its chair from 2012 to 2015. She also co-founded Team HOPE, a national support group for families of missing children. She is now a national consultant, presenting at child abuse conferences and law enforcement trainings. Patty has received many awards, and she was named one of the 100 Most Influential Minnesotans of the Century by the Minneapolis Star Tribune in 1999.

Joy Baker, the writer, blogger, and investigative journalist who uncovered key evidence in Jacob’s case, blogs at JoyTheCurious.com. She holds a journalism degree from the University of Minnesota and, for 20 years, was co-owner of a central Minnesota advertising agency. Joy works as an independent marketing consultant, professional copywriter, and writing coach. Her work on Jacob’s case has been featured in print and broadcast media as well as true crime podcasts.

Details

• Publisher :  Minnesota Historical Society Press (October 17, 2023)
• Language :  English
• Hardcover :  348 pages
• ISBN-10 :  1681342693
• ISBN-13 :  978-1681342696
• Item Weight :  1.45 pounds
• Dimensions :  6.25 x 1 x 9 inches