Dear Jacob - by Patty Wetterling

About the Book

"On October 22, 1989, in the small town of St. Joseph, Minnesota, eleven-year-old Jacob Wetterling was kidnapped at gunpoint. Twenty-seven years later, on September 3, 2016, Danny Heinrich led authorities to the boy's remains. What lies between is the riveting story of the search for Jacob Wetterling, told by his mother, Patty. With her trademark candor and down-to-earth honesty, she details the investigation as it unfolds, discusses her family's struggles, and shows how she maintained her energy and optimism"-- Provided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

Tens of thousands of readers embraced Dear Jacob: A Mother's Journey of Hope, first published by the Minnesota Historical Society Press in hardcover in 2023. The paperback edition, featuring a new afterword and cover, spreads its powerful message even further.

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 Quotes

"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

"If you've ever doubted the tenacity of a mother's love, this book will convince you. It conveys the terror of an abduction, the gift of cherished memories, and the importance of promoting a legacy of hope. This extraordinarily inspirational book shows all professionals the need to provide empathetic, trauma-informed care. It is a must-read for counselors, social workers, health care providers, legal and law enforcement professionals, educators, and faith communities, who must first do no harm to those who are walking this incomprehensibly difficult path."
--Sharon W. Cooper, MD, co-editor of Perspectives of Missing Persons Cases and Medical, Legal and Social Science Aspects of Child Sexual Exploitation

"I am so deeply touched by Patty Wetterling's candid account of Jacob's tragic story. I found myself holding my breath with anticipation through much of this book. I cried often, but they were tears of inspiration. It takes so much dedication to become the dogged trailblazer that she is. Patty is a courageous person, and I admire her greatly."
--Pat LaLama, investigative journalist