Book Club Event Details
- Date: Tuesday, December 16, 2025
- Time: 7:00 p.m. for 75 minutes
About Dear Jacob
Although the 1989 kidnapping of Jacob Wetterling and the following search for answers has been widely covered by news media, before the publication of Dear Jacob: A Mother’s Journey of Hope, most readers may have known only some details about the case, many of which came from secondary sources. With the publication of this memoir in 2023, readers for the first time heard the whole story from the Wetterling family’s perspective, and in Patty’s own words.
This case, and Patty’s activism and advocacy, truly have changed the way parents and elders safeguard children, including through the passage of laws, the improvement of organizational practices, and greater cultural awareness. Thanks to the book, which appeared on national and regional bestseller lists and is now available in paperback, a new generation has learned the moving story of a tragic crime involving an ordinary family in an ordinary small town and a mother’s extraordinary and heroic responses that have affected the lives of millions.
The memoir covers not only the circumstances of the crime and the prolonged investigation that followed, but also the ways the family coped with grief and, thankfully, managed to carry on with their lives, celebrating personal milestones, noting professional achievements, and treasuring relationships. It includes the story of a remarkable friendship between two women, the coauthors of this book, and how their efforts instigated resolution for Jacob’s case and several others. It describes the ways Patty lobbied for change, including her work with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, her training efforts with law enforcement, and her runs for office. And it provides details of the sensitive and intense legal negotiations that ultimately brought justice.
PARSOL has chosen this book because we believe it is essential for advocates for safer communities to understand the horriffic activities that inspired the sex offense registry in the first place. Since the signing of the Jacob Wetterling Crimes Against Children Act, Patty Wetterling has voiced her opposition of the registry it created, stating it has become bloated and does not achieve the purposes it was supposed to.