Dear Jacob: A Mother's Journey of Hope

On October 22, 1989, eleven-year-old Jacob Wetterling was kidnapped at gunpoint in St. Joseph, Minnesota. Twenty-seven years later, on September 3, 2016, Danny Heinrich led authorities to the boy's remains. In this memoir, Patty Wetterling shares the story of the search for her son, detailing the investigation, her family's struggles, and how she maintained hope throughout. She became a speaker, trainer, and national advocate for missing children. Her advocacy work led to Congress passing the Jacob Wetterling Act in 1994, which established a national sex offender registry. In 2013, the Wetterlings were joined by a local blogger and a plumber who uncovered a string of similar assaults connected to Jacob's case. Their combined efforts led to the breakthrough that solved the case. Written with Joy Baker, the local blogger, this account examines one of America's most notorious crimes and documents how Jacob's kidnapping changed child safety practices in Minnesota and beyond. The book also explores what has been done since 1989 to combat missing and exploited children.