Publisher's Note

Advance copies of Dear Jacob: A Mother's Journey of Hope. 

We are excited to announce the paperback edition of MNHS Press's bestseller Dear Jacob: A Mother's Journey of Hope. Tens of thousands of readers have embraced Patty Wetterling's memoir since it was first released in 2023. Featuring a new afterword, the paperback invites even more to experience the story that reviewers called "nearly impossible to put down" (Mankato Free Press) and "a behind-the-scenes look at a crime that shaped the state and the mother who refused to let it steal her hope" (Minneapolis Star Tribune). As People magazine wrote, "For nearly three decades Patty remained steadfastly convinced that her son would reappear one day, and that her family would put their nightmare behind them. . . . The mother of four turned her agony into action, becoming a passionate advocate for missing children. [Dear Jacob is] the story of . . . how she coped with the truth, as well as her comforting friendship with Joy Baker, the blogger who helped bring Jacob's killer to justice."

New Releases

Now available for preorder! Reserve your copy of the paperback edition in advance of the January 14, 2025, publication date.

Dear Jacob: A Mother's Journey of Hope

Patty Wetterling with Joy Baker
In the paperback edition's new afterword, coauthor Joy Baker shares her own perspective on how she and Patty came to collaborate as well as develop a lasting friendship. She vividly captures the whirlwind of events and media that surrounded the hardcover's publication—here's a taste: "Patty made it easy. . . . At our very first presentation . . . she was so warm, relatable, and funny that she not only calmed my nerves, she also put the whole audience—already electric with tension—at ease. She spoke with effortless simplicity and approached the hard topics in a way that felt like putting salve on an open wound." We expect the paperback will invite even more readers to realize for themselves that, in Baker's words, “I hadn’t known I could admire Patty Wetterling any more than I already did, but clearly I could. The more I learned, the more I marveled at her bravery, her moxie, and her strength.”

Events

Twin Cities Metro

12/20/2024, 5:00 to 9:00 PM, John Coy and Chris Park, So Cold!, and Chan Poling and Lucy Michell, The Moons, American Swedish Institute Winter Solstice, Minneapolis

Greater Minnesota

12/14/2024, 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM, John Coy, So Cold!, book signing at Santa at the Lighthouse, Split Rock Lighthouse, Two Harbors

12/15/2024, 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM, John Coy and Chris Park, So Cold!, Zenith Bookstore, Duluth

1/4/2025, 1:00 to 3:00 PM, Travis Novitsky, Spirits Dancing, Forest History Center, Grand Rapids

In the Media

Bruce White, author of They Would Not Be Moved, was interviewed by Allison Herrera and appeared on MPR News, "New book tells how the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe defended its reservation and sovereignty." 

Chan Poling and Lucy Michell, author and illustrator of The Moons, and John Coy and Chris Park, author and illustrator of So Cold!, were featured in the Minnesota Star Tribune, "Know what we're thankful for? The year's best fiction and nonfiction, and 10 Minnesota picture books."

John Coy and Chris Park, author and illustrator of So Cold!, were featured in the St. Paul Pioneer Press, "Readers and writers: Minnesota books for kids."

Noteworthy

Many thanks to The Racket and Jay Boller, who wrote in "Shoutout to MNopedia" that "The Minnesota Historical Society maintains and regularly updates an online encyclopedia known as MNopedia. . . . In just the past month, we've gotten: two detailed explainers on the first people of Minnesota, the Dakota and the Ojibwe; a primer on St. Paul hardcore legends Hüsker Dü; and a piece about how more than 2,000 Native families benefited from the Civilian Conservation Corps. . . . MNopedia contains multitudes."

New in MNopedia

Origins of the Minneapolis Homeless Shelter Movement

In the winter of 1981–1982, a severe homelessness crisis prompted ten Minneapolis churches and community organizations to open their doors as emergency shelters. The city’s large-scale response was an example of public–private collaboration that got people safely indoors. It was also Minnesota’s first contribution to the nationwide homeless shelter movement.

Twenty-eighth Virginia Infantry Regimental Battle Flag

The battle flag of the Twenty-eighth Virginia Infantry Regiment was captured by the First Minnesota Volunteer Infantry Regiment in the Battle of Gettysburg on July 3, 1863. The storied Confederate banner has remained in St. Paul continuously since 1886, despite numerous requests to return it to its state of origin.

Bestselling Backlist

Keeping Christmas by Kathleen Stokker	Jul by Patrice Johnson	Thank You for Shopping by Kristal Leebrick