On the road again
On the road again
We just can't wait to get on the road again!
This winter, Joy and I had the great fortune of traveling to Arizona and Florida with staff from the Minnesota Historical Society and MNHS Press. They have several members and board members who live or snowbird in Phoenix, Tucson and Naples, so we were asked to share our Dear Jacob presentation with them. What an honor!
On our trip to Arizona, Joy and I learned a lot more about the Minnesota Historical Society's rich history. Kent Whitworth, Director and CEO of MNHS traveled with us and spoke of the many ways that MNHS preserves Minnesota’s past, shares our state's stories, and connects people with history in meaningful ways. We also learned that the Minnesota Historical Society was founded in 1849—almost ten years before Minnesota even became a state! It has now grown to become the largest and most prestigious historical society in the country.
Taking Dear Jacob on the road meant a lot to both of us, as we have seen and heard the impact that Jacob’s abduction had on children and parents everywhere. We have met adults Jacob’s age whose lives were forever changed in 1989 and who find the book clarifying and helpful in healing through their own childhood trauma. Parents back in 1989 now have 11-year-old grandchildren and play active roles in their lives. They are happy to meet us and feel the collective energy that’s generated when all of us pull together to build a safer world for kids.
This very special trip was made possible by the amazing people at MNHS. Thank you to Ann Regan, Acting Director and Editor in Chief of MNHS Press, for believing in us from the very beginning. We first met her over lunch at Maynards in Rogers back in January of 2020, just before the pandemic. We were well into our first draft by that time and Ann offered solid suggestions about moving forward, finding an agent, and sending out queries.
On our Arizona and Florida trips, Ann not only took on her role as Acting Director and Editor in Chief for MNHS Press, she also served as moderator at our book presentations, photographer for those who wanted photos, chauffeur, and overall travel coordinator. She couldn’t have been a more delightful (and patient) traveling partner.
Many thanks to Laura Koerner-Koepplin, Jenn Pogatchnik and Rhonda Teich-Hickey for helping coordinate the three member events; to Jim Cihlar for coordinating our book signing in Phoenix; and to Suzanne Herrick for arranging our appearance on Arizona’s #1 morning show, “Good Morning Arizona.”
And of course, a huge thanks to the many members, friends, and family who joined us for these wonderful events! It was fun to meet, chat, and hear the many strong family ties to Minnesota history.
We continue to be grateful for the strong support we have received from the Minnesota Historical Society and MNHS Press. Before starting our presentations, Ann Regan always shared their organization’s vision statement: “The people of Minnesota will be grounded in their personal, community, and state history. They will understand how history shapes, inspires, and informs the present. As a result they will be better citizens of their communities, their state, their country, and the world..”
Joy and I are both honored and grateful to stand with this vision. Thank you to all of the amazing people who allowed us to bring Dear Jacob out of Minnesota and help spread our story of hope to a wider audience.
Spring Library Tour
This spring, we’ll be visiting several area libraries and bookstores as we continue our Dear Jacob book tour. This Thursday, we’ll be at Content Bookstore in Northfield if you live in the southeast area of Minnesota. Keep checking our Events page for the most up-to-date listings!
Also, if you’re interested in setting up an event at your local library, please contact Jim Cihlar at MNHS Press for details.
4/4/2024 – Patty and Joy, Content Book Store, Northfield, MN – 7:00 PM
5/1/2024 – Patty and Joy, Cold Spring Library / Historical Society (location TBD), Cold Spring, MN – 6:30 PM
5/6/2024 – Patty and Joy, Martin County Library, Fairmont, MN – 6:00 PM
5/11/2024 – Patty and Joy, Crosby-Ironton High School, Crosby, MN – 2:00 PM
5/14/2024 – Patty and Joy, Hutchinson Public Library, Hutchinson, MN – 6:30 PM
5/20/2024 – Patty and Joy, Owatonna Public Library, Owatonna, MN – 6:00 PM
5/30/2024 – Patty and Joy, Watonwan Public Library, St. James MN – 6:00 PM
Book Clubs
Several people have asked us if we’d be willing to visit their book club and discuss Dear Jacob: A Mother’s Journey of Hope. Of course, we would love to do this! After talking it over, we decided it would be best to do this via Zoom to reach a broader audience and limit our travel. In return, we just suggest that your book club make a donation of any amount to the Jacob Wetterling Resource Center. We look forward to sharing Dear Jacob with you!
Joy the Curious
If you’re not already following Joy’s Substack at JoyTheCurious.com, check out her latest story called “Sentenced to College: The Angel Hernandez Story.” Chapter 3 is coming soon, so start from the beginning with this sneak peek:
Rankings and reviews
If you enjoyed reading Dear Jacob: A Mother’s Journey of Hope, please give it a positive rating and leave a review on Amazon, Goodreads, Barnes & Noble, or wherever you purchased your book. We love reading your reviews!
Ask for Dear Jacob at your local library
We love libraries, and would especially love if every library in America had a copy of Dear Jacob on its shelves. Many times there’s an online form you can fill out to request a specific book, but of course it’s just as simple to pick up the phone and call your friendly librarian. Thank you for your supporting your local library!
Dear Jacob: A Mother’s Journey of Hope was released on October 17th, 2023 by MNHS Press. You can purchase it at your favorite bookseller, or ask for it at your local library.
