A very well-written true crime, but the story itself just wasn't very compelling. The child and her murder seemed almost secondary. This felt, to me, more the story of weak, manipulative, controlling men and the women who enabled them. The author does a remarkable job of creating a sense of setting and character, though.

Audiobook via Audible. Very good narration by Kevin Pierce. ( )

Brenda Gere was born the same year as me, so I felt particularly interested in her case, although I didn't know anything about it at the time she was missing. I was in high school in Baltimore and she was three thousand miles away in a shallow grave in Washington. Life is so unfair. I am glad her mom and brothers were able to see justice done and the monster locked away forever. The book was well-written, and I ordinarily love Jack Olsen, but this felt a bit false when describing Brenda during her life. The dialogue sounds more like 1960s than 1980s. But that's ok; I got the gist of her sunny and sweet personality, which is what matters. ( )

4.5 stars

Jack Olsen has always been a favorite of mine. When I was a teenager and I first read Ann Rule's "The Stranger Beside Me" it started me off on a true crime binge that lasted for years. From there, I hit up "Helter Skelter" by Vincent Bugliosi, Blind Faith by Joe McGinnis, and a large number of Jack Olsen books.

Mr. Olsen's books always stood out to me because of their usual focus on the families of the victims instead of the perpetrators and this book is no different. The Salt of the Earth in this case refers to the Elaine Gere, mother of Brenda, a missing 12 year old girl. There was nothing this woman could not do. A mother of 3, wife of an alcoholic, and then mother of a missing girl, later found murdered-she's an amazing person. The effects this abduction had on the Gere family cannot be underestimated, but I won't get into more of that here, as it should be related to you by the author and narrator.

The one issue I had was that I would have liked to have learned a little more about the early life of the suspect/perpetrator. Even to this day, there isn't much information available about the guy on the internet. Maybe it's just something in me that thinks if we knew more about how this guy grew up and went wrong, perhaps we could learn to recognize these signs and prevent such things in the future. I could just be naive about that, I admit the possibility.

I think the narrator, Mr. Pierce, did an excellent job. There were a number of times during this story where my eyes welled up and I felt SO BAD for this family. I often wondered if the narrator ever choked up and had to do a retake.

If you're a fan of sympathetic but honest true crime stories, you could do so much worse than Salt of the Earth. This terrible crime was presented with all its horrific effects on the immediate and extended family, and the entire community. It's an unflinching look at a horrible crime and how it branches out in every direction. But it's also a look at a strong, strong woman and family and how they came through such a tragedy. For that alone, this book is worth a read and/or listen.

Highly recommended for fans of true crime.

*I was provided a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review. This is it.* ( )

One day in September of 1985, 12-year-old Brenda Sue Gere was abducted from her family's home in Clearview, Washington. Her parents, Joe and Elaine Gere, were understandably devastated by the little girl's disappearance, and Joe said he effectively died on the day that Brenda was taken. It was left to Brenda's mother, Elaine to sustain her stricken family, search for her missing child, and pressure the authorities for justice.

From the first minutes of the investigation, suspicion fell on Michael Kay Green - a steroid-abusing "Mr. Universe" hopeful - but there was no proof of a crime, leaving police and prosecutors stymied. Tips and sightings poured in as lawmen and volunteers commenced searching the Cascade forest in a search which would become the largest in Northwest history. Years passed with no sign of blue-eyed Brenda or the bright clothing she had worn on the day she had disappeared. Yet Elaine remained undaunted in her quest.

Salt of the Earth: One Family's Journey Through a Violent American Landscape by Jack Olsen, tells the true story of a simple family thrust into overwhelming grief and the unyielding spotlight by a senseless crime. This story traces the background of the Gere family, the seven-year long crime drama and the effects of tragedy on a family.

I must say that I enjoyed this book very much. It was well-written, easy to follow and the plot had a poignancy about it that I appreciated. I give this book an A+! and look forward to reading more books by Jack Olsen in the future. ( )

4.5 ( )