Pubday Book Review……..Madman in the Woods: Life Next Door to the Unabomber
by Jamie Gehring

For seventeen years Ted Kaczynski, the Unabomber, mailed explosives to strangers.

But as a child while living in Lincoln, Montana Jamie Gearing had no idea that the self sustaining hermit that lived in the adjacent cabin who brought her painted rocks as a gift was Ted Kaczynski. Surprise visits, erratic behavior and chilling events while Jamie was riding horses or helping her dad at his sawmill were dismissed because Ted was just Ted.

As an adult through the years Jamie has research Ted's personal history, his writings, his secret coded crime journals, her own correspondence with him in his Supermax prison cell, plus interviews with others close to Kaczynski, Gehring unearths the complexity, mystery, and tragedy of her childhood and the hermit on the hill. And the shocking revelation that she and her family were in Ted's crosshairs.

Do you really know your neighbor?

Madman in the Woods was definitely a complex read but it's also beautifully written and an incredible journey! Could you imagine finding out that your neighbor who yeah was odd but kind to you ended up being Ted Kaczynski? I can't imagine the confusion that would have caused as a child. The book gives an indepth look into Ted's life but it also shows Jamie's as well. I found it interesting to read how she felt then and now looking back at some of the events. Jamie does a wonderful job drawing you in and then capturing you till the very last page. With vivid descriptions of the area she grew up in, which sounds absolutely beautiful, to something completely normal childhood event to an event that is beyond creepy.

Thank you Books Forward and Jamie Gehring for sharing this incredible story with me!
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I found this book to be a very interesting read. Everyone can say that had that one "weird" neighbor but not everyone can actually claim that they had the Unabomber as their neighbor. I know a little about Ted aka the Unabomber but not a lot. With this book, I felt like I did get a more in-depth insider's view as to the man behind the persona.

Jamie did a really good job of conducting through research as well as reconstructing her memories. To be honest while Ted was a bit "odd" and reserved in his mannerisms, I would not have suspected him to turn out to be the Unabomber. Readers who like to read nonfiction or who are very interested in the Unabomber will want to check out this book. ( )