Salt of the Earth: One Family's Journey Through the Violent American Landscape

by Jack Olsen

Book Overview

File updated July 1, 2017Joe Gere said he died on the afternoon his twelve-year-old daughter Brenda disappeared. It was left to Brenda's mother Elaine to sustain her stricken family, search for her... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312144067
• ISBN13: 9780312144067
• Release Date: May 1996
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press
• Length: 376 Pages
• Weight: 2.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 6.5" x 9.5"

Customer Reviews

The chilling discovery and finding the story behind it all

As one of the people who found the remains of dear Brenda on the Tulalip Reservation, finding this book was a chilling end to the mistery and the saddness of finding this poor little soul. Well written and informative this book laid down the facts and events that will keep you reading non stop to the end. Our hearts go out to the family and friends, and we are happy to have found her for all who loved Brenda.

One of the best....

Jack Olsen is great at true crime. He leaves no stone unturned, yet you never get bored. I have to agree with a fellow reviewer when he said that more time should have been spent on Michael Kay Green. The story, nonetheless is riveting. I could not put the book down. Elaine Gere is one tough lady, you sometimes feel like you are reading ficton yet it is real! I highly recommend "Salt".

The Write Stuff

Written by a master craftsman, Jack Olsen tells a story that still has be gripped.Skip the fotos until the very end(they won't help you much anyway) or the jacket back "give it away" and be patient though he first part, as the author builds the characterization of this all-too-American family, the salt of the earth. Until I got through that part, I still wasn't certain of what the crime would be or who committed it. The crime has to be one of the most despicable immaginable; the story has a familiar ring, how criminals and their advisors so often manipulate and frustrate the justice system. In the end, the perpetrator was rendered justice, but no punishment could ever match the pain he gave to the victims. Without giving away any of the story, I do wonder whether the family would have disintegrated eventually with our without the crime; in one way the grief held it together. Here's a strong read of an entirely different genre: dated a bit but absolutely a book that will give you pause: The Hot ZoneBoth books were so good that a 12 hour flight to and from Paris passed quickly.

The Best True-Crime Book Ever Written

I have read extensively in the true-crime genre, and in my opinion "Salt of the Earth" is the absolute best true-crime book written to date (all of Jack Olsen's books are good, by the way!). Olsen's spare yet compelling prose communicates the lives of the characters in a way that makes them seem fascinating and representative of humanity on a larger level. I can't say enough about his talents of communicating entire conecpts through one simple sentence, much like Hemingway. His writing is subtle yet it communicates volumes.Even if you hate the true-crime genre, you will like this book. If you have never read true-crime, read this book. It is well worth the money and time!

One of the best true crime ever written.

This is the book that put Jack Olsen into the top league of writers. Elaine will live with the reader for a long time; her courage and humor make one ashamed of their own whinings. Well written, entertaining, informative - this one's a keeper.