Madman in the Woods

Life Next Door to the Unabomber

By: Jamie Gehring

Narrated by: Jamie Gehring

Length: 10 hrs and 23 mins

Publisher's summary

A haunting account of the 16 years when a young Jamie Gehring and her family lived closer than anyone to Ted Kaczynski, the Unabomber.

As a child in Lincoln, Montana, Jamie Gehring and her family shared their land, their home, and their dinner table with a hermit with a penchant for murder. But they had no idea that the odd recluse living in the adjacent cabin was anything more than a disheveled man who brought young Jamie painted rocks as gifts. Ted was simply Ted, and erratic behavior, surprise visits, and chilling events while she was riding horses or helping her dad at his sawmill were dismissed because he was “just the odd hermit”. In fact, he was much more—Ted eluded the FBI for 17 years while mailing explosives to strangers, earning the infamous title of Unabomber.

In Gehring’s investigative quest 25 years later to reclaim a piece of her childhood and to answer the questions, why, how, she recalls what were once innocent memories and odd circumstances that become less puzzling in hindsight.

The innocence of her youth robbed, Gehring needed to reconcile her lived experience with the evil that hid in plain sight. In this book, through years of research probing 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 with the madman in the woods. And she discovers a shocking revelation―she and her family were in Kaczynski’s crosshairs.

A work of intricately braided research, journalism, and personal memories, this book is a chilling response to the question: Do you really know your neighbor?

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2022 Jamie Gehring (P)2022 Audible, Inc.

Very well written book!

So well written. I enjoyed the weaving of her own story in with the timeline of the Unabomber. Raising questions and seeing the many facets of this story brought a humanity to the lives of the people of Lincoln that I had not heard or experienced before. This was a great read! As a Montanan I appreciate you sharing this.

Absolutely brilliant

Not only does this book give a very special, singular view into a story that I “thought” I knew, it’s such a touching memoir of family and growing up in a unique place!

paulie

An absolutely fantastic and well written book. I enjoyed it from beginning to end. The author did a great job reading it as well.

Deeply Human and Revelatory Braided Memoir

An in depth look at the psyche of a serial killer, paired with the author's personal experiences as she navigates the confusing and truly chilling revelation of finding such individuals are sometimes closer to us than we realize. First time author Gehring handles the subject matter with an unflinching determination to delve into the why's of Kaczynski's choices, helping us to understand his humanity and that of his family and victims without sensationalizing his brutality, rage and cowardice. If at first you think she is empathizing too much with Ted, keep listening. As her perspective shifts from that of a child and adolescent to that of an adult looking back on strange memories with a new perspective, you will begin to see a side of Kaczynski that is not often reported on. This book does a wonderful job of debunking the myth of Kacynski as some sort of martyred environmental warrior whilst delving into the human psyche and the events that shape us from childhood. Bonus that it is read by the author and often you hear the raw emotion in her voice, feeling how certain memories affect her. Overall a fresh take on the story of the Unabomber and an honest, meticulously researched look at a serial killer and the effects of his actions through the eyes of someone personally affected. You will learn something new!

Thanks for sharing with us!

Amazing book, and amazing performance on the audio version. Very easy to understand and follow. I was also impressed with the story overall, and learned several facts concerning Ted that I had not read before. Thanks again for sharing your story with us.

Amazing book!!

Jamie is a prolific writer—it was so wonderful listening to her narrate her own book! This book is thought-provoking, genuine, and heartfelt. I loved it!

Great point of view!

As a Montana native, and being about the same age as the author, this book is highly relatable to what she must have been through. I remember the the era of the Freeman & the Unabomber and the fear many had. Worth listening too!

Captivating story of a firsthand account with Ted Kaczynski

Jamie Gehring’s firsthand account sheds much light on the man behind the sketch. Her personal stories bring the man in the sketch to life as a very complex individual. The author captures the intersection of caring and killing in a compassionate yet direct way. This book is a “must” for any true crime fan.

A wonderful depiction of a unique upbringing.

Throughout the entire tale I was consistently enamored With the relationship between the author and a serial killer. Wonderfully written and impossible to put down.

Inspiring roadmap of a journey to release the tie to a madman

What an insightful and inspiring story. A treasured gift from a person trying to make sense of the wake of destruction left by a hurt, lonely, brilliant and violent narcissist. I’m so moved by learning about one woman’s sensitive, balanced and thoughtful process of trying to release the hold Ted K. had on her life. I will be thinking about her story for a long time as I hope to absorb the powerful lessons I’ve learned from her choice to share her journey. Told with courageous, eloquent and engaging curiosity and most importantly, an open heart.