Out of the Woods

A Girl, a Killer, and a Lifelong Struggle to Find the Way Home

De: Gregg Olsen

Narrado por: Karen Peakes

From a girl’s abduction by a serial killer to the harrowing aftermath—a gripping and heart-wrenching true-crime story by Gregg Olsen, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of If You Tell.

In May 2005, authorities discovered the Groene family murdered in their Idaho home. The family’s youngest members—eight-year-old Shasta and her brother, nine-year-old Dylan—were nowhere to be found.

As a community prayed for their return, Shasta and Dylan were already miles away in the woods of Montana at the hands of serial killer Joseph Edward Duncan. After a harrowing forty-eight day ordeal, Shasta was rescued. In many ways, her survival story was only beginning.

In the following years, while Shasta struggled to outrun her trauma, a pattern of self-destructive behavior shadowed her like an ever-worsening thunderstorm. She still had hope buried deep inside. Every bit as much as the little girl who had been held captive in the woods. This would be an all-new battle for Shasta. And she was determined not to lose.

Out of the Woods is the haunting and intimate true-crime story of one of the most notorious criminal cases in American history—and a young woman’s journey to reclaim her life in its wake.

© 2025 by Gregg Olsen. ℗ 2025 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Reseñas de la Crítica

“Olsen, a prolific and popular author of multiple true-crime books and fictional mysteries, became close to his subject over several years. His chief concern here is to tell the story of the therapeutic work Shasta did to try to find her way “out of the woods” of her trauma. He weaves that somewhat hopeful story together with the nauseatingly disturbing details of the crime, each parallel path unfolding through the book, dropping hints along the way of ever worse revelations to come.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Novelist and true crime author Olsen (The Amish Wife) paints a heartbreaking portrait of a woman haunted by her narrow escape from a serial killer…As in Olsen’s previous works of nonfiction, there’s plenty of rigorous research on display, but it’s his empathetic consideration of what happens to high-profile victims after news cameras stop rolling that sets this apart…It’s moving stuff.” —Publishers Weekly

“Prolific true-crime author Olsen offers another exemplary narrative of unimaginable trauma that packs an emotional punch.” —Booklist

Amazing! Wow!

Caution: this story is hard to listen too. The author did a great job of writing as did the narrators.
This book is very, very, amazing. Child abuse is serious, listen to your children. They know what they are taught.
Shasta is a truly amazing woman! I wish her and her children a good life! Better than what she has had! May you be able to fit in and just live a normal life! Good luck to ALL members of your family! Thank you for sharing!

Shasta got to tell her story

I don't have words. I've spent the last 20 minutes trying to write a review. Written amazing, I think the author really made sure Shasta got to have her story heard.

Trigger warning for trauma survivors. Great book that divesintoo life with trauma.

First I will say, I DID NOT read the reviews and it would 1000% changed my desire to read this book. As a trauma survived with a high ACE score, I will say that I was pulled in to a story of acceptance, understanding and honesty when it comes to those who survive severe trauma. My goal as a parent was to break the cycle of repeated trauma. My goal was not met and 2 more generations will have the same goal to stop and prevett continued trauma. My goal has changed a little with the knowledge learned from being exposed to a different level of trauma that I never saw coming or prepared for. There are no solutions to date to" love someone enough" to fix their trauma and there are no programs for those born into trauma. There are no programs for families who want to truly make a change for future generations. It feels like an absolute failure for future generations to have no options to heal. My prayer is that a solution will come from all the combined traumas and for those who truly care to sit in the hard stuff and hear the atrocities brought on to those who have no choice, options or answers. This story is a very real dive into trauma. It triggered some hard stuff and knowing others endured and some survived.... it hurts my heart to know, "You can'lovove them enough".

Super tough

When you wish you didn’t read/listen to a book. But it was so well done.

Very sad but amazing book

This story is sad but is written so well. Poor Shasta and her siblings had a sad and poor upbringing. Their lives were likely doomed from the start. Then Joseph came along and solidified all of it. The things he did to those kids was pure evil. It is a good read, even though it is hard to listen to. I truly hope Shasta has a fulfilling life and she can get things turned around, especially for her children’s sake.