Gitchie Girl: The Survivor's Inside Story of the Mass Murders that Shocked the Heartland

This was bought for very personal reasons for me. The 2 non survivors wrote about in this book were my Uncles. I've never gotten The full story as it was too painful for my Grandpa to ever talk about, so I only got bits & pieces from a few other family members.As horrific as it is, it's a part of my family history & these books will be passed down to my grandchildren once I'm gone. The Author was the Only survivor & this is the story told by her.She is a Hero by her own rights.Not only enduring & surviving what she experienced that night, but being able to open up that wound enough again to write these 2 books & share the horrific things she went through with the world!She also is from my hometown.I strongly recommend Anyone who enjoys reading to buy both books.I guarantee you will gasp, & cry as you do. It's a story that you won't soon forget & I think you too will agree she is indeed a Hero by her own rights!

The book was written with compassion and respect for these young men and Sandra. I was one of the EMTs who picked up the bodies of the boys the next day. It has always been a nightmare for me and the worse ambulance call my 16 years as an EMT. I always wondered what had happened to Sandra and thought of her often. I contacted her via Facebook after reading an article in the Mitchell paper that recalled this tragedy. We met at my house one day and I learned what she had gone through. Reading the book helped me by giving me the courage to relate to my family what I was never able to talk about before. I still think of those four boys and Sandra. I'm so proud of her bravery in telling her story.

I read this book of 154 pages in one sitting Some pages are blank and others have only a paragraph or two on the page so it's an easy read but a story of one girl who had a tough early life as a child, found an adolescent love, and then had it cruelly snatched away in a horrific night of horror in which her love and three of his friends were murdered. What followed was parents not wanting their child to socialize with her as if the murders were her fault. Years of despair and doubts about God followed until she found a soul-mate who wasn't a partier who already had two sons from a previous marriage. A reconciliation of sorts was made with one of the three killers and why he chose not to kill her.I had never heard of this case until I saw it on television and decided to give the book a try since I like true crime stories. This crime which took place in Gitchie Manitou State Park in northwest Iowa is a must read for true crime lovers along with the psychological impact that such as experience can have on a survivor.

I grew up close to Sioux Falls, SD. I was 11 when this happened and will never forget it. However this book really brings home the horror that these kids experienced at the hands of deranged brothers. This book tells the whole story many years later. The "Gitchie Girl" was so strong to make it through this trauma and be strong enough to continue to go on with her life! As the book points out, in the 1970's, there was not help for PTSD, victims were not helped at all. It was frowned upon to seek out psychological help. She was scorned by her friends and the public in spite of losing her friends and going through this terrifying event! The authors are amazing writers! I plan to keep buying their books.

I read true crime books because I'm always trying to understand why some people create horror & mayhem in their lives and others.Some authors are better at telling a story than others. These authors were great. Just the right amount of information bypassing the truly horrible parts. It's hard to accept that four young lives were taken apparently for no reason at all.I'm impressed that this young lady was finally able to overcome and live her life again. She should be an inspiration for others.

I had never heard of the Gitchie murders despite being an avid true crime story connoisseur and i am so glad i found this book because it is absolutely fascinating. The lone survivor of a gruesome murder, Sandy tells the story of the events leading up to, during, and following the terrible night where she lost her friends. I am in awe of her courage and resilience and i cannot get over the fact that she confronted one of the killers years after the crime. I only gave 4 stars instead of 5 because there was a good bit of "dragging" on in the story, especially Sandy's life after the murders but before meeting her husband - too many details that went no where. Otherwise, this book was fantastic!