COUER D’ALENE – Few tragedies have rippled through North Idaho like the 2005 Groene Family murder/kidnapping. Even after escaping the clutches of a serial killer, Shasta Groene has spent 20 years fighting for her life. 

Now, author Gregg Olsen is looking to shift the narrative from nothing but tragedy to hopeful for the future, with his new book "Out of the Woods. "

Olsen is a veteran of the true crime genre, with numerous books making their way onto the USA Today, Wall Street Journal, and New York Times bestseller lists, but this project is one that challenged him beyond what he thought imaginable. 

Unlike previous stories where Olsen spent a large part of the book discussing voiceless victims, Shasta provided him with the opportunity to speak to a living victim and gave him what he believes is the most important context of any true crime novel. 

“It’s her story,” Olsen said. 

Mountains of evidence, legal documents, and various forms of media could be compiled to learn the circumstances behind the murder of Shasta’s family, her brother, Dylan, and even the monster who carried out the heinous acts, but very few of them tell the story of the eight-year-old girl, who has courageously navigated multiple ordeals that would’ve broken anyone else. 

"Out of the Woods" isn’t sugar-coated; it’s raw and unnerving. Deftly moving from location to location, paced in a way that allows readers to vividly experience locations, and catch their breath before plunging into the next layer of darkness. 

It acknowledges the murders of Shasta’s family, the assaults – both physical and sexual – that she and Dylan endured. It then moves on to her life after the events that made her famous, with an honesty that people are rarely willing to show when they’re the victim of such horrific circumstances. 

“Shasta’s story is so unique because she should be dead,” Olsen said. “But she was uniquely qualified to survive this. The idea that she grew up with sexual abuse, neglect, lying to the authorities to cover for her parents. She knew how to deal with an adult in a way that would appease them.” 

Through the pages, readers will understand that the heartbreaking reality was that while Shasta grew up too fast for any child, it was then compounded by the immense amount of intimate knowledge people had about her situation, and she was effectively powerless to change their perception. 

So instead, she leaned into it and began a self-destructive path that she is still fighting her way back from. 

Twenty years later, Shasta, through Olsen’s book, is ready to present her story, her memories, her truth. Told over 300 pages, "Out of the Woods" feels like a mass therapy session for anyone who takes the opportunity to pick up the book. 

“She’s still here,” Olsen said. “She is able to give us her version. I believe that takes a lot of courage. Some things are out there that are so terrible that we don’t want to hear them. She needed to get it out, we should listen.” 

"Out of the Woods" is scheduled for release Aug. 1 but is already available digitally on Amazon. 

Gregg Olsen and Shasta Groene will be in Coeur d’Alene on Aug. 8, for a special book signing at the Well-Read Moose from 5 to 7 p.m. 

    Shasta Groene
  

    Gregg Olsen