Blood Brother

March 1, 2005
As true crime books go, this addition to the Scott and Laci Peterson library isn't particularly riveting, salacious or revealing, which is strange considering Bird's unique perspective. Adopted as a child, Bird reunited with her birth mother, Jackie Peterson, Scott's mother, in late 1997. Bird takes every opportunity to stress that she grew very close to the Peterson family, but there's very little evidence of this apart from Bird's own assertions. The reader learns tidbits about Scott and Laci: i.e., Laci loved flowers, and Scott "was a real charmer, the kind of guy who lights up a room." But such details hover on the surface. In fact, this book reveals more about the author's self-delusional behavior than the crime itself. Laci's abduction occurs early on, and for the rest of the book, Bird relates how, despite all evidence to the contrary, she refused to believe her brother could be guilty. Her denial is such that, after Scott's arrest, Bird writes letters to him in which she replaces the word "jail" with "camp." Despite Bird's frequent protestations, one wonders if she isn't disingenuous at times. She professes her love for her birth mother, for example, yet paints her in an unflattering light ("I was beginning to understand why Jackie was so critical of Laci. No one was good enough for her golden boy"). With the help of a therapist, Bird finally accepts the evidence and devises her list of 33 reasons why her brother is guilty. This list-which takes up a mere five pages and offers such banal reasons as Scott "flirted with our babysitter"-is just as superficial as the rest of the book. Photos.