You Can’t Get Rid Of Me: An adopted son’s search for family

You will laugh and you will cry, but you won’t be able to put down You Can’t Get Rid Of Me, an unflinching reveal of growing up LGBTQ in the 1970s, and a quest for belonging.

Memoir | LGBTQ |Ancestry

Do you know your roots? DNA results and a search for his birth family take author Jesse Scott on a wild and rocky pursuit of his past as he uncovers the truth one piece at a time, a journey that redefines his identity and reshapes his understanding of what family truly means.

Growing up gay in the ‘70s, navigating adoption, institutions, and identity – this book is more than a memoir, it’s a testament to what it means to fight for who you are. I laughed, cried, and rooted for him every step of the way. This book will stay with you.
—Bianca Rae, Journalist

Despite growing up in a strict home while wrestling with his own queer identity and braving time in a mental hospital, sex work, and addiction, Scott never wavers. His courage to continue his quest for belonging is the beam of inspiration that makes this memoir intimate, comforting, and thought-provoking.
— Abby McCabe, Booklist

Scott’s memoir is an inspiration to every queer kid forced to pretend to be someone else to survive. You’ll be cheering for Jesse by the end.
—Amber Fraley, author of “Kansas GenExistential”

Jesse tells the incredible story of coming out when he was only 12 years old and consequently being committed to a mental hospital in 1970 where his fellow inmates were mostly adults. I couldn’t help but picture Jesse as an unlikely character in “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.”
—Rachel O’Sullivan, retired military journalist

Jesse and his biological brother Lee were adopted as children and led challenging lives—from a stint in a mental institution to sex work and addiction. After 50 years of looking for his birth parents, the technology of DNA and social media, plus a hearty tenacity, help solve the mystery of his birth, while creating new questions.

A story of survival told with humor, courage, and unsparing honesty. Reminiscent of Chris Rush’s The Light Years, Scott’s memoir is a triumph of the human spirit, offering hope to anyone who’s ever had to fight to be themselves.