about the book.

Finding Tico is the story of a boy taken from chaos, separated from the only person who knew his beginning, and sent into a world where even his own name disappeared. Raised across continents, with fragments of memory and an ache he couldn’t name, Jay spent years searching for the truth about where he came from and who he was.

The memoir follows his path from surviving child abuse and neglect in Tejarcillos, Costa Rica to his unexpected reunion with his brother nearly two decades later, and the unfolding revelations that he was part of a family far larger and more complex than he imagined. His search led him to eleven siblings, and ultimately, to his youngest sister, the sister whose presence helped him connect the story of his past with the man he had become.

At its core, Finding Tico is about identity, belonging, and reclaiming a life that was never meant to be forgotten.

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This book is dedicated to Jay's parents, who saved his life...twice.