Jesse Rene Gibbs, author of Girl Hidden, is now in plain sight having published her heart wrenching memoir that details an upbringing so unbelievable that even the most resilient among us will find it disturbing.
The fact that Jesse lived to tell her story is remarkable. She was born in Rota, Spain, July of 1977, the daughter of Navy officer Dolores Wood, who had had six abortions in the states before Jesse arrived, unwanted. Back in the U.S., her mother put her up for adoption and when that didn’t materialize, Jesse was shuffled off to one of her aunts. Shortly afterwards she was legally adopted by her grandparents who lived in Washington state.
Then Dolores got married, started having a family, and wanted sole custody of Jesse. Jesse’s grandfather complied much to the dismay of her grandmother, and Jesse went to live with the Taylors in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, with her charismatic, narcissist mother and a manipulative stepfather who regularly molested her under the guise of love. When Jesse’s grandmother learned of the abuse, she flew to North Carolina and kidnapped Jesse. A year and half later, Jesse’s mother and a friend abducted seven-year-old Jesse, taking her across state lines and involving the FBI, which lost track of her in the Atlanta airport. At this point in her young life, Jesse suffered memory loss, a trauma response to having been kidnapped a second time.
When the police finally figured out where the Taylors lived and showed up with sirens blaring, Jesse was tossed out a window into a neighbor’s arms and passed around to different houses to keep her hidden for more than two years. Finally, back with the Taylors, she grew up in a purity culture and played the caretaker of her mother and siblings, sacrificing her own emotional well-being and essentially became a martyr, hoping to create a healthier, less toxic home environment.
There were a few magical moments in Jesse’s life in the mountains of North Carolina that she was able to hold onto, which, fortunately, kept her spirit alive: dancing her heart out to the Beach Boys at nine years old and caring for the farm animals, among them.
At nineteen, Jesse escaped to Chicago and ended up at Jesus People USA (JPUSA), a Christian intentional community in Uptown, on the North Side of Chicago, where she lived for twelve years and married one of the residents. Her ten-year marriage to Leonard dissolved in an abusive affair.
Today, Jesse lives happily outside of Seattle, Washington, with her husband whom she met blues dancing. Her best friend, June, who had been through many traumatic years with her, lives close by. Jesse has her own graphic design firm, Esperluette Creative, which focuses on helping real estate agents grow their business and showcase their inventory in unique and innovative ways. When not involved in brand strategies for her clients, Jesse likes to explore other creative outlets including painting. And she still loves to dance!
