The Great Read: He Died at a School for Disabled People. Decades Later, His Brother Sought Answers.
John Scott was rarely spoken of in his family after he was placed in an institution. After a half-century, his youngest brother set out to learn who he was and what happened to him.
The New York Times
The Great Read

November 12, 2025, 2:00 p.m. Eastern time

On weekdays and Sundays, we recommend one piece of exceptional writing from The Times — a narrative or essay that takes you someplace you might not expect to go.

Old black-and-white photographs show members of a family in various settings.

Lucy Lu for The New York Times

He Died at a School for Disabled People. Decades Later, His Brother Sought Answers.

John Scott was rarely spoken of in his family after he was placed in an institution. After a half-century, his youngest brother set out to learn who he was and what happened to him.

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