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Review Quotes:
"I love a good story! As a journalist, storytelling's goal is to both move and inform. Arday's story is as riveting and moving as they come. Jason's efforts to overcome obstacles presented by his neurodivergence are movingly matched only by his mother's extraordinary efforts to work with his differences not against them, to see the humanity where others chose to see an inky diagnosis."
-- Michelle Miller, New York Times bestselling author of Belonging: A Daughter's Search for Identity Through Loss and Love
"Arday's cinematic story from being nonverbal to becoming one of the youngest professors ever at Cambridge makes you believe in the transformative power of grit and the magic of a mother's love. A most inspiring book."
--Chris Gardner, New York Times bestselling author of The Pursuit of Happyness
"Some lives are changed by talent. Others are changed by love that refuses to let go. In
Great and Unfortunate Things, Jason Arday tells a story of resilience, dignity, and the extraordinary power of those who hold steady for us when we cannot yet hold steady for ourselves. This is a beautiful and unforgettable book." --
Steve Pemberton, USA Today best-selling author of A Chance in the World
"This is a remarkable portrait of an astonishing life. Great and Unfortunate Things takes us on a spectacular journey of trial and transformation, offering crucial insight into the realities of neurodivergence, told by an author who changed the shape of his life through sheer will. Above all, this memoir is a poignant tribute to fearless mothers like Arday's, whose love, education, and unshakable belief in their children will always make mountains move."
--Safiya Sinclair, international bestselling author of How to Say Babylon
"As the mother of a child on the spectrum, I was reminded once again that there is nothing more fierce than a parent's determination to see her child get the services and attention he deserves; nothing more inspiring than a stranger with nothing to gain who asks How can I help? and nothing more empowering than intervention combined with positivity, love, and grit. Read this book and prepare to be inspired."
--Holly Robinson Peete, actress, autism advocate, and author of Same but Different: Teen Life on the Autism Express
Biographical Note:
Professor Jason Arday is a social commentator, presenter, and public speaker. He is currently the Professorial Chair of Education (Sociology of Education) at the University of Cambridge, making him the youngest-ever Black academic to hold a Professorship at Cambridge and one of the youngest academics ever appointed to a Professorial Chair in Oxbridge's one-thousand-year history.
Publisher Marketing:
With the power of Educated and the emotional sweep of When Breath Becomes Air, this inspiring underdog story follows a nonverbal autistic boy--whom society had all but given up on--as he finds his voice, literally and figuratively, becomes one of the youngest professors in the University of Cambridge's history, and ultimately puts himself in a position to give back.
Jason Arday grew up in a lively corner of South London as the second youngest of three boys. He was diagnosed with autism and developmental delays at age three, and experts told his parents he would never speak, write, or live independently--and should be institutionalized.
His parents refused. Instead, his extraordinary mother, Giff, drawing on her faith and thinking outside the box, embraced his neurodivergence and devoted herself to helping him realize a potential few others believed possible--using everything from the proverbs of her West African culture to music, sports, and film to help him make sense of the world.
In
Great and Unfortunate Things, we see how Arday went from being nonverbal as a child and illiterate until he was eighteen to scaling unimag-inable heights as an adult. Without romanticizing the struggle, this is a story of determination against seemingly insurmountable odds--and of a family and a small group of believers whose compassion helped him see what is possible.
A powerful story for our moment, Arday's journey is a testament to resilience, dignity, and the life-changing force of community in action.
Review Citations:
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Publishers Weekly 05/25/2026 (EAN 9781668085578, Hardcover)
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Kirkus Reviews 06/15/2026 (EAN 9781668085578, Hardcover)
Contributor Bio:Arday, Jason
Professor Jason Arday is a social commentator, presenter, and public speaker. He is currently the Professorial Chair of Education (Sociology of Education) at the University of Cambridge, making him the youngest-ever Black academic to hold a Professorship at Cambridge and one of the youngest academics ever appointed to a Professorial Chair in Oxbridge's one-thousand-year history.
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