08/05/2026
Great and Unfortunate Things by Jason Arday is now in stock! Diagnosed with non-verbal autism and developmental delays at the age of three, with the presumption of life-long institutionalization, Arday is now the youngest black professor at Cambridge University.
As the parent of a late talker, I related to Arday's mother after his very harsh diagnosis*. What I found fascinating in Arday's description of what it's like to be autistic, as well as the (autistic) things he continues to do to this day that are enjoyable. And then there's his mother, who may not be an educated woman, but was certainly the authority on her eldest child.
Great and Unfortunate Things is a compact, fast, and well written memoir that gives great insight not only into what autism can be like, but into what parenting an autistic child can be like. And it's funny, without being self-deprecating!
"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 unimaginable 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."
*Times have changed, and of course this takes place in England, where a doctor's bedside manner can be about as pleasant as a brick in the face
