Review - Great and Unfortunate Things

Title:  Great and Unfortunate Things

Author:  Jason Arday; Eve Clayton

Publisher:  Ink

Genre:   Memoir

Format:  Kindle ARC

No. of Pages:   288

Date of Publication:   August 11, 2026

My Rating:   5 Stars

DESCRIPTION:

With the power of Educated and the emotional sweep of When Breath Becomes Air, Great and Unfortunate Things is the inspiring, underdog story of how an autistic, non-verbal boy who society had all but given up on found his voice, literally and figuratively, became one of the youngest professors in the University of Cambridge’s history and put himself in a position to give back.

Jason Arday was born the second youngest of three boys and grew up in a colorful and lively section of South London. At three years old, he was diagnosed with autism and development delays. Experts told his parents that he would never be able to speak, write, or live independently. An institution would best serve his needs, it was suggested.

His parents would have none of it. Instead, thinking outside the box and drawing on her faith, his extraordinary mother Giff embraced his neurodivergence and fiercely dedicated herself to helping her son realize a potential few others believed was possible. Giff drew on proverbs from her West African culture, popular music by the likes of Enya, and comedic television shows and movies to help Jason make sense of the world.

In Great and Unfortunate Things, we see how Arday went from being nonverbal until he was eleven and illiterate until eighteen to becoming a professor at Cambridge. Without romanticizing the struggle, it’s a story of a son’s determination against insurmountable odds and how his family and a band of ordinary people with extraordinary compassion joined forces to encourage Jason to believe in himself and maximize his capabilities.

This is the story we need right now, and Arday, who believes in paying it forward, is the kind of figure the world can use more of now more than ever.

Link to purchase the book

MY THOUGHTS:

Jason Arday grew up during a time when autism was still widely misunderstood. Despite what doctors and therapists told his mother, Giff, he defied every expectation placed before him. Raising Jason largely on instinct, Giff understood her nonverbal son in a way no one else could. Jason’s brother is also neurodivergent, and Giff instinctively recognized not only their differences but also their unique gifts. When it came to Jason in particular, she believed in him with a conviction that no one else seemed to share.

It took Jason eleven years to become verbal and another seven years to learn to read and write. Yet this remarkable young man would go on to become the youngest-ever Black academic to hold a professorship at the University of Cambridge, as well as one of the youngest professors to hold a professorial chair at Oxbridge. His achievements are nothing short of extraordinary.

This memoir beautifully illustrates the profound influence Giff had on Jason’s life. It also shines a light on Sandro, a kind Brazilian man who took a chance on Jason and ultimately became both his mentor and his friend. Along the way, others also stepped into Jason’s corner, seeing his potential long before the rest of the world did.

That is not to say Jason’s journey was ever easy. Far from it. Time and again, he faced adversity that could have discouraged even the strongest person. Yet he continued to persevere, overcoming one obstacle after another. This memoir is much more than a recounting of the milestones that brought him to where he is today. It is a story of resilience, determination, and the extraordinary impact of those who believed in him when he needed it most. It is also a testament to how Jason has dedicated his own life to paying that belief forward.

Great and Unfortunate Things has drawn comparisons to Educated by Tara Westover and When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi. Although I have yet to read either of those memoirs, I can certainly understand why the comparisons have been made. Jason Arday’s story of finding his voice, overcoming impossible odds, and becoming the inspiring man he is today is one that will stay with me for a long time.

Many thanks to Ink and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.