#1 New Release
in its category on Amazon
How one special needs boy
taught his father about
love, God and everything else.
“One of those rare writers whose voice you simply want to listen to.”
Every incident, each detail, is graced and elevated with a kind of loving, attentive prose. So, you want to hear his stories, his anecdotes, his exquisite metaphors — you don’t much care what he is writing about, because you feel that his writing about it will make it worth your while to pay attention; and that, quite possibly, if you pay attention well enough, you might learn something about how better to live your life in this mad, confusing, painful, yet wonderful world.. Read more…
Lee R. Cerling, Associate Professor, Business Communications, USC
“A magical foray into the wonder of boyhood that leaves you tear-stained and cheering.”
With honesty and laugh out loud humor, Johnny Bollow draws you into the rawness of loss and wonder of the miraculous. Throughout a tale that spans three generations, he writes with stark vibrance, each chapter echoing with sounds and sensations, color and texture. I was fully immersed, and imprinted with wild hope and a burning desire to love everyone dear to me with a deeper, truer love. Read more…
Susan Reedy, MA, autism specialist, marriage & family therapist
“Masterful storytelling, humor and honesty that lets parents know they are not alone on their journey.”
As a pastor, my observation is that parents of kids with special needs often feel isolated and forgotten by God. Johnny Bollow’s book is a breath of fresh air to lonely parents. He is not afraid to ask the difficult questions. And his masterful storytelling, humor and honesty lets them know that they are not alone on their journey. Read more…
Rev. Julie Ono, family car pastor, Evergreen Baptist Church of Los Angeles
“Dear reader, just a simple request. Take off your sandals, for you stand on holy ground.”
You will laugh. You will cry. You will shake your head in amazement. But most of all, you will walk into the rest of your life inspired to face whatever your particular challenges with grace, integrity and bravery.
Timothy J. Patterson, MFT, marriage and family therapist
“Reveals the holiness and the humility of parenting, wrapped in lamentation and hope.”
James N. Sells, Ph.D., Regent University
The Rosemarie Scotti Hughes Endowed Chair of Christian Thought in Mental Health Practices
“The voices of the heavenly Father and an earthly father in a poetic literary weaving.”
Each voice holds wisdom that guides the author as he navigates the frightening landscape of his son’s debilitating medical affliction. But ultimately, the beauty of “Remember, You’re the Greatest” lies in the author’s vulnerability. We are invited into intimate moments. We see him gain courage from the tender strength of his wife, the innocence of his children, and most poignantly, the quiet, steady, loving voice of his father — and his God.
Juli Chandler Chaffee, MSW, LCSW
the healing power of a special needs child
After three years of trying some of the most powerful drugs this side of chemo, it looks like Johnny’s young son, Sam, will finally be cured of epilepsy. But even as a new experimental therapy brings calm to Sam’s body it becomes clear to Johnny and his wife that they have a son who has been forever changed by this mysterious illness.
What special needs moms and dads are saying about “Remember, You're the Greatest”
“Gave the inner thoughts in the recesses of my soul permission to come out, and be real, acknowledged, grieved — and pursued by love.”
As a mom of a child with special needs, this story inspires me to continue to look for the unexpected ways in which my sweet boy is trying to tell me what his world is like. More stories like this need to be told not just for a parent like me, but for the communities around us.
Laura Gossman, mother of a child with autism
“Fans of Anne Lamott, Garrison Keillor or John Irving, this is for you: an inspiring true story that's funny, touching, and a pure delight to read.”
“Remember, You’re The Greatest” is a much needed change in perspective for dads like me with special needs kids who find themselves in the deep end, paddling just to stay afloat. Stuffed with yearning and humor, heartbreak and triumph, this is simply storytelling at its peak: a book that can bring tears to your eyes and then, in the next moment, have you laughing out loud. Johnny’s stories unfold a profound roadmap for facing some of the darkest trials of fatherhood with humility and hope.
Marc Elmer, father of a child with autism
“A beautifully written memoir about faith and fatherhood. An amazing must-read about the power of God and the resilience of the human spirit.”
Janell McClain, parent of a special needs child
“I cried tears of hope.”
Every line of Johnny’s book is poetic and profound, from the first to the last. Johnny’s honesty, frustrations, joys, spiritual insights, and above all, his love for his son, Sam, come through. If you’re a parent like myself of a special needs child, read this book. But be advised, have tissues on hand. I cried, a lot. Tears of pain, joy, revelation and love, but mostly tears of hope.
Steve Trapero, father of a child with autism
stories from the greatest generation, speaking wisdom today
As my son’s condition grew worse, stories and sayings of my father kept coming back to me — and none more powerful than: “Remember, as you go through life, you’re the greatest.” He said it to us kids when dropping us off at a friend’s house, when moving the last box into my college dorm room, or seeing me off at the airport. From my earliest memory till his passing, it was his constant refrain. But he never said it after some accomplishment. Never explained it. And as Sam’s epilepsy regressed into mysterious, heartbreaking behavior for which there were no answers, Dad’s blessing gnawed at me. I, too, had said it to Sam, but did I believe it? Dad’s benediction became a troubling proposition: how can someone so broken be great? Even as days became a waking nightmare, memories of my father haunted me with hope. I took notes, asked questions of God, and put down on paper this still-unfolding story that has changed my life forever.
