About the Book

Are the Kids Okay? describes the life of John Early Stokes. John Stokes wasn't a rich man, he wasn't a famous personality. In fact, by most measures, he was an ordinary guy. But to those who's life he touched, he was so much more. John Stokes was a loving husband, a caring father, a devoted child of God, at his core a very good man, whose humanity and humility endeared him to all who knew him. Born in the deep south during the Jim Crow era of the 1920s, he refused to allow the restrictions of his environment deter him from making the most of what he had, constantly improving himself, and being a positive influence to all who knew him.

John Stokes' impact on his children, especially Leon, his youngest son, is a story for the ages. Teaching the importance of loving and honoring God, hard work, respect for your fellow man, and "doing the right things for the right reasons," John's example inspired them to keep God at the center of their lives, continually pursue their dreams, and strive to do things in a manner that would inspire others and honor God. At the center of it all, they hoped their actions, even more than their achievements, would make their father proud.

Are the Kids Okay? examines the life lessons passed on from an exceptional man to a grateful son. In writing the book, the author pays tribute to a man who was exactly the type of father needed to guide him through life into adulthood, and highlights life lessons that are certainly needed today,