Some Stories Wait a Lifetime to Be Told

.For most of his life, Johnny Chanaca carried questions about who he was, where he came from, and where he truly belonged. His journey would take him through loss, war, family, faith, and love—until he finally discovered that he had never been walking alone.

The Day That Everything Changed

For seventeen years, Johnny believed he knew who he was. Then three men appeared after a basketball game—and told him they were his brothers. That night, the life he thought he knew began to unravel

Born in 1922, Johnny Chanaca lost his mother before he could remember her. His father returned to Greece. The family he was born into disappeared from his life, and Johnny grew up believing he was someone else.

What followed was a remarkable journey through hardship, war, brotherhood, marriage, fatherhood, faith, and ultimately redemption.

Pursued by Love: A Greek Odyssey is the novelized true story of my father—a man who spent much of his life wondering where he belonged, only to discover that love had been pursuing him all along.

A Boy Who Never Knew He Was Loved

Johnny's mother died when he was still a baby. His father returned to Greece with Johnny's four older siblings, leaving him behind in America.

He grew up in other people's homes, under another family's name—Johnny Schute—never knowing the truth about who he was.

And through years of loss, hardship, and questions he could not answer, one longing remained:

Where do I belong?

COMING SOON

A Story of a Man's Family, Faith, and Redemption

A novelized true story by Dr. John Chanaca

Inspired by a remarkable true family story, Pursued by Love: A Greek Odyssey follows a boy raised under another name through loss, family reunion, World War II, enduring love, fatherhood, and faith as he spends a lifetime searching for the place he truly belongs.

You've Met Johnny. Now Read Where His Story Begins

Join the Pursued by Love Early Access List and receive Chapter One free—along with behind-the-story glimpses and first notice when the book is released.

▶ Watch Johnny & Shirley’s Story
Click or tap the beach image to watch this special scene from Pursued by Love.