What if everything you believed about your childhood turned out to be only half the story?

Rich had been talking to me about the book he wanted to write for what seemed like a very long time. Recently, the improvements in audio transcription software made it possible for him finally get it done. As he describes it:

“For ten years I tried (and failed) to write this book, until a good friend told me to just do what I do for a living. Talk. Tell the story into a microphone. And transcribe it later. So that’s what I did.”

So, veteran broadcaster Rich Boerner had his audiobook “in the can” before he had a manuscript. The story goes:

When he boarded a flight to New York, it wasn’t just to mourn his mother—it was to unearth the truth about his entire life. He takes his audience on a heart-stirring and often hilarious journey through grief, memory, and stunning personal revelation. What begins as a bittersweet mission to clean out his late mother’s apartment quickly transforms into a life-redefining odyssey, as long-buried family secrets begin to rise to the surface—one box, one drawer, one photo at a time.

The Not-So Only Child: My True Story by Rich Boerner (YourStorybyYou.com).

Told with warmth, self-deprecating humor, and unflinching honesty, Rich revisits his childhood as a self-proclaimed only child, raised by a spirited single mother in a cramped Queens apartment. Through deeply personal anecdotes, he shares the tender joys of a mother-son bond steeped in musical theater, baseball games, and private jokes—an oasis of love in his otherwise male-absent world. But when an unexpected discovery reveals his late mother’s secret romance with a long-time coworker, Rich is forced to reconsider everything he thought he knew about his father—and himself.

Rich’s mom shared her enthusiasm for music, dance, and baseball with him. (Book illustrations by Dr. Christopher Zeineh.)

As he navigates the emotional chaos of this revelation, Rich stumbles into something even more unimaginable: a sibling he never knew existed. Through a series of letters, chance emails, and transcontinental phone calls, Rich builds a connection with his newfound sister, a woman who grew up just a few miles—but a whole world—away. Their unfolding relationship adds a new layer to Rich’s journey of self-understanding and familial connection, showing how sometimes the truth we seek arrives decades late, but just in time.

Rich's voice, rooted in his career as a radio professional and audio storyteller, lends a distinct cadence to this memoir—like sitting across from a friend who makes you laugh while breaking your heart. The Not-So Only Child is a celebration of the redemptive power of truth, the resilience of love, and the beautiful, chaotic mess that is family. It reminds us that life doesn’t always give us neat answers—but when it does, they often come wrapped in the most unexpected packages.

About the Author

Rich Boerner is a Webby, NAACP Image, and Broadcast Radio Award-Winning Audio Creator / Producer / Talent whose successful journey has taken him to Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, and Orlando. His resume includes working for and with A-List talent and major networks, including Spotify, Audacy, FOX, and CBS Radio. Rich has also been the voice of several regional and national ad campaigns. Boerner also directed and co-created a film-fest honored web TV series, and as a youth, cohosted the first national Cable TV Pay-Per-View Concert, featuring Ozzie Osbourne.

He’s most proud of, and impressed by, his three children. Grateful to be able to spend his days with his golden-hearted wife.

Finally, as a champion of the underdog, Rich continues to be deeply obsessed with The NY Mets, NY Jets, and LA Clippers.

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