Can you believe this was my first ever audiobook?! What a way to start. When I saw that Fern Brady had written a book about her autism diagnosis and that she’d be reading it, I was all in.
This is a gritty and unflinching memoir about growing up an autistic woman, not knowing it, but sort of knowing something is going on, and how you eventually might get answers about yourself. Fern is incredibly candid about things like meltdowns and dysregulation and brings her honest and sometimes comic perspective to very real issues surrounding autism in women and girls and non-male presenting and non-binary people.
Fern’s descriptions of her young life in Scotland, the comedy circuit, relationships, retail jobs, stripping, nights out, fights, Edinburgh university cliques etc feel so beautifully detailed and observant. There’s so many wild tales and stories and Fern’s charm really pulls you along for the ride. It’s also an interesting book about growing up in Scotland and the Scottish identity on some level.
She’s an incredible likeable and interesting character as she lets you into her way of thinking. I admire the confidence and clear headedness shown here, even when it’s met with bafflement or rejection. She’s really good at “showing the maths” behind her own thoughts and showing up societal norms or expectations. You definitely need that sometimes.
It’s a funny and charming read at times, but Fern also doesn’t shy away from the dark stuff. There’s also some salient points about how autism is mishandled and misunderstood.
Fern is also candid about her own struggles post-diagnosis.
I admire Fern’s spirit, confidence, and honesty, and I think this is an important book. It gets its point across without being boring or preachy.
We should all have more empathy for each other.
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