Today dear reader I am on the blog tour for Strong Female Character (Published 11th January 2024) By Fern Brady. A big thank you to the publishers Brazen/Octopus Books. Also to the wonderful Anne for inviting me to take part in the tour, always a pleasure to work with.
Strong Female Character
A summary of my book:
- I'm diagnosed with autism 20 years after telling a doctor I had it.
- My terrible Catholic childhood: I hate my parents etc.
- My friendship with an elderly man who runs the corner shop and is definitely not trying to groom me. I get groomed.
- Homelessness.
- Stripping.
- More stripping but with more nervous breakdowns.
- I hate everyone at uni and live with a psycho etc.
- REDACTED as too spicy.
- After everyone tells me I don't look autistic, I try to cure my autism and get addicted to Xanax.
- REDACTED as too embarrassing.
About the Author
Fern Brady is a woman. She is also autistic. She was born in Scotland (no, not Glasgow). She has no presets for being a 'good woman' - she never hated her body or indulged in messy millennial shame. She now lives out of wedlock in London. She has zero children.
Fern's caustic wit, exceptional writing and electric stage craft has made her one of the UK's hottest comedy stars. As seen on Live from the BBC, Live from the Comedy Store, The Russell Howard Hour, and Live at the Apollo. She's had viral success with her BBC Life Lessons and supported Frankie Boyle and Katherine Ryan on tour. She can currently be seen on Taskmaster on Channel 4.
My Review
Be ready dear reader to hear a brutally honest account of life with autism. Like a lot of things in this world, we are often told a vague outline of what a diagnosis is without actually understanding what it entirely means. Strong Female Character is Brady's memoir and it's bloody brilliant.
Brady grew up in Bathgate, Scotland and was told over and over that she was very, very clever but also very, very bad. As a child she spent a lot of time alone as she didn't know how to talk to other children. She always found it a struggle to socialise as she got older. Any attempt she made to fit in only pushed her further and further away, making her seem weird and odd. Brady writes with a vulnerability as she shares her memories of being bullied over having an accident, kids calling her names and making friends with a tree. Brady turns her attention to books and learning, she finds a love in languages. At 15 she first got depressed and hated being around her family as they were too noisy. She would have to calm herself down in the evenings by punching her bedroom wall repeatedly or spend hours in her rocking chair. She takes everything people say at face value which can land her in awkward situations. As an adult she attends university and explores her sexuality. I was immersed in Brady's memoir, she shows the rough, gritty, not so glamorous side of university life. She is forced to take to stripping as she needs money to survive. I am also curious about the real side to strip clubs and think the public need to see the reality of that lifestyle.
This book is fascinating, to experience and learn more about autism, a life that most of us are unaware of is a wide awaking. How everyday things can appear ok to us like bright lights and loud noises but to others it's a torment. I hate the word "normal" as what is normal? Who defined the word normal to class it as normal? I believe we all think and see things in our own unique way and what's more beautiful than that? I think we need to be constantly educating ourselves to the way our minds work, we are not all the same and that is truly a wonderful thing.
I felt such a righteous fury as no one questions Brady's behaviour and put it down to her being annoying. If she had been diagnosed sooner she would have got the help and support she needed. Brady considers approaching a GP multiple times, but always convinces herself she was too busy. When she does tell a psychiatrist that she thinks she has Asperger's he tells her that she doesn't fit the criteria because she makes eye contact and has had boyfriends. I mean, really dear reader? How are these professionals qualified?
I give Strong Female Character By Fern Brady a Five out of Five paw rating
A powerful, witty and honest memoir that exposes itself in all its glory for the world to see.
Brady shows but a glimpse to what it is like being autistic. It's complex and she best describes it as when you have been on a night out and got blackout drunk and the next day your friends are laughing at all the stupid stuff you did, that's what it feels like. But there's no excuses for your behaviour and no one is laughing. Brady scratches her arms after people touch her and smashes up her stuff at home. The reader can feel Brady's frustration raging off the pages as she longs for someone, anyone to understand what she is going through.
I highly recommend that everyone should read this book! If not for Brady's outlandish humour and no nonsense view on the world, then to educate themselves on what it is like to have autism.
Don't forget to follow the rest of the blog tour, dates below, enjoy!
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