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Strong Female Character
Strong Female Character | Fern Brady
INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER - "Witty, dry, and gimlet-eyed, this is a necessary corrective in a world where Autistic women are all either written off as quiet and docile, or erased entirely." --Devon Price, Ph.D., author of Unmasking Autism Scottish comedian Fern Brady was told she couldn't be autistic because she'd had loads of boyfriends and is good at eye contact. In this frank and surreal memoir, she delivers a sharp and often hilarious portrait of neurodivergence and living unmasked. After reading about autism in her teens, Fern Brady knew instinctively that she had it--autism explained her sensory issues, her meltdowns, her inability to pick up on social cues--and she told her doctor as much. But it took until she was thirty-four for her to get diagnosed. Strong Female Character is about the years in between, and the unique combination of sexism and ableism that so often prevents autistic women from getting diagnosed until adulthood. Coming from a working-class Scottish Catholic family, Fern wasn't exactly poised to receive an open-minded acceptance of her neurodivergence. With the piercing clarity and wit that has put her at the top of the British comedy scene, she now reflects on the ways her undiagnosed autism influenced her youth, from the tree that functioned as her childhood best friend to the psychiatric facility where she ended up when neither her parents nor school knew what to do with her. In a memoir as hilarious as it is heartbreaking, Fern leaves no stone unturned while detailing her futile attempts at employment, her increasingly destructive coping mechanisms, and the meltdowns that left her mind (and apartment) in ruins. Her chaotic, nonlinear journey--from stripping to getting arrested to finding a lifeline in comedy to her breakout appearance on the Taskmaster TV show as her full, unmasked self--is both a remarkable coming-of-age tale and a dark but poignant tribute to life at the intersection of womanhood and neurodiversity. Strong Female Character is a story of how being female can get in the way of being autistic and how being autistic gets in the way of being the 'right kind' of woman.
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TheKidUpstairs
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"Arguably, men made me hate men. Stripping just let me see them at their most men-ish"

lil1inblue I love this quote. 👌 6d
52 likes1 comment
blurb
Connster
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- Weekend away in London was awesome! Absolutely knackered now though - I think it will take me several more days to recover.

-Tagged book: I appreciate the term “lezzing off” so much 😂

- Bath bomb was another LushxMinecraft collab: Diamond Ore. These are so well done…I love how they look, smell and feel. #bathbomb #minecraft #london #lush

blurb
Connster
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I‘ve been away from Litsy for two years and could not believe it had been so long when I just logged in and checked my last post. Reading fell by the wayside as I went through what I suppose is semi-retirement due to health stuff. I have no idea what I‘ve filled my time with, but it hasn‘t been productive in any meaningful way. I‘m okay though. I think.

Bath bomb is from the MinecraftxLush collab. #minecraft #bathbomb #bathing #relaxation

MidnightBookGirl Welcome back! I've been out of the Litsy game for almost a year, and it's nice to be back. 3w
Bookwormjillk Welcome back! 3w
AmyG Welcome back. And let me say…that is one creepy bath bomb. 3w
See All 10 Comments
julesG Welcome back! That bath bomb is creepy, especially since I'm currently watching Dexter. 🩸🩸 3w
Librarybelle Welcome back! 3w
Ruthiella Welcome back! 😃 3w
Chrissyreadit Welcome back! 3w
Connster @MidnightBookGirl Thank you! Welcome back to you too. I agree, it is so nice to be back! 2w
Connster @AmyG Haha! It is! It smelled delightful though! 2w
Connster @julesG Haha! It did look like a scene from Dexter/a horror movie! Smelled fantastic though! 2w
18 likes10 comments
review
HeatherBookNerd
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Pickpick

After a truly challenging childhood and adolescence, plagued with symptoms and struggles that go undiagnosed and misdiagnosed, Brady is finally diagnosed with autism as an adult. She endured years of frustrating and painful experiences for lack of appropriate care. Autism can present differently in women; help is hard to find and often delayed. Brady shares her own journey so candidly. It‘s hard, intense, but good.

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psalva
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Pickpick

It‘s always difficult to review memoirs. This one falls into the category intense revolutionary openness. I love Fern Brady‘s comedy, and I‘m grateful to the show Taskmaster for introducing me to her. This book, sprinkled with humor, shines most brightly for me in the passages about the hypocrisies of social constructs. ⬇️

psalva I‘m on my own journey learning about ASD, and the twists and turns of her life, particularly her college years, resonated with me deeply. I would caution that this isn‘t an easy read with a feel-good ending. In other words, it‘s very human. I am glad I picked this up. 5mo
dabbe 🖤🐾🖤 5mo
16 likes2 comments
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andrew61
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Pickpick

Told with brutal honesty + dark humour, comedian Fern Brady considers her troubled life so far, having received as an adult diagnosis of autism. For many adolescent girls with autism they are often labelled difficult, angry, or promiscuous when their diagnosis would have helped both the individual + their families and teachers. I found this book both funny and sad, the comedy masks experiences which must have been very painful. A brilliant memoir.

kspenmoll Stacked! 7mo
youneverarrived Great review! I liked it too. 7mo
48 likes1 stack add2 comments
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arlenefinnigan
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Pickpick

This is a brilliant memoir and a brutally honest insight into Fern Brady's experience as an autistic woman. I hope the snobby posh bastards who she went to uni with read this and feel inferior and shit. Definitely recommend listening to it on audiobook.

Bookwomble ❤️ Fern. She was brilliant on Taskmaster and her Netflix show is hilarious. 7mo
arlenefinnigan @Bookwomble she's hilarious, I love her. 7mo
27 likes1 stack add2 comments
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jdiehr
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Pickpick

I had never heard of Fern Brady before but was intrigued to read this memoir about her life with autism and not getting a diagnosis until she was in her thirties.

Her story is eye-opening, brutally honest, and helpful in explaining autism to people (like me) who don't know much about it.

Her Scottish accent took me a minute to get used to, but the audiobook was great. I always like when people narrate their own stories.

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arlenefinnigan
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Next up

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nonbinaryandbitter
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Pickpick

This was an incredible book. Fern details at length her personal experience with late diagnosed autism and her narration is incredible. I barely put it down.

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quietlycuriouskate
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Mehso-so

I'm not familiar with FB's stand-up (and haven't a clue what Taskmaster is). This was yet another of my autism memoirs. Maybe I didn't get the joke but this struck me as unrelentingly bleak, and frequently alarming. It is important to share the experience of non-posh ND women, and kudos to her for being so open on the subject of meltdowns. Wish I could say I loved it but, ironically, it left me feeling overwhelmed (and not in a good way). 😩

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charl08
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In one workplace, the boss walked around at 5pm every day smiling and telling everyone, ‘Please, go home! Get your dinner! Relax!‘ Obediently, I‘d get up and leave, wondering why no one was listening to him and had their heads in their hands as they continued to look at emails.

‘You‘re not supposed to actually get up and go home,‘ my colleague whispered to me one evening after he‘d left. ‘He just likes saying that ‘cause it makes him look good.‘

51 likes1 stack add
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youneverarrived
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Pickpick

Fern Brady is diagnosed with autism as an adult & this memoir details her childhood & young adult years as someone with autism but undiagnosed - she was treated by her parents, school & people in authority as someone who was just badly behaved. Although she related to a lot of the characteristics & said to health professionals she thought she was autistic it was ignored. I loved the insight, the humour & the little bits of research & statistics.

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jamield1911
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Pickpick

Memoir of the year. Hands down.

I had no idea who Fern Brady was, but I fell in love with her honesty & bravery during this. I've never read a book where I laughed, cringed, & teared up in equal measures. It was devastating to see the treatment she received as a child & young adult without her autism diagnosis. I'm so pleased she fought for her diagnosis & has become a badass role model for those on the spectrum. 11/10 ⭐️

In my top 3 of 2023. 👏

19 likes1 stack add
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Oryx
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Pickpick

Superb. I can't recommend this enough. I learned so much from it.

squirrelbrain Great! Glad it was good - stacking now. 1y
TrishB Will have to read very soon now! 1y
Caroline2 Oh good! I‘ve have this on my kindle, I‘ll move it up the pile. 😉 1y
58 likes3 stack adds3 comments
blurb
Oryx
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My book haul today (plus Julia and the Shark and a picture book for my nieces). @trishb @squirrelbrain

TrishB Lovely choices ♥️ 1y
squirrelbrain ❤️❤️❤️ 1y
Bookwomble Fern Brady was amazing on Taskmaster ❤️ 1y
51 likes3 comments
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BeeMagical
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Pickpick

Book 140📚 3.7⭐️

A completely raw look at what is like to be an autistic woman growing up undiagnosed.

Fern has been through a lot over the years and has channeled that into her flourishing comedy career.

While I couldn‘t relate to some of her stories, it showed just how different individuals on the spectrum can be.

Very powerful🖤

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BeeMagical
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Yes, Fern… YES.

I felt this so much.

Last month I was diagnosed with Autism, and a few other Neurospicy labels… It‘s been a ride learning about myself again and reading others journey through their diagnosis has been a revelation.

Time to not feel so “alone”❤️‍🔥

fredthemoose I love the term “neurospicy”! Glad you are feeling seen through the book! 1y
Yuki_Onna 👏🤗 Sending love, Bunny! You're the best! 1y
BeeMagical @fredthemoose thank you! Fern doesn‘t hold back and I love it. 1y
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BeeMagical @Yuki_Onna Thank you Bunny!!!❤️🥰 appreciate you so much! 1y
Yuki_Onna Same to you, Bee!🥰 1y
Yuki_Onna And while I'm not all that familiar with most Neurospicy conditions (apart from ADHS, which is prevalent in my family), having had to deal with - as it now turns out several - mental health issues, I can relate to that quote as well. You're not alone, Bee!💗 1y
LiteraryinPA Thanks for sharing this! 💗💗 1y
BeeMagical @Yuki_Onna Bunny, thank you💕💕 1y
28 likes8 comments
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Cazxxx
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Pickpick

Fern Brady is Scottish comedian and her humour really comes across in this memoir. As a woman with autism she gives us all the awful, sad and truly maddening ways she was treated while growing up, all with a very witty and dry sense of humour. She doesn‘t hold anything back and really makes us feel for her while at the same time wanting to hang out with her. I loved this memoir and I learned a lot from it
4 ⭐️

TrishB Just got this week 👍🏻 2y
Cazxxx @TrishB It‘s a good one. Hope you enjoy 😊 2y
Bookwomble She was fantastic on Taskmaster 😊 2y
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Cazxxx @Bookwomble What‘s that? 2y
Bookwomble @Cazxxx Sorry, I'm being Anglocentric and assuming everybody watches the same TV. Taskmaster is a celebrity gameshow in which five comedians do silly tasks over several weeks in order to win a fake gold bust of the Taskmaster, comedian Greg Davis. It's hilarious, and Fern was both funny and endearing on it. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taskmaster_(TV_series) 2y
Cazxxx @Bookwomble I don‘t have a tv so I‘m often lost when people are talking about shows 😂 I didn‘t even know who Fern was before starting the book. That show sounds like fun and Greg is a funny guy! 2y
40 likes5 stack adds6 comments