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Strong Female Character

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Strong Female Character

By: Fern Brady
Narrated by: Fern Brady
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BRITISH BOOK OF THE YEAR: AUDIOBOOK WINNER 2024

Fern Brady was told she couldn't be autistic because she's had loads of boyfriends and is good at eye contact. This 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.

(p) 2023 Octopus Publishing Group©2023 Fern Brady Gender Studies Psychology & Mental Health Social Sciences
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Critics' reviews

Of course it's funny - it's Fern Brady - but this book is also deeply moving and eye-opening (ADAM KAY)
It made me laugh out loud and broke my heart and made me weep...I hope absolutely everyone reads this, and it makes them kinder and more curious about the way we all live (DAISY BUCHANAN)
Glorious. Frank but nuanced, a memoir that doesn't sacrifice voice or self-awareness. And it has brilliant things to say about being autistic and being funny (ELLE MCNICOLL)
Fern is a brilliant, beautiful writer with a unique voice and even more unique story. Astute, honest and very, very funny. (LOU SANDERS)
So funny and brilliant (HOLLY SMALE)
An absolute riot. I'm literally going to read it again once I've finished, and I'm a miserable bastard...it's a belter (FRANKIE BOYLE)
Fern Brady's book is alive in your hands. Brave doesn't cover it and I'm not sure what will. Fizzing with intelligence, it will hit you in the heart, lungs and liver. You'll laugh, cry, be still and if you're not autistic - by god you'll learn. If you are autistic you'll be seen, heard, held, rocked and loved here. A set text for all of us in 2023
Strong Female Character is a testament to the importance of self-knowledge. Fern Brady is a natural and engaging writer, weaving bleak episodes with moments of pure comedy as she re-appraises crucial moments in her life through the lens of her autism diagnosis. Brutal honesty and a talent for storytelling combine to make an insightful memoir that's not only very funny, but will no doubt provide invaluable moments of recognition for many readers.
Witty, dry, and gimlet-eyed, Strong Female Character is a necessary corrective. Brady offers a compelling, messy, highly resonant portrait of what masked Autism feels like
This Bathgate girl has more jaw-dropping tales to share than your average comedian-cum-author could hope to harvest in a lifetime. Perhaps more of us ought to grapple with our own mortality if it births something so bold as Strong Female Character.
Strong Female Character will reassure fellow autistic folk that they are not alone
Shocking and incredibly moving - and it will make you laugh at subjects that you didn't think you possibly could
A brutal, funny and heartbreaking memoir. The pace is brisk and her deadpan humour makes the darkest material hilariously funny. (Marianne Power)
Brilliant! (Sarah Atkinson, CEO Social Mobility Foundation)
This very personal account of bullying, stripping, homelessness and stand-up is shocking and incredibly moving - and will make you laugh at subjects that you didn't realise could be funny. (Kirsty McLuckie)
[Brady] brings unsparing wit to a memoir that calls out the bulls--t in every culture she's experienced. (Helen Brown)
All stars
Most relevant
Educational, emotional, and I couldn't put it down. Very grateful that this book exists - Fern opens up about life as an autistic woman, with nothing hidden or rose tinted.

Insightful

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Fern Brady doesn't hold back in her book. She describes the autistic experience in a very authentic way. As someone who has similar experiences this audiobook was at times very intense emotionally, I absolutely recommend it

Raw insight into life as an autistic woman

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I had to remind myself that I asked permission of the author to listen to this book it's very intimate without being sensitive. I'm very personal matter of fact account. Very eye-opening.

Eyeopening and entertaining

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Listening to Fern has been a funny, painful, educational and important 6 hours or so and im grateful for her honesty. She is incredible.

Sincere and no holds barred

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Even though my autistic experience differs to Fern’s in many ways, I felt so seen and connected and kindred with her. I’ve been a fan of hers ever since I first came across a standup clip on YouTube and I’m regularly rewatching her content because I love her humor and vulnerability

I feel so seen

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