Strong Female Character

Nero Book Awards Winner

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Strong Female Character

By: Fern Brady

Narrated by: Fern Brady

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About this listen

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

Mental Health

Neurodiversity

Performing Arts

Psychology

Psychology & Mental Health

Social Sciences

Funny

Inspiring

Thought-Provoking

Witty

Health

Comedy

Gender Studies Mental Health Neurodiversity Performing Arts Psychology Psychology & Mental Health Social Sciences Funny Inspiring Thought-Provoking Witty Health Comedy

Critic 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)

Most relevant

I don’t normally leave reviews but for this book I just had to. I read this in one sitting. It’s rare to find such an honest and open account of an adult woman’s autistic experience, and as an autistic woman myself it’s a life-changing read. Thank you, Fern, from the bottom of my heart for writing this. To anyone reading this review- please read the book. It’s worth it.