Late Bloomer: How an Autism Diagnosis Changed My Life by Clem Bastow

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


In this memoir, Clem Bastow analyses various aspects of her life in light of the autism diagnosis she received at 36, from her romantic relationships, to her special interests, to her education. Many of these topics are very familiar to the accounts of autistic people who were diagnosed as adults; however, they are told here with skillful writing, meaning that at no point do they feel like tropes.

One of the ways Bastow reviews her life is examining her romantic relationships in light of her diagnosis. She identified a pattern whereby masking (extensively modifying her intuitive behaviour in light of perceived social norms) made her vulnerable to abusive relationships. In this way, she describes the diagnostic process as being very helpful to improving her standard of life.

Bastow's lifestyle was unorthodox, including working irregular hours and regularly moving. However, for me, the most pleasurable part of the book was the joy she takes in her special interests (subjects that she hyper focuses on and knows a lot of detail about). Topics such as the Ghostbuster films, different foodstuffs, music, and sparkly objects, are described with delightful aplomb. Despite the difficulties Bastow faced in her life, she gives every sense that it has been full and well lived. (As an aside, the book cover is fantastically designed, and is entirely suited to her love of colour).

I'm never quite sure what 'being who you really are' means; this is a theme that Bastow mentions several times without elucidating with much clarity. Nevertheless, on her account, her diagnosis clearly helped her, and this memoir explores the themes that dominated her life with passion and verve in a way that makes it a delight to read.



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