What do you think?
Rate this book
A Girl Called Barney
It's tough to be a single dad. But when Richard Colman adopts his dead sister's daughter, he has no idea how tough life can be.
Richard's girlfriend walks out. His business starts losing clients. And there's something terribly wrong with the little girl.
Her name is Bernadette, but Richard calls her "Barney". It's a word his own father used to use... a barney, a row, a terrible racket. And Barney is well-named – she never stops screaming. She hammers her head on the floor and the walls. She's adorable, but she doesn't sleep. She cannot talk. She won't even respond to her name.
Richard slowly faces the unbearable truth that his little girl is profoundly autistic. And as he prepares for a battle simply to be allowed to keep his child, he's only beginning to find out how tough life can be.
Christopher Stevens, the bestselling author of A REAL BOY, draws on painful and intensely personal experiences of raising his own autistic child, to create this compelling story of a single parent who must come to terms with his beloved little girl's autism.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is a novel. The characters are fictional, though they are very real to me. Many of the events in the story did really happen to my family, following the diagnosis of my younger son with autism. I later wrote a memoir about this intensely emotional and exhausting experience: it was published as A REAL BOY. If you have read this memoir, you might recognise some of the scenes and situations in A GIRL CALLED BARNEY – and if you want to read a strictly factual account, the memoir will better suit your needs.
A GIRL CALLED BARNEY is more dramatic, more tragic and less humorous than the later, non-fiction book. I used the novel to express the darker, more frightening emotions that, in real life, we hardly dare admit that we feel.
Praise for A REAL BOY, Christopher Stevens's factual account of raising his autistic son:
Jane Asher, President of the National Autistic Society
"This wonderfully honest book tells us a great deal, not only about autism, but also about the extraordinary tolerance and unselfishness that is borne out of unequivocal love. At the same time, it reveals some uncomfortable truths about the struggle it takes to access the rights of those with disabilities in our so-called civilized society."
The Sun, 15 Feb 08
"incredibly moving"
Daily Mail, February 26, 2008
Christopher Stevens writes poignantly about life with his autistic son. It's a moving account of the boy's struggle to cope with a world that confuses him - and the extraordinary leap forward that gave them all hope.
Bournemouth Daily Echo, 27th June 08
By turns harrowing, humorous and inspirational.
About the Author
Christopher Stevens has been a senior sub-editor at the Observer for fourteen years and is also the author of Born Brilliant, the acclaimed biography of Kenneth Williams; Masters of Sitcom, a celebration of Galton and Simpson; and Thirty Days Has September, the bestselling reference book on Kindle.
Born Brilliant was shortlisted for a "Sherry", the Sheridan Morley Theatre Biography Prize. It was adapted and broadcast as a Radio Four Book of the Week.
Richard's girlfriend walks out. His business starts losing clients. And there's something terribly wrong with the little girl.
Her name is Bernadette, but Richard calls her "Barney". It's a word his own father used to use... a barney, a row, a terrible racket. And Barney is well-named – she never stops screaming. She hammers her head on the floor and the walls. She's adorable, but she doesn't sleep. She cannot talk. She won't even respond to her name.
Richard slowly faces the unbearable truth that his little girl is profoundly autistic. And as he prepares for a battle simply to be allowed to keep his child, he's only beginning to find out how tough life can be.
Christopher Stevens, the bestselling author of A REAL BOY, draws on painful and intensely personal experiences of raising his own autistic child, to create this compelling story of a single parent who must come to terms with his beloved little girl's autism.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is a novel. The characters are fictional, though they are very real to me. Many of the events in the story did really happen to my family, following the diagnosis of my younger son with autism. I later wrote a memoir about this intensely emotional and exhausting experience: it was published as A REAL BOY. If you have read this memoir, you might recognise some of the scenes and situations in A GIRL CALLED BARNEY – and if you want to read a strictly factual account, the memoir will better suit your needs.
A GIRL CALLED BARNEY is more dramatic, more tragic and less humorous than the later, non-fiction book. I used the novel to express the darker, more frightening emotions that, in real life, we hardly dare admit that we feel.
Praise for A REAL BOY, Christopher Stevens's factual account of raising his autistic son:
Jane Asher, President of the National Autistic Society
"This wonderfully honest book tells us a great deal, not only about autism, but also about the extraordinary tolerance and unselfishness that is borne out of unequivocal love. At the same time, it reveals some uncomfortable truths about the struggle it takes to access the rights of those with disabilities in our so-called civilized society."
The Sun, 15 Feb 08
"incredibly moving"
Daily Mail, February 26, 2008
Christopher Stevens writes poignantly about life with his autistic son. It's a moving account of the boy's struggle to cope with a world that confuses him - and the extraordinary leap forward that gave them all hope.
Bournemouth Daily Echo, 27th June 08
By turns harrowing, humorous and inspirational.
About the Author
Christopher Stevens has been a senior sub-editor at the Observer for fourteen years and is also the author of Born Brilliant, the acclaimed biography of Kenneth Williams; Masters of Sitcom, a celebration of Galton and Simpson; and Thirty Days Has September, the bestselling reference book on Kindle.
Born Brilliant was shortlisted for a "Sherry", the Sheridan Morley Theatre Biography Prize. It was adapted and broadcast as a Radio Four Book of the Week.
388 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 28, 2011
13 people are currently reading
66 people want to read
About the author
Christopher Stevens
67 books11 followersChristopher Stevens is a widely published writer and journalist. His biography of Kenneth Williams, Born Brilliant, was abridged as a Radio Four Book of the Week, and shortlisted for the Sheridan Morley Theatre Biography prize. His celebration of the fathers of classic sitcom, Galton & Simpson, was launched at the National Theatre on London's South Bank and led to the premiere performance of a lost comedy masterpiece, The Day Off, which he discovered.
His memoir, A Real Boy, was hailed as "incredibly moving" by the Sun. For the past 15 years, Christopher Stevens has been a senior sub-editor at the Observer, Britain's oldest and most respected Sunday newspaper. He has also written for newspapers and magazines from Hello! to the Telegraph, and been interviewed more than 50 times for television and radio about his books, including keynote appearances on NPR and CNN. - from book bio.
His memoir, A Real Boy, was hailed as "incredibly moving" by the Sun. For the past 15 years, Christopher Stevens has been a senior sub-editor at the Observer, Britain's oldest and most respected Sunday newspaper. He has also written for newspapers and magazines from Hello! to the Telegraph, and been interviewed more than 50 times for television and radio about his books, including keynote appearances on NPR and CNN. - from book bio.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
February 5, 2026
4.5*
This book was recommended to me a while ago and wasn't one I initially leapt at the idea of reading. Now I've finished it I wished I read it sooner, as I ended up absolutely loving this book. Such an emotional rollercoaster, but incredibly endearing and very human. Richard’s journey felt raw and believable as he navigates grief, huge life changes and the unexpected responsibility of caring for Barney, he's autistic niece. It never felt overly dramatic, just honest and real. It absolutely shone through that the author was leaning on his own personal experience with his autistic son.
I really enjoyed seeing the different parental viewpoints during Barney’s assessments, some devastated by the thought of a diagnosis, others fully embracing their children exactly as they are. It felt balanced and true to life rather than one-sided.
I also loved Richard slowly building friendships with people facing similar challenges, which didn't go to plan - this clearly reflected that different types of learning difficulties (as they referenced them in the book) really aren't one in the same and one parents experience, also doesn't naturally build empathy toward anothers - I imagine that must be really lonely.
Deeply sad in places, especially around loss and strained relationships, but full of compassion and heart.
This book was recommended to me a while ago and wasn't one I initially leapt at the idea of reading. Now I've finished it I wished I read it sooner, as I ended up absolutely loving this book. Such an emotional rollercoaster, but incredibly endearing and very human. Richard’s journey felt raw and believable as he navigates grief, huge life changes and the unexpected responsibility of caring for Barney, he's autistic niece. It never felt overly dramatic, just honest and real. It absolutely shone through that the author was leaning on his own personal experience with his autistic son.
I really enjoyed seeing the different parental viewpoints during Barney’s assessments, some devastated by the thought of a diagnosis, others fully embracing their children exactly as they are. It felt balanced and true to life rather than one-sided.
I also loved Richard slowly building friendships with people facing similar challenges, which didn't go to plan - this clearly reflected that different types of learning difficulties (as they referenced them in the book) really aren't one in the same and one parents experience, also doesn't naturally build empathy toward anothers - I imagine that must be really lonely.
Deeply sad in places, especially around loss and strained relationships, but full of compassion and heart.
June 2, 2023
Real Life
I have had some experience of children at various levels of autisum and I have always found them loving and kind even though it is difficult to understand their predicament. I found the book very real to life and felt the hardship of the parent and friends. This sort of experience shows you who your true friends are. Thank you for writing this story. I guess it is difficult to have faith in these sort of situations but I believe God gives these special children to special people. May our Lord Jesus bless you and your family.
I have had some experience of children at various levels of autisum and I have always found them loving and kind even though it is difficult to understand their predicament. I found the book very real to life and felt the hardship of the parent and friends. This sort of experience shows you who your true friends are. Thank you for writing this story. I guess it is difficult to have faith in these sort of situations but I believe God gives these special children to special people. May our Lord Jesus bless you and your family.
April 24, 2012
Fantastic story of a girl with autism, humorous and moving.
June 20, 2012
Absoloutely loved this book - well written, interesting, held my attention from beginning to end.
July 14, 2012
Inspirational!! It was a shocking, emotional, and at times humorous look at autism and UNCONDITIONAL love.
July 30, 2012
Absolutely loved this book!
October 12, 2012
What a read! I feel like I have been round the block 10 times, amazing, pulled me in all the way through
April 28, 2013
Excellent! Very believable story.
July 23, 2013
I have read other books about autism but this one was riveting to me. I could not put it down until I finished it!
January 6, 2016
Interesting perspective about living with a child with autism. The underlying message is that the main character really cares about the little girl, even though she has challenging behaviors.
May 29, 2019
A girl called Barney?
A single dad adopts his dead sisters daughter. Richards girlfriend walks out on him and his work starts to decrease on clients. The little girl has many issues from screaming non stop to hammering her head on the floor and walls. She does not sleep and she does not talk. Her name in Bernadette and Richard calls her Barney. She does not respond to either name. Richard finds out the truth about the little girl and now he feels he is in for a battle.
A single dad adopts his dead sisters daughter. Richards girlfriend walks out on him and his work starts to decrease on clients. The little girl has many issues from screaming non stop to hammering her head on the floor and walls. She does not sleep and she does not talk. Her name in Bernadette and Richard calls her Barney. She does not respond to either name. Richard finds out the truth about the little girl and now he feels he is in for a battle.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews