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Octopus Mimicus: A Literary Memoir of Love, Autism, and a Different Mind
Not yet published
Expected 15 Mar 26For decades, I wandered through life unmoored by any true identity. A walking dissonance. A standard deviation. Present, but absent. They call me rational, witty, assertive, sometimes even too direct... I look like you. Sound like you. Move like you. Speak your language.
But I’m not like you. I never was.
In her rare, colorful, unapologetically raw voice, neurodivergent author Michal Edelsburg shares a deep dive into the inner narrative of an undiagnosed autistic woman—inexplicably intricate on the inside, but completely invisible to the outside world.
Octopus Mimicus exposes decades of living between worlds, of a woman with a different mind hiding in plain sight, trying her best to blend into a world that was not meant to accommodate her. Full of razor-sharp (and oftentimes blunt) insight and humor, Edelsburg’s literary journey challenges both taboos and stereotypes while tackling everything from family to sexuality, love, and womanhood (sometimes all at once!), in what can only be described as a bold, unclassified, and certainly memorable debut.
But I’m not like you. I never was.
In her rare, colorful, unapologetically raw voice, neurodivergent author Michal Edelsburg shares a deep dive into the inner narrative of an undiagnosed autistic woman—inexplicably intricate on the inside, but completely invisible to the outside world.
Octopus Mimicus exposes decades of living between worlds, of a woman with a different mind hiding in plain sight, trying her best to blend into a world that was not meant to accommodate her. Full of razor-sharp (and oftentimes blunt) insight and humor, Edelsburg’s literary journey challenges both taboos and stereotypes while tackling everything from family to sexuality, love, and womanhood (sometimes all at once!), in what can only be described as a bold, unclassified, and certainly memorable debut.
214 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication March 15, 2026
3 people are currently reading
3 people want to read
About the author
Michal Edelsburg
1 book1 followerMichal Edelsburg is an author and keynote speaker on relationships, family, motherhood, and the extraordinary female consciousness.
She is a former family law expert and licensed arbitrator.
When she was fifty-seven, Michal was diagnosed with autism—a formative experience that eventually led to her debut book, Octopus Mimicus.
She is a former family law expert and licensed arbitrator.
When she was fifty-seven, Michal was diagnosed with autism—a formative experience that eventually led to her debut book, Octopus Mimicus.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
February 8, 2026
No reviews. I was privileged to read this book out of curiosity—the title immediately intrigued me. I admit I had a hard time deciding on a rating; it could have been a two or a three. But with determination to finish the book and understand the author’s intention, I stuck with it. She shares her journey authentically as an autistic person who was late-identified in her 50s.
I was glad I persevered long enough to understand the meaning of the title. The stretch between the beginning and the conclusion was very WTF for me—I couldn’t make the connections at first, but eventually, I did.
“I realized that if you take someone like that, someone with imagination or creativity like so many autistic people have, and you give them mental and physical space to express themselves freely – they’ll thrive. Like a flower in the desert. No judgment. No criticism. No guilt. The environment needs to be unbiased, and deeply sensitive to their real needs – not just physical, but spiritual, too.”
This passage stayed with me.
If you’re curious about autism in women and life in Israel, I recommend giving her book a try. I’d give it 3.5 stars due to some writing errors and a dry middle section.
I was glad I persevered long enough to understand the meaning of the title. The stretch between the beginning and the conclusion was very WTF for me—I couldn’t make the connections at first, but eventually, I did.
“I realized that if you take someone like that, someone with imagination or creativity like so many autistic people have, and you give them mental and physical space to express themselves freely – they’ll thrive. Like a flower in the desert. No judgment. No criticism. No guilt. The environment needs to be unbiased, and deeply sensitive to their real needs – not just physical, but spiritual, too.”
This passage stayed with me.
If you’re curious about autism in women and life in Israel, I recommend giving her book a try. I’d give it 3.5 stars due to some writing errors and a dry middle section.
Displaying 1 of 1 review