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Drifts
Natasha Burge was born and grew up in Saudi Arabia, where her family lived for more than half a century. As a child she realises that she is not from Saudi Arabia and, like most foreigners, she would one day have to leave. Through various departures and returns - a year at boarding school in New England, university in London, a small town in Texas where there are more cows than people, back to work in Bahrain - the years of difficulty, isolation and severe anxiety take their toll. Finally, at thirty-seven years old she receives the life-changing news that she is autistic.
In Drifts, Burge probes her unfurling awareness by exploring the two ruptured strands of her being: what it means to grow up at the interstices of different cultures, and what it is to experience an undiagnosed condition and late diagnosis of autism. From the cosmopolitan heritage of Muharraq's Pearling Path to the jebels of Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province, she charts a new understanding of stories about the Arabian Gulf and the myths surrounding autism.
The result is a work of dazzling insight, sensitivity and awareness that explodes our idea of memoir and of place.
In Drifts, Burge probes her unfurling awareness by exploring the two ruptured strands of her being: what it means to grow up at the interstices of different cultures, and what it is to experience an undiagnosed condition and late diagnosis of autism. From the cosmopolitan heritage of Muharraq's Pearling Path to the jebels of Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province, she charts a new understanding of stories about the Arabian Gulf and the myths surrounding autism.
The result is a work of dazzling insight, sensitivity and awareness that explodes our idea of memoir and of place.
192 pages, Paperback
First published February 23, 2023
11 people are currently reading
289 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
January 27, 2023
Never been so excited to read a book with 0 reviews. Natasha Burge is a wordsmith of extravagant proportions and her depictions of autism are like nothing I've read before. The discussions of autism and adult diagnosis were primarily why I picked this up - what totally floored me were the stunning and nuanced descriptions of Saudi Arabia, from an inside perspective we don't often see globally. Burge has such an interesting cultural background which makes for such a unique and stunning descriptive style; imbued both with wonder and a sense of desperate preservation because the understanding is that one day will be her last in this country. Such a refreshing up-to-date perspective on autism and neurodivergence. WONDERFUL
March 28, 2024
Never before have I read a book that seemed to be written so specifically for me.
The prose is everything I want and more, the sporadic story telling easy to my mind, and the messages told oh so relatable.
Identity and change.
Drifts is written by an American late-diagnosed autistic woman born and raised in Saudia Arabia. Her identities are many and confusing and she weaves through what they mean as eloquently as she weaves through the city she grew up in and eventually settles down in.
The prose is everything I want and more, the sporadic story telling easy to my mind, and the messages told oh so relatable.
Identity and change.
Drifts is written by an American late-diagnosed autistic woman born and raised in Saudia Arabia. Her identities are many and confusing and she weaves through what they mean as eloquently as she weaves through the city she grew up in and eventually settles down in.
June 23, 2024
Natasha’s memoir, Drifts, is a wonderful combination of history of the Saudi Gulf, poetic prose, personal stories and her journey of being diagnosed with autism. Her writing is fresh, descriptive, carefully informative and sometimes purely stream of conscience.
I myself grew up as an American expat in Saudi Arabia (Aramco, DHA ‘94). My last trip back “home” was in 2000, and only for 3 days because my dad was on a waitlist for heart surgery and they transported us to Houston ASAP because the surgeon had an opening.
Needless to say, I related to Natasha’s descriptions of the jebels, villages, beaches of the Gulf area. It was like medicine for my soul.
Sometimes people like us who flit from country to country and have these amazing experiences of different people and cultures wonder, “Was it all a dream?”
Reading Natasha’s work felt like validation that my life really was that amazing and there are people out there that remember and relate to my story.
Re: the content on autism - I learned so much from your story and about autism in general.
Thank you, Natasha, for writing your story and sharing it with us.
I myself grew up as an American expat in Saudi Arabia (Aramco, DHA ‘94). My last trip back “home” was in 2000, and only for 3 days because my dad was on a waitlist for heart surgery and they transported us to Houston ASAP because the surgeon had an opening.
Needless to say, I related to Natasha’s descriptions of the jebels, villages, beaches of the Gulf area. It was like medicine for my soul.
Sometimes people like us who flit from country to country and have these amazing experiences of different people and cultures wonder, “Was it all a dream?”
Reading Natasha’s work felt like validation that my life really was that amazing and there are people out there that remember and relate to my story.
Re: the content on autism - I learned so much from your story and about autism in general.
Thank you, Natasha, for writing your story and sharing it with us.
September 22, 2023
stimulating and illuminating
January 23, 2024
4.5 stars - a stellar read and wonderfully-executed account of Burge’s journey towards an autism diagnosis, with a parallel and strongly interconnected narrative of Burge’s sense of place and fluid cultural identity as a third-culture kid weaved in throughout.
Parts of this book moved me to tears in how perfectly they encapsulated my own experiences as a fellow hyperlexic Autistic woman and I’m so glad Burge has been able to articulate these experiences in a more illuminating, breathtakingly precise way than I’ve ever been able to express.
Some quotes I highlighted either due to their striking beauty and/or relatability:
• “Language was simply another way for words to dance.”
• “But now, context seems like explanation which seems like justification which seems like the speech of another.”
• “But there is another reason why I talk so much - speech is a way to shield myself from the too-muchness of the world. It always feels like the world is coming at me, too loud, too quick, too bright, too much, and, rather than squeeze shut my eyes and put my hands over my ears, I use my own talking like a shield.”
• “But what I think now, as an adult, when I look at the picture of my messy room is why didn't any of the adults punishing me stop to ask themselves if I enjoyed misplacing my possessions, forgetting assignments, or living in a state of chaos? Adults never seemed to understand how I could have been reading at a college level since elementary school while not being able to remember to get a permission slip signed, return a library book, or figure out how to work the laundry machines. No one considered that there could be a reason for this disparity between my apparent academic skill and my lack of so-called common sense, so it was always chalked up to being lazy and I was grounded, shouted at, called stupid, and worse.”
• “What forever confuses and angers me is that I am harangued and punished for my so-called lack of common sense, but my peers who do their laundry and clean their rooms are never harangued or punished for not doing the things I can do, like read half a dozen books a week. Why, I always wonder, are the things I am good at considered bonus features - unnecessary, but nice - while the things I am bad at are considered signs of inherent moral failure?”
• “When I was a kid, I had reserves of energy that allowed me to hurl myself at the world, a veritable tornado of bossiness, giddiness, and non-stop talking.”
• “In so many aspects of my life I have been so fortunate that it feels almost obscene to acknowledge any struggle.”
• “In a world that increasingly expects easy-to-digest sound bites of self, I want to slip liquid and fast, to preserve the potential that resides in the chthonic primordial form. This does not make me nothing, it makes me, potentially, anything.”
Parts of this book moved me to tears in how perfectly they encapsulated my own experiences as a fellow hyperlexic Autistic woman and I’m so glad Burge has been able to articulate these experiences in a more illuminating, breathtakingly precise way than I’ve ever been able to express.
Some quotes I highlighted either due to their striking beauty and/or relatability:
• “Language was simply another way for words to dance.”
• “But now, context seems like explanation which seems like justification which seems like the speech of another.”
• “But there is another reason why I talk so much - speech is a way to shield myself from the too-muchness of the world. It always feels like the world is coming at me, too loud, too quick, too bright, too much, and, rather than squeeze shut my eyes and put my hands over my ears, I use my own talking like a shield.”
• “But what I think now, as an adult, when I look at the picture of my messy room is why didn't any of the adults punishing me stop to ask themselves if I enjoyed misplacing my possessions, forgetting assignments, or living in a state of chaos? Adults never seemed to understand how I could have been reading at a college level since elementary school while not being able to remember to get a permission slip signed, return a library book, or figure out how to work the laundry machines. No one considered that there could be a reason for this disparity between my apparent academic skill and my lack of so-called common sense, so it was always chalked up to being lazy and I was grounded, shouted at, called stupid, and worse.”
• “What forever confuses and angers me is that I am harangued and punished for my so-called lack of common sense, but my peers who do their laundry and clean their rooms are never harangued or punished for not doing the things I can do, like read half a dozen books a week. Why, I always wonder, are the things I am good at considered bonus features - unnecessary, but nice - while the things I am bad at are considered signs of inherent moral failure?”
• “When I was a kid, I had reserves of energy that allowed me to hurl myself at the world, a veritable tornado of bossiness, giddiness, and non-stop talking.”
• “In so many aspects of my life I have been so fortunate that it feels almost obscene to acknowledge any struggle.”
• “In a world that increasingly expects easy-to-digest sound bites of self, I want to slip liquid and fast, to preserve the potential that resides in the chthonic primordial form. This does not make me nothing, it makes me, potentially, anything.”
February 28, 2023
Psychogeography in the GULF
First. What is psychogeography? It describes the effect of a geographical location on the emotions and behaviour of individuals. The author describes a typical psychogeographer’s meanderings as disparate stalkings of place, a practice known as dérive (drifts – hence the title of the book), where individuals move through urban space with no preordained plan, recording their impressions.
Understanding the meaning of psychogeography gives the reader perspective on the seemingly random sound-bytes and stream of consciousness that the author has brought together in this short book. She is a Saudi-born American, whose forebears have lived in that country for 3 generations. Nevertheless, she will one day have to leave given her visa status, she knows that, and that colours her sense of belonging, identity and home. Where is she really “from”, she ponders? At age 37 she also gains a diagnosis of autism and her thoughts around the diagnosis and ways of seeing the world are woven into the narrative. She also sees herself as hyperlexic, which perhaps contributes to the intensity of the writing and description, which can feel quite relentless and breathless, overwhelming even.
The geographical element, which moves around the Gulf between Saudi and Bahrain, with occasional sojourns in London and USA, is more an exploration of autism, and the battles and anxiety that colour behaviour and thinking. There are detailed descriptions of place – mainly Saudi and Bahrain, which offer a bit of insight but rely heavily on descriptive capabilities, without rendering a deep sense of place. She understands, too that her psychogeopgraphy has been autistic. It has been an autistic reckoning of space and place, an autistic sense of the street beyond street. The two seemingly go hand in hand and perhaps explain the butterfly nature of the storytelling.
There is an undertow of anger, fury even, that permeates the text, citing how people expect her to write about her home country from then outside looking in, how to behave – as I visualise her stomping around the locations, recording her impressions. I think the intensity, for me, was so ardent that it felt all consuming, yet also fragile and I felt – at some level – quite some trepidation about venturing with her on her literary and personal journey because at times I felt a little engulfed.
It was an interesting and unexpected read and to be honest, quite a challenge.
First. What is psychogeography? It describes the effect of a geographical location on the emotions and behaviour of individuals. The author describes a typical psychogeographer’s meanderings as disparate stalkings of place, a practice known as dérive (drifts – hence the title of the book), where individuals move through urban space with no preordained plan, recording their impressions.
Understanding the meaning of psychogeography gives the reader perspective on the seemingly random sound-bytes and stream of consciousness that the author has brought together in this short book. She is a Saudi-born American, whose forebears have lived in that country for 3 generations. Nevertheless, she will one day have to leave given her visa status, she knows that, and that colours her sense of belonging, identity and home. Where is she really “from”, she ponders? At age 37 she also gains a diagnosis of autism and her thoughts around the diagnosis and ways of seeing the world are woven into the narrative. She also sees herself as hyperlexic, which perhaps contributes to the intensity of the writing and description, which can feel quite relentless and breathless, overwhelming even.
The geographical element, which moves around the Gulf between Saudi and Bahrain, with occasional sojourns in London and USA, is more an exploration of autism, and the battles and anxiety that colour behaviour and thinking. There are detailed descriptions of place – mainly Saudi and Bahrain, which offer a bit of insight but rely heavily on descriptive capabilities, without rendering a deep sense of place. She understands, too that her psychogeopgraphy has been autistic. It has been an autistic reckoning of space and place, an autistic sense of the street beyond street. The two seemingly go hand in hand and perhaps explain the butterfly nature of the storytelling.
There is an undertow of anger, fury even, that permeates the text, citing how people expect her to write about her home country from then outside looking in, how to behave – as I visualise her stomping around the locations, recording her impressions. I think the intensity, for me, was so ardent that it felt all consuming, yet also fragile and I felt – at some level – quite some trepidation about venturing with her on her literary and personal journey because at times I felt a little engulfed.
It was an interesting and unexpected read and to be honest, quite a challenge.
August 23, 2023
Wherever I position myself, ... there is an upwelling of alterity that can ... generate ripples of slantways thinking.
Memoir as a collection of essays, recollections and descriptions, narrated by someone who has been labelled as “autistic”, whatever that signifies, and was born in Saudi Arabia, but is not an “Arab”. This is not an easy read, because of the unapologetic use of Arabic and “technical” words, which had me reading Wikipedia entries to understand the author.
This is a memoir that makes me think, considering things anew, but doesn’t often engage me emotionally. It’s fun and thought provoking though, so I enjoyed learning Burge’s story. I suspect the reference to slantways at the beginning is riffing off Emily Dickinson’s “Tell all the truth but tell it slant”, so I also appreciate the occasional literary reference.
I’m not going to agree with all of the author’s analysis about autism, and this might be because I’m not autistic (so on what basis am I qualified to have an opinion), or it might be because I consider that the author, despite saying that there is a whole colour circle range of autism, then sometimes narrows her description to a smaller segment. It can sometimes feel as if she is universalising her experience, rather than appreciating its particularity. However, she is aware of this, later saying:
The way I perceive and relate to being autistic is not inherently 'right' or shared by all autistic people, and I wouldn't claim to speak on behalf of anyone else. All autistic people, like all non-autistic people, are different, so the story I tell is only my story - and only one of my stories at that. The way I feel about this, as with so much else, is contrary and contradictory, mercurial and manifold. In a world that increasingly expects easy-to-digest sound bites of self, I want to slip liquid and fast, to preserve the potential that resides in the chthonic primordial form. This does not make me nothing, it makes me, potentially, anything.
Nonetheless, Burge’s description of her experience is brilliant in just trying to provide a glimpse of what it might be like. It may not be objectively definitive, but it works for me, I feel as if I have obtained an insight.
Knowing that all memoir is fiction and that all fiction is memoir, and that what arises along the turbulent horizon in between is inherently transcultural, I wanted to make a useful performance of the past and the present, to slip around the facts to tell a truth.
Memoir as a collection of essays, recollections and descriptions, narrated by someone who has been labelled as “autistic”, whatever that signifies, and was born in Saudi Arabia, but is not an “Arab”. This is not an easy read, because of the unapologetic use of Arabic and “technical” words, which had me reading Wikipedia entries to understand the author.
This is a memoir that makes me think, considering things anew, but doesn’t often engage me emotionally. It’s fun and thought provoking though, so I enjoyed learning Burge’s story. I suspect the reference to slantways at the beginning is riffing off Emily Dickinson’s “Tell all the truth but tell it slant”, so I also appreciate the occasional literary reference.
I’m not going to agree with all of the author’s analysis about autism, and this might be because I’m not autistic (so on what basis am I qualified to have an opinion), or it might be because I consider that the author, despite saying that there is a whole colour circle range of autism, then sometimes narrows her description to a smaller segment. It can sometimes feel as if she is universalising her experience, rather than appreciating its particularity. However, she is aware of this, later saying:
The way I perceive and relate to being autistic is not inherently 'right' or shared by all autistic people, and I wouldn't claim to speak on behalf of anyone else. All autistic people, like all non-autistic people, are different, so the story I tell is only my story - and only one of my stories at that. The way I feel about this, as with so much else, is contrary and contradictory, mercurial and manifold. In a world that increasingly expects easy-to-digest sound bites of self, I want to slip liquid and fast, to preserve the potential that resides in the chthonic primordial form. This does not make me nothing, it makes me, potentially, anything.
Nonetheless, Burge’s description of her experience is brilliant in just trying to provide a glimpse of what it might be like. It may not be objectively definitive, but it works for me, I feel as if I have obtained an insight.
Knowing that all memoir is fiction and that all fiction is memoir, and that what arises along the turbulent horizon in between is inherently transcultural, I wanted to make a useful performance of the past and the present, to slip around the facts to tell a truth.
July 1, 2023
There are very few books that leave me in awe, especially nowadays days with so many mainstream fiction books, merely to sell books and carefully edited to do so.
Drifts is unlike anything I have read before. Written by author Natasha Burge, Drifts explores her birth and life in Saudi Arabia as an American.
The stunning parallels to my own life, growing up in Bahrain, she was able to capture so many sentiments about how these countries become so much more than just a home, but our identity too.
Her writing style is exquisite and as she reveals her autism diagnosis at 37, her scattered, beautiful and almost erratic writing is a little glimpse into her stunning mind.
If you grew up in Bahrain or Saudi, this book is for you.
If you are currently living in Bahrain or Saudi, this book is for you.
If you are, like me, a third culture kid, never really sure of why we did not fit in when we returned to our “homeland” and ran home to the gulf, this book is for you.
If you or a family member has been diagnosed with autism, this book is for you.
And finally if you enjoy non-fiction, historical journies of cultures and traditions, this book is for you.
I devoured this book in a day, and sincerely hope Natasha is working on her second book. Thank you Natasha for putting my life growing up in the Middle East into the most stunning of words.
Drifts is unlike anything I have read before. Written by author Natasha Burge, Drifts explores her birth and life in Saudi Arabia as an American.
The stunning parallels to my own life, growing up in Bahrain, she was able to capture so many sentiments about how these countries become so much more than just a home, but our identity too.
Her writing style is exquisite and as she reveals her autism diagnosis at 37, her scattered, beautiful and almost erratic writing is a little glimpse into her stunning mind.
If you grew up in Bahrain or Saudi, this book is for you.
If you are currently living in Bahrain or Saudi, this book is for you.
If you are, like me, a third culture kid, never really sure of why we did not fit in when we returned to our “homeland” and ran home to the gulf, this book is for you.
If you or a family member has been diagnosed with autism, this book is for you.
And finally if you enjoy non-fiction, historical journies of cultures and traditions, this book is for you.
I devoured this book in a day, and sincerely hope Natasha is working on her second book. Thank you Natasha for putting my life growing up in the Middle East into the most stunning of words.
March 14, 2023
What a stunning read! Be warned this is not a typical easy read novel, it is challenging and flits from place to place and thought to thought. The reward and satisfaction is truly seeing a world through the author's unique lens - one that encompasses a wild intellect coupled with autism.
Natasha's descriptions of place are so beautiful, you cannot help but feel part of them. Some of the places in the book I have never visited but I can picture them vividly, I can smell the spices in the souqs she describes, I can feel the cats watching me and waiting for scraps, I am walking through these places by Natasha's side.
Another thing I loved is how much I learned from this book; often I would pause to Google something she mentions (the Inklings!), or look up a word I am unfamiliar with, or try an Arabic word out loud. It also led me to read more and try to understand more about autism. Honestly this book challenged me and satisfied me in equal measures. A fabulous debut!
Natasha's descriptions of place are so beautiful, you cannot help but feel part of them. Some of the places in the book I have never visited but I can picture them vividly, I can smell the spices in the souqs she describes, I can feel the cats watching me and waiting for scraps, I am walking through these places by Natasha's side.
Another thing I loved is how much I learned from this book; often I would pause to Google something she mentions (the Inklings!), or look up a word I am unfamiliar with, or try an Arabic word out loud. It also led me to read more and try to understand more about autism. Honestly this book challenged me and satisfied me in equal measures. A fabulous debut!
August 11, 2024
This memoir has been sitting on my virtual shelf for a while. When I finally picked it up, however, I flew through it.
The author talks of her own struggles with understanding how her mind works and how she fits into the ' normal' world. Just like the thoughts that bounce in her head, she talks of the different events in her life, punctuated by her diagnosis and related behaviours. She covers a lot of ground, not just physically but also regarding what an average reader might but know about autism and how it may manifest.
The jumps take a little getting used to, but the life of a third culture child is interesting in itself. She also slips in interesting facts about the place that the chapter is set in and overall I appreciated the entire style by the time I set the book aside. It is a very raw introspection and it is laid out for the reader without making us feel uncomfortable for being privy to such information.
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes reading different kinds of memoirs and who are intrigued by the blurb.
I received an ARC thanks to Netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.
The author talks of her own struggles with understanding how her mind works and how she fits into the ' normal' world. Just like the thoughts that bounce in her head, she talks of the different events in her life, punctuated by her diagnosis and related behaviours. She covers a lot of ground, not just physically but also regarding what an average reader might but know about autism and how it may manifest.
The jumps take a little getting used to, but the life of a third culture child is interesting in itself. She also slips in interesting facts about the place that the chapter is set in and overall I appreciated the entire style by the time I set the book aside. It is a very raw introspection and it is laid out for the reader without making us feel uncomfortable for being privy to such information.
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes reading different kinds of memoirs and who are intrigued by the blurb.
I received an ARC thanks to Netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.
April 29, 2024
On neurodiversity and what it’s like to exist and challenge the binary grids laid to cater homogenous society (:capital).
Burge’s lyrically powerful prose containing within it an intimate presence and honouring of place, and does so by mantaining a sensitivity to lineage and the self.
A shape-shifting of word into song; History, places and experiences made alive. A demonstration of the perennial tracing back of histories to unravel present challenges.
“We are told we must articulate elaborate schemas, but I tell her there is something to be said for the stubborn insistence of simply being who you are, where you are.”
Burge’s lyrically powerful prose containing within it an intimate presence and honouring of place, and does so by mantaining a sensitivity to lineage and the self.
A shape-shifting of word into song; History, places and experiences made alive. A demonstration of the perennial tracing back of histories to unravel present challenges.
“We are told we must articulate elaborate schemas, but I tell her there is something to be said for the stubborn insistence of simply being who you are, where you are.”
May 10, 2023
This book is beautifully written in a meandering style that spins forward and backward, challenging the idea that time is linear at all. The author explores ideas about culture, time, autism, neurodivergence, home, among others. I felt engaged while reading and related to what the author shared about how her mind works. I also appreciated all the interesting quotes she gleaned from many sources about autism. This is just the kind of book I am always looking for, a beautifully written, hyper-specific delve into someone’s mind and thoughts, and I enjoyed it thoroughly.
April 10, 2023
The only thing wrong with this book is that it had to end. The design of this deeply personal work is like an immersive ride over secret terrain - a sensorial wonderland and soul-bending reflection of an intimately explored internal and external landscape. Her perspective is the kind of gift you can take with you to the otherworld.
July 10, 2023
Natasha Burge’s book Drifts is an amazing look into the world of the Arabian Gulf, third culture children, and neurodivergence. While these topics are personally meaningful to me, the beauty and depth of her writing make this book for everyone.
September 30, 2023
I started this but stopped I have to OWN this book! It is just too good. I read about half. It reads beautifully. I connected both to the subjects and the tone—another brilliant book by an ASD woman, this one with a Middle Eastern/ American twist.
March 20, 2023
😭 between this and fern brady, it’s been a great year so far to be an autie x
June 26, 2023
I don't have the words to express much right now but this was beautiful
September 10, 2025
This book captivated me and me want to re read bits and underline bits and hold them in my memory. I need to probably read it again with a dictionary by my side, as Natasha Burge's language is so majestic and intriguing that it was just poetry to me, but I didn't understand every word. This was the first book I have read that really describes the internal world of a neurodivergent person, and so beautifully captures how it feels to be in the world and moving through it, and how it feels to be moving around you. So many bits were so relatable. Learning about how it feels to belong in a different culture to what people expect was eye opening and somehow relatable too. I want to read more from transcultural authors and loved this exploration of identity and place.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews