Book review - The Autists by Clara Törnvall

The Autists by Clara Törnvall

Age range: Aimed at adults; probably 16 and up.

Genre: Non-fiction, memoir.

Of the various books that I have read about autism, The Autists by Clara Törnvall is a favourite.

Törnvall, who received an autism diagnosis aged 42, manages to create a readable yet thorough account of what low support needs autism can look like in women and girls. Using details from her own life and the lives of others, and psychological research and theories, Törnvall brings a range of narratives together to create an engaging and informative book.

Perhaps most importantly, Törnvall manages to walk the fine line between writing a book for autistic people, and about autistic people. I can see The Autists being of equal value to someone with an autistic loved one — or anyone wanting to learn more about autism — as it is to me, reading it as an autistic person. In my opinion, few books do this as well as The Autists. Törnvall describes relevant research studies and theories in a way that is understandable and not too dense, whilst offering equally useful lived experience.

Törnvall concretises aspects of autism using examples from her own life, others’ experiences, and literature, in a way that makes abstract ideas more digestible. She refers to cultural touchstones: from films and television programmes to Emily Dickinson’s poetry, TikTok creators and Alice in Wonderland to Greta Thunberg. Whilst I don’t see the value in proclaiming that certain individuals are or were autistic, many of the works that Törnvall employs are useful in illustrating a range of images of what autism can be. I may not agree with everything that Törnvall writes (such as her use of “high-functioning” — although I’m not the greatest fan of “low support needs” either), but I see this book as a necessary and valuable contribution to autistic literature.

Törnvall doesn’t shy away from that which is hard to confront — eating disorders, self harm, divorce, exhaustion, and inpatient psychiatric care are among the difficulties faced by those in The Autists. Nor does she claim that autism is a “superpower”. Rather, she wonderfully explains what a diagnosis can bring someone. Törnvall’s description of learning that she is autistic exemplifies this:

“My past unfolds. It’s like watching a film with [a] revelation that overturns everything I thought I knew about the main characters and the plot. The hints foreshadowing the solution to the mystery suddenly appear in stark focus. They line up, one after another throughout the years. The signs have been there all along.”

She recounts the grief of late diagnosis: “What if I had known sooner? How would my life have turned out? [...] My life thus far is not a series of years lost. But still. The signs were there. I mourn not being able to decipher them before.” Yet equally, Törnvall states: “The joy and relief in finally fitting in was indescribable. I understood who I was and could accept it and find peace.”

Warmly,

Clemmie Mendelson
Assistant Psychologist
Attune Psychology & Coaching, West Hampstead, London