Camouflage: The Hidden Lives of Autistic Women - Book Review

An intro to the experiences of autistic women meets graphic novel...

When I first heard about Camouflage: The Hidden Lives of Autistic Women by Dr. Sarah Bargiela, I knew I had to add it to my wish list. It was only later that I realized the book was in graphic novel format and, while I don't normally read books in this medium, here was a graphic novel on autistic women. Strange. Intriguing. I had to check it out.

When I opened it up on Christmas morning, I found a slim and beautiful hardcover book. I read it sick in bed one day, and then my second reading took me about thirty uninterrupted minutes. It begins by briefly introducing the history of "autism" and the research of Drs Kann and Aspergers, and then goes into a basic description of what autism is and how it shows up differently in women than in men.

Next, the book is divided into four headlines based on the experiences of three autistic women being interviewed: "You're Not Autistic," "Pretending To Be Normal," "From Passive To Assertive," and "A Social Identity Based On Interests." The book explores each of these topics by gathering quotes from the three women.

What does the book do well? First of all, it depends on real autistic women for its narrative. This isn't just a case of an academic writing to and about us, but of weaving in the lives and voices of those who are being written about. Second, it does a pretty amazing job of covering research. In a really concise and easy-to-understand way, it throws out a lot of different statistical and other findings that give a lot of insight into what being autistic is like.

As for areas where I thought the book could have done better? Likely because of the style chosen by the author, the organization of the information bothered me a little. Some of it felt a bit random, rather than the seamlessly tied-together narrative I wished it had been. The way the four headlines were introduced also seemed unnecessarily bulky and awkward.

Another potential problem that isn't really the fault of the book is that, since not all autistic women are the same, sharing this book with friends or family who don't understand could lead to them thinking "But you don't do that..." Not everything each of the women interviewed describes is going to apply to everyone else. Still, my husband said that a lot of it resonated and helped him to understand my experience of being autisti better.

The biggest takeaway? This is a really unique book on an important and often-overlooked topic. It's a pretty quick read, the illustrations are beautiful, and it makes for a decent intro to the differences in being autistic in men and women. As the book's parting note says, "Sharing the knowledge that autism even exists in females is important for challenging common biases and beliefs. This way, autistic girls and women can be safe, recognized and celebrated for their differences. So once you've read this, pass it on."

So do it. Grab your copy, read it, and pass it on.