A Hartlepool nurse has published a children’s book, inspired by her own journey to self-acceptance as a woman with autism.
Lin Fidgin, a nurse at the University Hospital of North Tees, wrote and illustrated ‘Bess of Clara Vale’. The story draws on Lin’s personal experience of autism and describes what it feels like to be a little ‘out of sync’ with the world around her.
Lin’s book introduces Bess, a Labrador with autism. It explores Bess’s sensory differences, her comfort in repetition and routine, social misunderstandings, and the development of her confidence and self-acceptance along the way.
Lin wrote the book to help neurodivergent children understand their differences and make their peers, friends, family members and teachers more aware of what it can feel like to experience the world differently.
Lin said: “I wanted to write the books I wish I had as a child. I felt so different to everyone else around me, but had no mirror to see myself reflected or to help me understand why I wasn’t like my peers.
“Being different can be a lonely place – always trying to fit in, but always feeling like an outsider. Understanding who you are and why can lighten the load. It can help others to understand too, and hopefully bring empathy and awareness. No one deserves to feel broken or excluded just because they are different.”
“Overwhelmed by the response”
Published in March, Lin has gifted copies of ‘Bess of Clara Vale’ to local schools, libraries, autism services and other organisations, including the children’s ward and children’s emergency department at the University Hospital of North Tees.
The book is the first of a series of seven books Lin has planned, each focusing on neurodiversity, friendship and belonging.
Lin continued: “Explaining the difference can be difficult. If I can help make education about autism and neurodiversity accessible to those who need it most, then it can only be a good thing. I want to make a difference.
“I’ve been overwhelmed by the response and have cried a lot. I’ve had some beautifully affirming messages and emails, and one particularly beautiful video from two young children who have a book and wanted to share with me how they felt while reading it, because I would understand them.”