“Thank you! Thank you!! Thank you!!!” was the refrain beating in my head as I read the final tear-stained chapters of the Rosie Result. I didn’t expect Graeme could possibly top the first two Rosie books for engagement, humour, poignancy, and service to the autistic community, but he hit a grand slam with the conclusion of this series. I feel the world is a better place for these books.
I loved the themes of deep friendship, moving from strength to strengths, and slaying negative autism stereotypes that ran through the Rosie Result. This book puts it to the NT world to think about their expectations for autists to adapt and modify themselves, often at great personal cost, with little to no consideration of what small, simple changes they could make to accommodate us.
If a bar like The Library ever actually opened in Melbourne, I would happily head there for a drink and to meet likeminded people. Finding our tribe is so essential to the health and wellbeing of every human, but the many barriers for autists mean we're often unable to do so. Spaces designed especially to cater to our needs could open all kinds of possibilities, by facilitating comfortable, safe community interactions that honour our sensory and social needs. It might be a pipe dream, but the fantasy is heartening in itself.
I related deeply to the parent-child parallel diagnosis storyline, as will many late-diagnosed autists. The Rosie Result treats this with great sincerity and heart, exploring the fears, pitfalls, anxieties, and pressures (both internal and external) that accompany exploring formal diagnosis and accepting a new identity. I love how this is woven into the fabric of the story and informs all that occurs within it. Graeme doesn’t pull any punches on the difficulties of shifting our identity paradigm after a lifetime of conditioning and brilliantly captures the relief of finally coming home in ourselves.
It’s been a wonderful ride through the Rosie series and I can’t wait to see what Graeme whips up next in his Standardised Meal Plan Cookbook!
