Everyday Heaven by Donna Williams
How might an adult on the autism spectrum recognise romantic love, socially navigate and negotiate their awareness of awakened sexuality, or deal with loss? This book takes you on a journey to find out.
Published in 2004, Everyday Heaven is the fourth book in the autobiographical series and like each book can be read as a stand alone book.
Living on the Welsh farm with the obsessive and isolating Ian, their house and solitude has been taken over. Donna has invited a film crew to spend six weeks on the farm with them, filming a TV documentary, Jam Jar. But things do not at all go to plan.
Out of the blue, she learns her father, aged 59 and back in Australia, has two weeks to live. Spending those two weeks sharing all they've never said over the phone he insists she stays safe, 10,000 miles away from where he is dying. Ten days after his death it is the second wedding anniversary of her marriage to Ian. After getting her to dress up in her wedding dress and filming the property and all their belongings, he announces he is leaving her and having stayed married for two years this self identified Aspie now insists he wants nothing less than his full 'legal entitlement' - half of everything she has ever made as an international bestselling author. Suddenly, Donna has to manage loss, grief, abandonment, a messy divorce and the awakening of her sexuality as only this wacky autie can.
Perhaps the funniest of all of her autiebiographies, Everyday Heaven is a not to be missed, humorous, riveting, roller-coaster of an autistic adventure through gender identity, sexuality, divorce, death, spirituality, loss, grief, true love, remarriage and migration.
This book also introduces the reader to the man she ultimately was married to for 17 years, Chris Samuel, her closest friend and the love of her life.
WHO IS IT FOR?
* Anyone wanting to understand how adults with autism navigate love, relationships, sexuality
* Anyone struggling with grief, loss and social disconnection
* Those working with people with autism who dare to challenge the assumptions and stereotypes
* Those who enjoy a laugh out loud book that tackles big issues candidly and with humor
What readers said:
Everyday Heaven will appeal to anyone interested in people and what makes them tick. Donna's style and insight grab you from the very first page and leave you wanting to know more about this fascinating woman, the hurdles she finds before her, and the strategies she develops to overcome them. - Good Autism Practice
Donna invites us to be a fly on the wall while she navigates life and love in her thirties. Donna's unbridled candor draws you in, and her clarity and insight hold you fast. She personifies resilience and a lust for life. Donna Williams is someone who will take all of your excuses away.
Donna is changing the way that millions of people think about 'Autism'. You will be captivated by the warmth and passion that Donna brings to the Neuro -Typical world of Disabling barriers.
You can order this book from the publishers
The current publishers for Everyday Heaven are listed here
If in Australia you can order this book from the distributor, Footprint Books here
If you're a publisher looking to acquire other foreign language rights, please contact JKP to discuss acquisition.
Why I wrote the book
I wrote Everyday Heaven as part of coming to terms with the simultaneous discovery of sexuality, journeys in orientation and at the same time coping with loss in a two year span in which I lost three of the closest people in my life.
Excerpts
˜This is one lucky cat,' said the woman behind the counter as I piled up the new cat basket, the scratch post, the feeding bowl, the cat litter tray and all the etc., etc. I smiled to myself. In the house, Monty immediately took a shit on the carpet smack in the middle of the entrance hall just inside the door. Well, that was a good start. He had made his statement loud and clear. This was HIS house.
....Mick had been cutting down on smoking and was proud of himself for it. I sat down on the grass, and Mick sat on the steps of the caravan. ˜Ian's leaving me,' I told him as I started to cry. Mick's hands had tremors as he reached for his cigarettes, stuck one in his face and drew deeply on it. ˜He says he wants half of everything.' I went on, crying some more. Mick looked like a stunned fish.
˜That's not the worst of it,' I went on. ˜In a few weeks from now I'm meant to be on a married couples panel in the USA to talk about being married.' I looked up, tears flooding my eyes, and we both burst out laughing. It was just too ludicrous.
˜Want a trip to America?' I asked him with resignation. ˜Someone's got to come with me.'....Monty came and purred around my feet. It didn't matter a damn to him. I picked him up and tried out the word, announcing ˜lesbian' to see if he flinched. Then I called him a lesbian. Then I told him I was a lesbian. Then we agreed we didn't like the word lesbian but we were OK with the word gay. I had had two very close gay male friends, so being part of their club sat fine. I decided that I was most likely feeling like I was a gay man in a woman's body.