How many of us take the life we live for granted? How many of us never stop to consider where we came from, what made us who we are? How many people never stop to think of what defines us, what shapes us into the people we grow to be?
Growing up in Canada in the 1960’s, DJ Kirkby experienced a life that many of us would have taken for granted. Living in and around Canada, Kirkby lived with her hippie mother and followed her mother wherever her whims took her.
Living with hippies, Kirkby was exposed to a world that was all around us but only few seemed able to see it. She lived with people who “recreated the rules”, who lived their own lives and shaped their own existence.
And what an existence it is.
From a young age, Kirkby knew she was different. She had a different way of looking at the world that had nothing to do with her hippie lifestyle and upbringing. She knew inside of herself that she was different than everyone else around her.
But there were no words to describe her condition, no words to explain what she felt inside of her.
Those words, those powerful words that would put her entire life into perspective, would not come until she was forty years old when she was diagnosed with Aspergers Syndrome.
From Zaftig to Aspie, Kirkby’s moving, incredible memoir of her life, is an incredible, emotional read. There is no way a mere review can recount the richness of Kirkby’s life, the emotion that crackles off the page or the experiences that shaped who she is today. There is no way I could sum up the life that Kirkby has lived in only a few words.
It is a moving, beautiful account of one woman’s fight to understand herself and come to grips with the world around her. It is part memoir, part life puzzle that, once put together, creates a stunning picture of a life in words.
From the first page, I was drawn into Kirkby’s story and just had to keep reading. I have never read something so honest, so moving and so incredibly captivating. More than a study of human nature, what Kirkby has given us is really a life map.
Using select memories to mark her progression from her younger years to the time she was diagnosed with Aspergers, Kirkby is really marking the path she has travelled with memories. She has given us a true gift of a life and has invited us to turn the page and look inside of her.
I could not read From Zaftig to Aspie fast enough. In fact, I’ve read it twice so far and am awed by it’s incredible beauty and it’s story of living life to the fullest and overcoming even the most difficult obstacles. More importantly, it is a portrait of a very misunderstood condition. More people need to read From Zaftig to Aspie so that more people can know about Aspergers Syndrome.
From Zaftig to Aspie is a moving, incredible story of one woman’s will to understand herself. It is an important book and everyone should read it so that they, too, can understand more about Aspergers Syndrome.
More importantly it is the best memoir I have read in years. I laughed, I cried, I laughed some more. And was awed by the power of Kirkby’s words.
Read From Zaftig to Aspie and be enchanted.
The Book Pedler 
Thank you for a tantalising and inspiring review. I have a wife I’m pretty certain is Aspergers or at least borderline, everything I’ve read thus far on the subject convinces me more. Such a review has made me determined to obtain a copy of this book and read it for myself.
Thanks!
A great review – this book looks wonderful
I met Denyse through some writing evenings and she is a great person and real force to be reckoned with in terms of writing stamina and imagination. What I think is so good and unique is that, it seems, she can see ‘out’ of her natural circumstances to make a comment for our benefitt. In many ways everyone of us would find this difficult to do with ourselves, so it’s entirely to her credit, and very eltruistic when you think about it. I think if this book landed in the ‘right’ place – and I’m sure it’s selling well anyway, it could really go places as, thankfully these days people want to know.
Perhaps Woman’s Hour might be worth a try?