Momtistic - by Laura Donovan (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

At thirty-five, writer and media veteran Laura Donovan thought she had motherhood figured out--until her two sons were diagnosed with autism and a clinician suggested that she might be autistic too.

In this candid and darkly funny memoir, Donovan chronicles her journey from overwhelmed parent to self-aware advocate, weaving pop culture, humor, and heartbreak into a narrative that redefines what it means to be "different." From reenacting Elf with her five-year-old to decoding preschool politics in pandemic-era Portland, she learns that the quirks she once tried to outgrow were never flaws--they were family traits.

Momtistic is a love letter to neurodiverse families everywhere and a fresh addition to the conversation about women whose neurodivergence had gone unrecognized for decades--finding a language for who you've always been.

Review Quotes

"Laura Donovan's Momtistic is a vulnerable, candid, beautifully written memoir that will have readers turning the pages. With great care and humor, this important book fills the gaps for women whose brains have been ignored for far too long." --Christie Tate, New York Times bestselling author of Group: How One Therapist and a Circle of Strangers Saved My Life

"Momtistic is a layered, validating book for the many women discovering their neurodiversity later in life, oftentimes through their own children. Anyone who picks up this memoir will be imbued with a newfound respect for neurodiverse families and the women almost always holding them together." --Jessica Zucker, PhD, psychologist and award-winning author of Normalize It and I Had a Miscarriage

"Laura Donovan's vivid scenes place readers inside daily life with her sons: the small negotiations, shared obsessions, and humor that carry the story. While autism shapes Momtistic, its heart is the fierce but ordinary love of family--and the work of seeing your children and yourself clearly." --Sarah Gormley, author of The Order of Things: A Memoir About Chasing Joy

"Laura Donovan has pulled off the incredible feat of breaking down the science behind neurodiversity in an accessible way, telling her own unique and fascinating story in an equally relatable way, and providing useful tips for other neurodivergent parents." --Matthew Rozsa, author of Neurosocialism: The Untapped Power of Cognitive Difference to Break Capitalism

About the Author

Laura Donovan is a writer and essayist based in Portland, Oregon, and the neurodiverse mother of two autistic boys. Before becoming a full-time parent, she spent nearly a decade in media, helping to grow outlets such as HelloGiggles, Mic, and ATTN: . She later worked on Crime Watch Daily with Chris Hansen and cowrote the series Open Secrets with Ashley Graham. Her recent essays have appeared in SheKnows, Romper, and Business Insider. Laura published her first article at age twelve--a four-page feature in Discovery Girls about childhood bullying--and has been writing ever since she fell in love with Harriet the Spy in elementary school. Her greatest joys are her children, her husband, and the friends who fill her life.