Free chapters from my forthcoming book

My book is about the shame of not belonging told through the story of my son Sam’s life and death.

My brilliant and differently-wired son is excluded from three schools by age eight for refusing to write, despite his exceptional intelligence. He struggles in systems that demand conformity over understanding, whilst I seek answers through experts.

I am in the final stages of preparing our story for publication.

You can listen to the first chapter below:

To listen to another chapter and join my email list for updates on the book:

The injustices of our education system

The book is about the injustices of our education system, particularly for those of us whose neurobiology and trauma history leave us struggling within its rigid structures. Though we didn't have the language for it then, this is ultimately a story about neurodivergent minds—brilliant, intense, uncompromising minds that see the world differently—trying to survive in systems built for neurotypical conformity. It explores the profound shame of not belonging—how we're forced either to change ourselves to fit what's offered, sometimes at devastating personal cost, or face exclusion and judgement.