Margaret Jean Oct 2021

Margaret Jean Adam.

Unforgiving: The Memoir of An Asperger Teen…

I wrote Unforgiving to illustrate how situations that develop in a child’s life can leave someone who is socially-challenged feeling isolated from their family, community and society in general, and as a reminder to my adult self, of the places and ways that I found empowerment in a frightening and lonely childhood.    Margaret Jean Adam.

Unforgiving: The Memoir of An Asperger Teen won first place in the “Era Memoir” Category, the Journey Awards, 2013.

Reviews & Readers’ Comments:

Unforgiving stands out as a powerful and deeply personal work, offering an unflinching portrayal of adolescence, isolation, and self-discovery within a historical moment that often silenced difficult truths.

Margaret Jean’s journey through a pivotal summer of adolescence, framed by past trauma and emerging self-determination, creates a compelling narrative…

The exploration of neurodivergence, silence, and personal awakening positions the memoir within a literary space where lived experience and cultural reflection meaningfully intersect.

… resonates with readers seeking courageous, experience-driven storytelling grounded in resilience and voice.   Cassandra  Gutman

Your memoir Unforgiving: The Memoir of an Asperger Teen immediately captured my attention.

Your powerful story, set in 1963, long before Asperger’s syndrome was understood or even recognized, offers an essential and deeply human look into the challenges of growing up neurodivergent in a time when silence, stigma, and limited opportunities shaped nearly every aspect of a young woman’s life.

The contrast between Margaret Jean’s determined pursuit of a film audition at sixteen and the trauma she endured at twelve, surviving the presence of a sexual predator welcomed into her own home, creates an emotionally gripping narrative.  Your willingness to revisit the fear, isolation, blunders, and ultimately the resilience and achievements of your younger self allows readers to experience a story that is both courageous and profoundly moving.          Liese Mary

I loved it, I cried, I laughed. You shared your secrets and your soul.  Your new fan, Maureen Wilson.

There’s an edgy style to this book, from the title onward.* Editor 79, Writers’ Digest Self-Published Book Contest.

Provides a very real account of how someone with Asperger’s operates in the world, in terms of being left out, often misunderstood, and not being able to pick up the social cues that serve to engage and protect people.

Tara Odovichuc, Counsellor.

M.J. Adam has crafted an inspiring book, a definite must-read for anyone who has, knows, is, or was an Asperger’s teen. I highly recommend it for anyone who cares about child survivors of any kind of trauma, and for teens struggling to understand themselves and the world they live in.      Vanessa Grant, Author

This could be a sad story but in Margaret Adam’s skillful storytelling hands, it is an elating story.  Betsy Warland, author of Breathing the Page–Reading the Act of Writing.

When I started reading this book I couldn’t stop. I found myself trying to hurry through my responsibilities of the day so I could get back to see what was next for Margaret Jean. I was done in 2 days. Tara Odovichuc, Counsellor.