That’s Not Normal

“I know something about being labeled by the world—and about the freedom that comes when you stop letting other people define you. In That’s Not Normal, Stephanie Hanrahan writes with the breathtaking honesty of a best friend, the hard-won wisdom of a parent, and just enough sass to make the hard things easier. This book is a fierce, tender reminder that different is never the problem, the rules are always wrong, and normal is wildly overrated.”—Lara Love Hardin, New York Times bestselling author of The Many Lives of Mama Love

“There are many paths to find success and your identity as autistic people. Fascinating reading for everybody who is interested in offering ways to support and assist individuals on the spectrum.”—Temple Grandin, New York Times bestselling author of Thinking in Pictures

“Stephanie Hanrahan’s powerful book is the greatest gift you can give yourself: a procedural on how to love unconditionally. Her brave witness and radical humility will help you live more gently, more fully, and more meaningfully.”—Meg Kissinger, Pulitzer Prize finalist and author of While You Were Out

“Stephanie Hanrahan does us all a favor and blasts the notion of ‘normal’ and ‘good’ in her book, That’s Not Normal. This book is essential reading for anyone whose life has veered off script and those who never followed the script in the first place. Hanrahan writes beautifully and clearly about how we might free ourselves of the tyranny of ‘normal’ and ‘good.’ That’s Not Normal is a blessing, a comfort, and a triumph.”—Christie Tate, author of New York Times bestseller Group: How One Therapist and a Circle of Strangers Saved My Life

“I have a particular affection for women willing to tell the whole damn truth about being human. That’s Not Normal doesn’t shy away from the messy, complicated realities of motherhood, womanhood, and the things we’re taught to keep quiet. And that’s the beauty of honesty. It gives the rest of us permission to stop pretending, too.”—Laura L. Quick, founder of Good Grit Magazine and author of Mommy Issues: Surviving Big Hair, Bad Decisions, and Family Secrets in the Deep South

“Earnest and brave, this will invigorate believers grappling with questions of disability and difference.”—Publisher's Weekly, starred review

“It takes such courage to defy culturally imposed narratives to meet our children’s individual needs and pave a better way. That’s Not Normal is not only the story of how Stephanie Hanrahan journeyed to fierce acceptance and autism advocacy— it’s an inspiring guide for any parent aching to give their child what they themselves never received. This book will change lives, and I’m so grateful it exists.”—Tia Levings, New York Times bestselling author of A Well-Trained Wife and I Belong to Me