Where are the Female Fictional Characters with ADHD?

By Lisa Timoney

Whilst my eldest daughter was undergoing a diagnosis for ADHD, I embarked on a massive learning curve, absorbing as much information about the condition as I could. The truth about how ADHD presents in women was entirely new to me. I thought behavioural issues and hyperactivity were defining factors, but my daughter is calm, well behaved and articulate. Until I did my research, I had no clue that her working memory problems, social anxiety, lack of motivation and poor executive function were traits of ADHD (inattentive subtype) all common in women and girls.

Because this gap in understanding delayed her diagnosis, and therefore her treatment, I wanted to tell the world what I’d learned. The best way I could think of doing that was to include it all in a book. At the time, I was in the process of plotting His Secret Wife, my third family drama with Avon (HarperCollins), and before beginning to write my novel, I wanted to research other books with protagonists who had ADHD. 

I found a couple of male characters: Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes is a great example of someone with ADHD traits: he has trouble remembering appointments but can solve complex crimes with incredible hyperfocus. Mark Twain’s Tom Sawyer is hyperactive and impulsive. He has a heart of gold but struggles with friendships and authority figures.

I’ve read a number of excellent contemporary books with neurodivergent characters, but most demonstrate ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) traits, like The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon, and The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion. Gorgeous Finn, in Linda Green’s beautiful book, One Moment, is a fantastic neurodivergent character, and it’s true that ADHD and ASD can coexist, but I’ve found very few characters who have specific ADHD traits, fewer still who have the inattentive subtype which seems to be more prevalent in women.

I posted on Twitter (@LTimoneywrites since you ask) requesting titles with characters with ADHD, but despite having thousands of bookish followers, I only had one recommendation, and that was Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman. It’s a great book, but the main character demonstrates more ASD traits than ADHD ones.

That’s when I started to wonder why there is a dearth of representation for people with ADHD in literature, and women in particular.

I concluded there are two main reasons:

The first is lack of awareness. I suspect that when most people think of ADHD, they still imagine little boys fidgeting and being disruptive in the classroom (Like Tom Sawyer and the wonderful Demon Copperhead). I’d certainly been guilty of that mere months before. Unless you know how a condition presents, you can’t write it accurately. Most writers I know are sticklers for authenticity and rightfully so.

The second reason might be that the condition is so broad and varied, it is difficult to pin down in one character. For example, it’s hard to believe that my quiet, highly-creative, hyper-focussing daughter has the same condition as my friend’s chatty, anxious child who is a bundle of noise and nervous energy.

But I wasn’t going to let either of these issues put me off. In fact, it made me all the more determined to raise awareness of ADHD and include as much information about all the subtypes and as many of the comorbid conditions as I could.

To this end, in His Secret Wife, I’ve written two neurodivergent children, a little girl with the inattentive subtype and a boy with comorbid selective mutism. They present so differently that it’s hard to believe they have the same condition. But they do. I show them going through the diagnosis process (slightly truncated for the sake of the story) and I have tried to give an authentic representation of how their parents respond and feel throughout all of this.

It’s a domestic drama, so I needed a compelling plot to keep the reader engaged (there was no point including all this glorious information if the reader was bored by page 22 and stopped reading). I hope my explosive story of two women discovering they were married to the same man succeeds in that. Thankfully, the reviews suggest it does. Phew!

What the reviews also illustrate is that people are learning about ADHD through reading the book.

One even goes so far as to say: 

‘Timoney’s well-paced plot, authentic characters, and her deep dive into ADHD and associated conditions make for a timely read. I promise you that you’ll view neurodiversity differently after reading this book. It’s a must-read for every parent, educator, and childcare provider.’

This review made me cry. As a parent of a young woman with ADHD, the thought that I could have a positive impact on awareness and understanding means the absolute world.

The best outcome is that my daughter is relieved and reassured by her diagnosis. She is now twenty, thriving at university, and she understands herself better than she did before. In celebration of that, and the fact that my extended research for the book helped enormously with our whole family’s understanding of ADHD, she is planning a tattoo of the mother and daughter image on the book’s cover.

Since the book’s publication I’ve had messages from readers who are recognising the difficulties Cora and Harry face in His Secret Wife in their own children, and are seeking help for them as a result.

Awareness is increasing, and I’m proud to play a small part in that. But I wish with all my heart that I had known what I know now about ADHD , especially how it presents in women, when my daughter was small. I think all of our lives and relationships would have been easier for it.

Now I can say with certainty that I can name one novel with a main female character with ADHD. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if there were more?

—

Originally from Yorkshire, Lisa now lives in London with her husband and two teenage daughters. She started her career teaching English and Drama and has written three family drama novels under her own name, filled with devastating secrets and explosive revelations. In February, she published her first Book Club novel, The Memory Library, under the pen name Kate Storey. It’s an uplifting book about family, community and the perennial love of books.

HIS SECRET WIFE

‘Wow. Fans of Jodi Picoult will love this!’ Real Reader Review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

What happens when his secret wife is the only one who can save your child?

Elle has the perfect life. A hard-working husband, a clever little boy, and a gorgeous home in a quaint neighbourhood.

Jen also has the perfect life. A passionate relationship with a doting husband, a creative little girl, and an exciting career.

When a strange coincidence throws them together, they become close friends. But then they uncover a shocking truth: they share the same husband.

As they both grapple with this devastating revelation, Elle receives worrying news about her son’s health. When things go from bad to worse and Elle has no one else to turn to, will Jen help the woman who shattered her world? And can Elle trust the other woman with her child’s life?

An emotional and powerful novel about motherhood, friendship and a shocking secret that will tear life as they know it apart. Guaranteed to keep you hooked until the very last page. Perfect for fans of Kerry Fisher, Emma Robinson and Jodi Picoult.

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Tags: featured, women writers

Category: On Writing