Mercedes Fernandez asked Tracey Garvis Graves:

Do you know someone with Autism that inspired you to write this wonderful book?

Tracey Garvis Graves Hi Mercedes,

First of all, thank you for letting me know you thought the book was wonderful. That is so great to hear. I'm thrilled that you enjoyed The Girl He Used to Know.

A reader asked the same question a few days ago so I'm copying and pasting the answer I gave her.

I do not have anyone among my immediate family or friends who are on the autism spectrum. Because I did not have any firsthand experience with ASD, I relied on extensive research to make sure I wrote the character of Annika with sensitivity and authenticity. She had so many wonderful gifts to offer the people in her life and is by far one of my favorite characters.

I have a feeling I will get this question a lot and I hope it means that readers feel I succeeded in my goal of writing Annika's character with the sensitivity and authenticity I was striving for. I'm a writer who enjoys doing extensive research and every book I've written has required a fair amount. Writing from the POV of characters who are not like me allows me to tell more stories. Writing The Girl He Used to Know was challenging at times, but Annika will always be one of my favorite characters.

Please let me know if I can answer any other questions. :)

Best,

Tracey

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