Alice Jolly's new novel, 'The Matchbox Girl', tells the story of a mute autistic girl in wartime Vienna, navigating the rise of Nazism and the moral complexities of Dr Hans Asperger's clinic. The narrator, Adelheid Brunner, is brought to a children's hospital by her grandmother, unable to cope with her fixations on matchboxes. There, she becomes one of many children studied by doctors, including Dr A, later revealed as Hans Asperger, whose research laid the groundwork for understanding autism.
Adelheid learns to present herself as valuable to avoid being discarded, reflecting on how 'one can put on the coat of a Life'. She leaves the hospital to work in her grandmother's cafe, witnessing the rise of Nazism, before returning as a ward assistant during the war. The hospital, while a place of careful observation, also became a site where children were sent to be experimented on or murdered.
Jolly's novel balances sentimentality and honesty, creating a spirited narrative that explores humanity and complicity. Adelheid's inner voice is chaotic but compelling, offering moments of jeopardy and poignant ordinariness. The book ultimately celebrates the humanity the Nazis sought to destroy, with Adelheid finding joy in the 'vastly varied and luminous' world.
While the narrative occasionally jumps across centuries to explore Asperger's legacy, Jolly manages to weave a memorable story that resonates with contemporary questions about care and callousness.
