Abstract

"I knew this guy was out of the square. He was so far out, he was in the hexagonal prism that was past the triangle next to the square."

When the author met her future husband, she was instantly charmed by his intensity, wacky conversation choices, and innate desire to create peculiar names. Seventeen years, one wedding, one baby and several adopted names later, it began to dawn on 'Herscue' that family jokes about her husband having Asperger's Syndrome may be closer to the truth than she had first imagined.

Filled with moving and hilarious tales, one of which provides the origins of the author and her husband's adopted names, Herscue and Jomphrey, and their even stranger pronunciations, this personal account grapples with the highs and lows of a 25 year marriage to an Aspie husband.

When Herscue Met Jomphrey is a quirky, delightful, sometimes painful, darkly humorous account of a neurodiverse marriage. Narrating what it's like to live with an idiosyncratic Aspie husband, with unparalleled precision, insight and perfect timing, the book reads like the material of a standup comic! As entertaining as a popular novel, with the bittersweet pathos of film noir, I can imagine Aspies and their partners over the world knowingly nodding their heads. Clinicians alike would gain a deeper understanding of what really goes on inside a marriage where one person has Asperger's Syndrome.
Eva Mendes, Asperger/autism specialist, couples counselor, and author of 'Marriage and Lasting Relationships with Asperger’s Syndrome: Successful Strategies for Couples and Counselors'
The tale of Herscue and Jomphrey is not a tale of woe. It is a tale of hope, patience and commitment. Reading this book made me laugh, hold my breath in disbelief and nod my head in agreement. Bergenstreiml tells the story of her marriage to a very different and highly intelligent man with Asperger Syndrome. Their story is unique and unlike any that I have read; it is a joy to be able to share it with them. A must-have read for anyone seeking to develop a better understanding of AS/NT relationships.
Maxine Aston, counsellor, supervisor and author of 'The Other Half of Asperger Syndrome (Autism Spectrum Disorder)'
Herscue Bergenstreiml has been married for 25 years to a man who identifies as Asperger's. She currently works as a Family Services Coordinator and lives in Queensland, Australia, with her husband and daughter.