A Kind of Spark

Written by Elle McNicoll, A Kind of Spark (2020) is a middle grade novel that follows Addie, an 11-year-old Scottish girl with autism who campaigns to erect a memorial in honor of women who were persecuted as witches during the Scottish witch trials. 

Like her protagonist, McNicoll is also neurodivergent, and her lived experience lends her narrative an authenticity that has been widely praised by critics and readers alike. The novel explores themes of Combating Prejudice Against Neurodiversity, Witches as Representations of Marginalized Individuals, and The Importance of External Support Systems.

This guide refers to the 2021 Penguin Random House e-book edition.

Content Warning: The source material and guide feature depictions of death, ableism, bullying, child abuse, and physical abuse.

Plot Summary

Addie Darrow, an 11-year-old girl with autism, lives in the Scottish village of Juniper with her parents and her older sisters, twins Nina and Keedie. The story opens when her strict, cruel teacher, Ms. Murphy, tears up a story that Addie wrote, condemning it for poor handwriting, which is caused by Addie’s difficulty with motor skills. To make matters worse, Addie’s best friend, Jenna, recently befriended Emily, who bullies Addie.

Because of her autism, Addie has difficulties with processing the sensory stimuli of the busy school environment, and she spends most lunch breaks in the quiet of the library, where she can find some peace. She is fond of the librarian, Mr. Allison, who treats her with respect and accommodates her neurodivergence. He lends her a book about sharks, her special interest, and allows her to keep it as long as she wants.

At home, Addie waits eagerly for the return of her sister Keedie. Her father cooks for the family but sets a special dish of plain pasta aside for Addie in order to accommodate her sensory differences. Nina is already home; rather than attending university like her sister, she works as an online beauty influencer. She is also less attentive to Addie’s needs than other members of the family are. When Keedie arrives home, she climbs in through the kitchen window. Keedie, who also has autism, is a role model for Addie and is fiercely protective of her, helping her understand her differences from neurotypical people and navigate challenges like sensory overload, motor issues, and social masking. As the two take a walk together, Keedie reveals to Addie that she hasn’t told anyone at the university that she also has autism. This admission contradicts Keedie’s frequent claims that Addie should be loud and proud about her neurodivergence.

The next day at school, Addie greets Jenna, but Emily interjects with hostility, declaring that no one wants to sit with Addie at lunch. Audrey, the new student, interjects and announces that she wants to sit with Addie. This enrages Emily. Just then, Ms. Murphy arrives and announces a new project: a history of Scotland’s witch trials. Addie is fascinated by the subject and is amazed to learn that the town of Juniper also took part in these witch trials, putting women through unwinnable ordeals before summarily executing them. Addie’s stark sense of justice bristles at these stories, and she feels a kinship with the accused women, reflecting that she has also faced persecution for her differences. After class, she rushes to the library to research witches. There, Audrey joins her and takes an interest in the research.

Addie’s interest in and connection to those killed in the witch trials drives her to drag her family to a local council meeting, where she makes a proposal for a memorial in the name of the persecuted women. Mr. Macintosh, the chair of the council, dismisses this idea, fearing that such a memorial would tarnish the reputation of Juniper. Addie is disappointed, but Keedie encourages her to try again. On the way home, Addie notices that Keedie seems out of sorts. Nina explains that university is a big change for Keedie. She then asks Addie to appear in one of her videos. During the recording, she asks Addie to tell viewers about her autism, but Addie objects to this.

The next day, Addie and Keedie walk through the forest, and Keedie explains that the challenges of neurodivergence don’t go away after school. Addie thinks back to the difficulties they had with an abusive babysitter who tormented Keedie until she had a meltdown. This incident distressed Addie and triggered a meltdown in her, too, causing her to attack the babysitter. Keedie takes her mind off these memories by asking her about the women branded as witches; Addie’s favorite is called Maggie.

In school, Audrey and Addie develop a friendship, and Audrey is intrigued by Addie’s interest in the women tried as witches. She asks Addie about her autism, and Addie explains elements of her neurodivergence, such as her sensory challenges and the selectivity of her focus. 

At home, Addie walks in on a heated conversation between Nina and Keedie. They send Addie away, but she eavesdrops and finds out that Keedie is furious with Nina for featuring Addie in one of her videos. Addie looks up the video online and discovers that although the comments have been disabled, a response video is rife with ableist abuse. Addie becomes extremely upset and wishes that she did not have autism.

Addie and her class attend a field trip and learn more about the witch trials. When the tour guide, Mr. Patterson, tells a graphic tale of the persecution of so-called witches, he uses insensitive language to describe people with disabilities. This moment triggers a meltdown in Addie, and Ms. Murphy leaves her behind, telling her to catch up with the rest of the group once she has calmed down.

Ms. Murphy later calls in Addie’s parents to discuss the incident, and she callously suggests removing Addie from the classroom environment entirely, which Addie’s mother vociferously opposes. Later, Audrey asks Addie what happened on the school trip and then suggests that they make flyers for the memorial campaign. 

At school, Addie tells Audrey about Keedie and Keedie’s friend Bonnie, who was sent to a mental health facility where she now endures mistreatment.

When the school is closed for a teacher training day, Addie is left in the care of Nina, who goes upstairs to film videos. Left unattended, Addie finds Keedie’s student card. Growing anxious at the thought that Keedie can’t function without the card, she sneaks out and takes the bus to Keedie’s university to deliver the card to her sister. This causes a minor crisis in the family when Keedie displays symptoms of autistic burnout.

At another council meeting, Addie proposes the memorial again, but this time, Mr. Macintosh dismisses the idea on the grounds of cost, so Addie resolves to raise the money herself. Also attending the meeting is Miriam Jensen, a widow whom Addie perceives as showing signs of autism as well. After a day of canvasing outside the bookshop for donations, Addie goes inside to read while Keedie walks Audrey home. Emily and her father come in, and Addie discovers that Emily has reading difficulties. When she notices Addie, she flees the shop. The next day in school, Emily vandalizes Addie’s thesaurus, writing a slur on it. Addie has a meltdown and attacks Emily, and Ms. Murphy and Mr. Allison intervene.

Ms. Murphy takes Addie to her office after school and berates her. When Nina and Keedie arrive, Ms. Murphy tells a one-sided account of the incident, blaming Addie. Keedie stands up to Ms. Murphy, and when Audrey and Mr. Allison also arrive and defend her, Emily’s pattern of bullying is finally revealed.

On the way home, Nina apologizes to Addie for putting her in a video; she also explains that Keedie had many difficulties when she was in school. They arrive home to find that Keedie is in her room, dealing with autistic burnout. They help her into bed, and Addie stays with her until they both fall asleep.

Addie makes one more attempt to pitch the memorial to the council, developing a more organized proposal with Audrey’s help. She explains that the women persecuted for being witches were perceived as being different, just like her. She declares that if the past is not acknowledged, it may happen again. Her impassioned speech wins the council over, and the novel ends with the reveal of the new memorial.