THE SEVEN SOCIAL RULES SPREADSHEET

THE SEVEN SOCIAL RULES SPREADSHEET by Frances Perkins reads like a female version of THE ROSIE PROJECT, with shades of THE UNLIKELY PILGRIMAGE OF HAROLD FRY. It was shortlisted for the 2016 Mslexia First Novel Project, and is currently on the shortlist for the Lucy Cavendish prize.
Twenty-seven-year-old Elvira is neuroatypical. She lives at home with her overbearing mother, after her father – who she believes was in the secret service - passes away. Elvira spends most of her time cooped up at home: after several Incidents growing up, her mother deems her unfit to cope with the wider world. But when her mother has a stroke and is taken into care, Elvira is suddenly forced to look after herself, or risk ending up in sheltered accommodation.

I was scrubbing potatoes when Mother had her Stroke. I knew this kind of thing happened because I'd seen it on 'Casualty'. Old people often collapsed and fell and died, but I'd never thought it would happen to Mother. I was surprised she'd allowed it to.

Twenty-seven-year-old Elvira is neuroatypical. She lives at home with her overbearing mother, after her father – who she believes was in the secret service - passes away. Elvira spends most of her time cooped up at home: after several Incidents growing up, her mother deems her unfit to cope with the wider world. But when her mother has a stroke and is taken into care, Elvira is suddenly forced to look after herself, or risk ending up in sheltered accommodation. Armed with her Seven Social Rules Spreadsheet, which she puts together based on her online research, she learns how to deal with people who are very different to her. And when she discovers that everything she thought she knew about her father was a lie, she must unravel the mystery of what really happened between her parents.

Funny, heart-warming and ultimately uplifting, THE SEVEN SOCIAL RULES SPREADSHEET is for anyone who doesn't quite fit in. Frances wanted to give a voice to people who don't often have one - and to focus on making the story a positive one.

THE SEVEN SOCIAL RULES SPREADSHEET is Frances Perkins’ first novel. It was runner-up in the Good Housekeeping 2014 First Novel Award, shortlisted for the 2016 Mslexia First Novel Competition and is currently on the shortlist for the Lucy Cavendish prize. Frances teaches English, part time, to adults with learning difficulties, including Asperger’s. She is married with one grown-up daughter and lives in Dorset.