Funny, heart-warming and ultimately triumphant, The Seven Imperfect Rules of Elvira Carr by Frances Maynard is a story for anyone who doesn't quite fit in - and for everyone who chooses not to. Perfect for fans of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine.

'Wonderful' - Rosie Walsh, author of The Man Who Didn't Call.

Elvira Carr is twenty-seven, neuro-atypical, and has never lived alone. But her father - who she suspects was in the secret service - is dead, and when her mother has a stroke and is taken into care, Elvira suddenly finds herself home alone. In order to cope, Elvira - who knows a lot about biscuits and supermarkets, but not much about life - develops Seven Rules for interacting with others. Not even her rules can help her, however, when she's faced with solving a mystery she didn't know existed . . .

'Big-hearted and charming' - James Hannah, author of The A to Z of You and Me.

Finding herself navigating the wide world for the first time, Elvira Carr arms herself with a set of Seven Imperfect Rules to help her fit in - what could go wrong?

About the Author
The Seven Imperfect Rules of Elvira Carr is Frances Maynard's first novel. It was runner-up in the Good Housekeeping First Novel Award and shortlisted for both the Mslexia First Novel Competition and 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.

Reviews
Absolutely fantastic -- Rosie Walsh, author of The Man Who Didn't Call
Funny and heart-warming, Elvira is our new hero * The Sun, Fabulous magazine *
Big-hearted and charming . . . Elvira manages to conjure up the one thing we could all do with: a cheat sheet for the painful puzzle of everyday life -- James Hannah, author of The A to Z of You and Me
Charming . . . Ellie will make readers smile and occasionally want to take her under a protective arm -- Booklist
'A heartwarming coming-of-age story. Perfect for book clubs and for readers who enjoyed The Rosie Project' * Library Journal *
A novel which will stick in your mind long after reading, stalking your thoughts as you go about everyday life . . . When I finished the book, I couldn't help but wish there was a sequel . . . Marvellous -- Ronnie Turner, blogger
Funny and heartwarming * My Weekly *
Memorable and touching . . . The Seven Imperfect Rules of Elvira Carr is an important novel and a great read, with elements of mystery, discovering friendship, and working out how to be independent in the world * Siobhan Dunlop, blogger at FiendfullyReading *
Sometimes characters come along in books that are so utterly exquisite you feel blessed to have experienced them and indebted to their author for having gifted to them. Such is the case with Elvira Carr . . . A tale that is full of joy, empathy, honesty and warmth -- Jade Craddock, nudge-book.com
Fans of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and The Rosie Project will love this endearing book . . . Heartwarming with a mystery at its centre . . . Elvira's character is written with such genuine affection that you can't help but root for her * bookriot.com *


Awards
Runner-up for Society of Authors: McKitterick Prize 2018 (UK).



Book Information
ISBN 9781509842131
Author Frances Maynard
Format Paperback
Page Count 400
Imprint Picador
Publisher Pan Macmillan
Weight(grams) 272g
Dimensions(mm) 196mm * 130mm * 25mm