Life Hacks For a Little Alien - the tender and life-affirming debut, perfect for book clubs

'Wise and playful and tender and beautiful' Bobby Palmer'So brilliant, so original and lovely and funny, that it reminds you of the point of reading' Rebecca WaitPerfect for fans of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine and Remarkably Bright Creatures, this is a charming, witty and moving novel about what it feels like to grow up neurodivergent. Little Alien lives with her mum and her dad in the South-East of England.
Her mum has a 'how-to' guide for every situation, and her dad is always kind and always right. And there is her best friend Bobby, who coincidentally has a bob. But it is only when Little Alien sees a documentary about the Voynich Manuscript - a mediaeval codex written in an unknown language and script - that she begins to suspect that there are other people who feel just like her. Convinced that translating this manuscript will offer the answers she needs, she sets out on a journey that will show her a delicious taste of freedom.
So begins Little Alien's story, told from the perspective of an older, wiser linguist, whose guidance will help Little Alien navigate a world that makes her feel like she doesn't belong.'Unique and thoroughly engaging. It is insightful and funny and gently poignant. By telling the story of one little alien, Alice Franklin has told the story of many' Pip Williams, author of The Dictionary of Lost Words'Totally addictive and brilliant .