Best Laid Plans

This sharp-witted novel tackles the messy intersection of maternal love and the realities of adult life for a young man on the autism spectrum with unflinching honesty and laugh-out-loud humor. When Lucy, a crossword-loving teacher, is arrested for kerb-crawling while attempting to hire a sex worker for her twenty-year-old autistic son, Merlin, her desperate quest to help him experience intimacy kicks off a chain of wildly unpredictable events. The premise is a bold and provocative exploration of the lengths a parent will go to secure their child's happiness, even when societal norms are thrown completely out the window.

Lette’s signature comedic voice shines as she navigates this deeply human and often taboo subject matter, finding humor in the most awkward and heartfelt of situations without ever diminishing the characters' dignity. The novel will resonate powerfully with readers who appreciate stories about unconventional families, neurodiversity, and the complex, sometimes misguided, expressions of love. It’s a poignant and hilarious reminder that when it comes to life and love, even the best laid plans can go spectacularly, and wonderfully, awry.