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Joe Nuthin's Guide to Life

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About The Book

A thoroughly uplifting novel about a neurodivergent young man who unexpectedly builds a community and saves a friend in need by following—in a way only he can—his mother’s words of wisdom.

Joe-Nathan likes the two parts of his name separate, just like dinner and dessert. Mean Charlie at work sometimes calls him Joe-Nuthin. But Joe is far from nothing. Joe is a good friend, good at his job, good at making things and at following rules, and he is learning how to do lots of things by himself.

Joe’s mother knows there are a million things he isn’t yet prepared for. While she helps to guide him every day, she is also writing notebooks of advice for Joe, of all the things she hasn’t yet told him about life and things he might forget.

By following her advice, Joe’s life is about to be more of a surprise than he expects. Because he’s about to learn that remarkable things can happen when you leave your comfort zone, and that you can do even the hardest things with a little help from your friends.

Excerpt

Chapter 1: A Man of No Mean Bones 1 A man of no mean bones
Joe-Nathan’s mum, Janet, always told him he didn’t have a mean bone in his body, and he was thinking this as he wheeled a trolley of go-backs round the store: returning items that had been picked up by customers in one aisle and put down in another. He was certain that candles—for example—felt lost and lonely when they were abandoned among jars of peanut butter or the towels, certain that they were relieved to be reunited with their own candle-kind. Joe liked to think that if he were displaced, someone would do the same for him.

Joe worked hard to prove his mother right and to try to make other people feel the same way about him. To be considered a man of no mean bones was his raison d’être.

“There’s a spill on aisle five,” said Hugo, putting one hand on Joe’s trolley and tilting his head as though he felt bad asking him to clean it up. “You okay to do it?”

Joe saluted. “Yes, sir, what color is it? Is it red?”

“It’s just milk, and please don’t call me sir. I may be old enough to be your father, but only just! If you call me ‘sir,’ you’ll make me feel really old.” He whispered the next sentence as though it were a secret. “I’ve always felt a little uncomfortable being the boss. Just call me Hugo.”

“Hugo Boss,” said Joe without humor (because none was intended) and saluted again. He tried not to look at Hugo’s short fuzz of closely shaved hair, which covered his head from the apex to the nape of his neck. He always felt the urge to polish it clean so it was nice and shiny like his dad’s head used to be.

Hugo smiled. “Okay, Joe. So, aisle five?”

“Sir!”

“No, don’t call me ‘sir,’?” Hugo said again. “Remember, I’m old but not that old.” And suddenly he was a whole aisle away, shaking his head and looking at his clipboard.

As soon as the milk had been mopped, Joe returned to his go-backs. He was a good mopper and cleaned the mop meticulously when he was finished. Hugo Boss was nice, and Joe knew he would never have asked him to clean up on aisle five if the spillage had been red.

Joe had worked at The Compass Store for five years. When he came for his interview (accompanied by his mum) he was overwhelmed by the variety of things for sale. The apparent chaos of the place made him sweat and he couldn’t wait to get home. Hugo had said he was keen to have someone like Joe on board, and “not just because it looked good on the stats,” but because he felt that Joe would be a positive influence and set a good example. He was offered the job, but wanted to turn it down, because—he told his mum—the place just doesn’t make sense.

“He has OCD,” Janet had said, when she explained on the phone why Joe wouldn’t be taking the job.

“I understand,” Hugo had said. “I really do. Would you come back in again and let me explain to Joe-Nathan how the store works? When he understands, it might just appeal to him.”

“This place is called The Compass Store because the layout is designed around areas designated to north, south, east, and west, as well as northeast and east-northeast and so on,” Hugo explained. He led Joe to the very center of the shop where a large mosaic of a compass was embedded in the floor and handed him a real compass (for sale on aisle three) and told him to go ahead and check: the mosaic was accurate.

“If you ever get lost, make your way to the mosaic, stand on the arrow pointing west, and walk straight ahead, you’ll come to my office and I’ll help you find your way. There’s a lot of things in this store, Joe, and to the untrained eye they may not appear to make sense, but for most things, there is a link, a reason, and most certainly a place.”

At that moment, a girl with bobbed black hair, red lips, and chewing gum walked by with a trolley that said “go-backs” on it. She winked at Joe and snapped her gum; the smell of smoke and Juicy Fruit was in her wake. Joe tried to wink back but did a long blink instead. She smiled at him with a perfect gap between her two front teeth. The manager explained what the go-backs were, and Joe suddenly found himself interested.

“Do you like puzzles?” Hugo asked.

Joe nodded. “Jigsaws.”

“He can make his own jigsaws,” said Janet. “His dad taught him how.”

“Can he really?” Hugo had paused, put his hands on his hips, and looked at Joe with respect.

“Well, think of this place like a big jigsaw: every day, people move a few pieces around and we put them back where they belong. And we sell things too! Let’s not forget that!”

“And you clean?” said Joe, watching an overweight, bespectacled man with a hearing aid push an enormous two-pronged broom casually down the center of the store.

“You like things clean and tidy?” said the manager. “Then this really is the place for you. We need you.”

Joe turned slowly in the middle of the mosaic; his soft brown eyes scanned his surroundings. He liked the bright white background and the shiny white floors. He liked that customers moved around like slow-moving traffic, never bumping into each other. Where he could see that the bottles and cans and clothes and books were neatly stacked, he felt comfortable, but when he saw something out of place, on its side, or out of alignment, it snagged his senses like a rough fingernail.

There was the girl again: at southeast. He watched as she moved to east-southeast and put something on a shelf. Her black bobbed hair was a sharp contrast to the white store, and nothing about her looked out of place; she looked like she completely belonged. She was cool; Joe recognized that. She saw him watching and gave a little wave and another one of her gappy smiles.

Reading Group Guide

This reading group guide for Joe Nuthin’s Guide to Life includes an introduction, discussion questions, and ideas for enhancing your book club. The questions are intended to help your reading group find new and interesting angles and topics for your discussion. We hope that these ideas will enrich your conversation and increase your enjoyment of the book.

Introduction

Joe-Nathan likes the two parts of his name separate, just like dinner and dessert. Mean Charlie at work sometimes calls him Joe-Nuthin. But Joe is far from nothing. Joe is a good friend, good at his job, good at making things and at following rules, and he is learning how to do lots of things by himself.

Joe’s mother knows there are a million things he isn’t yet prepared for. While she helps to guide him every day, she is also writing notebooks of advice for Joe, of all the things she hasn’t yet told him about life and things he might forget.

By following her advice, Joe’s life is about to be more of a surprise than he expects. Because he’s about to learn that remarkable things can happen when you leave your comfort zone, and that you can do even the hardest things with a little help from your friends.

Topics and Questions for Discussion

1. The novel opens with Janet’s entry about fear from the yellow book of advice before we are introduced to Joe-Nathan and the other characters. How does this set up the story thematically? How does it set up Joe’s character?

2. Time is a guiding force in Joe’s life. Joe depends on routine, and he likes how time moves at the same pace and pushes things along. How does time operate in this novel? Does the novel move at a steady pace? At what points does the pace of the novel slow down? What is the purpose of those slow-motion moments, and how do they make you feel?

3. Between Janet, the blue book, the yellow book, and Friends, Joe has guides and references to make sense of life and the world around him. Do you have a “Janet” in your life? Or do you have a book or piece of media you use as a guide and reference point in your life?

4. Epitaphs fascinate Joe. Considering Joe’s appreciation of structure and direction in his life (for example, the Compass Store being laid out like an actual compass so he can always find his way around the store), how do you think the epitaphs play into that? Do epitaphs help Joe find structure in other parts of his life? What do you see as the purpose of the epitaphs in this novel?

5. Joe is a neurodivergent character with OCD. How does the author make Joe a relatable character even when the reader may not be familiar with neurodivergent thought processes? Are there specific passages, descriptions, or scenes in which you felt you could really understand Joe’s thought process and how he sees the world? How does the author put you in Joe’s shoes?

6. Following the previous question, there are subplots in the novel that Joe does not pick up on at first, but we as readers may see. Consider Pip’s crush on Hugo, or moments when people are mean to Joe and he does not realize. How does the author convey these things to the reader while maintaining Joe’s perspective and without spelling them out?

7. This novel deals a lot with death and grief. How do the characters represent different ways of handling grief? Consider thinking about other characters in addition to Joe, like Angus and Hazel.

8. In literature, a foil is a character that contrasts with another character in order to highlight the other’s qualities. They’re not so much opposites as they are sides of the same coin. How is Charlie a foil of Joe? How can Chloe and Charlie be considered foils of each other? What character traits are accentuated when you look at these pairings? Are there any other characters that you think may be a foil of another?

9. Reflect on the friendships present in the novel. Consider what Janet writes about friends, how Chloe is a good friend but can be wrong at times, and how Charlie appears mean but does try to be a friend to Joe. What does the novel teach you about friendship? How does friendship relate to family?

10. Assumptions play a large role in this story. People make assumptions about Joe nearly every day of his life, and in the yellow book of advice, Janet warns Joe to be careful before he assumes anything. What assumptions did you have about the story or certain characters when you started reading? Were you proven wrong?

11. Joe sees and understands the world differently than neurotypical people. When Pip tries to explain why he does not need to be nice to bullies with a story about her cat, Joe asks questions until Pip has to reconsider her own perspective. Chloe says that “He does this . . . He makes you think” (pg. 141). Was there a moment in the book when Joe made you think or reconsider a view you had?

12. In the epilogue, Charlie makes Joe an epitaph plaque, and Joe requests that he write Joe-Nuthin instead of Joe-Nathan. Why do you think Joe chooses to keep this nickname?

13. Return to the prologue and the first question in this guide. What did this novel teach you about fear? What did Joe learn about fear?

Enhance Your Book Club

1. We see snippets from the blue and yellow books Janet made for Joe throughout the novel. Discuss in a group what you would like to have seen Janet write. Try writing your own entries for the yellow book of advice and share with the group. What can you all learn from each other?

2. Host a Friends viewing party. Watch the episodes Joe references in the novel and whichever other episodes are your favorites.

3. If you were to write an epitaph for yourself, what would it say? Individually, everyone should write an epitaph for themselves and then share with the group. See if the group would highlight the same qualities that you would about yourself. This is not a game and there is no winner, but bonus points go to whoever can come up with the funniest epitaph!

About The Author

(c) Johnny Ring

Helen Fisher spent her early life in America but grew up mainly in Suffolk, England, where she now lives with her two children. She studied psychology at the University of Westminster and ergonomics at University College London and worked as a senior evaluator in research at the Royal National Institute of Blind People. She is the author of Faye, Faraway.

Product Details

  • Publisher: Gallery Books (May 28, 2024)
  • Length: 400 pages
  • ISBN13: 9781982142704

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Raves and Reviews

“Fisher portrays Joe with tenderness and grace, highlighting his genuine challenges, frustrations, and sparks of joy… Fisher’s latest is an utter delight.”

Booklist

A moving tale of a life led differently which, while full of gentle understanding, doesn’t shy away from tragedy and violence.

Daily Mail

‘Prepare to have your cockles warmed by this adorable book about 23-year-old Joe, who unexpectedly finds himself out of his comfort zone... His unique, charming voice makes this a joy to read’

Good Housekeeping

‘Sensitive, wise and funny, this beautiful book is filled with heart and delivered in a unique and incredibly endearing voice. I laughed, I cried and I fell completely in love with the absolute treasure of Joe Nuthin

– Julietta Henderson, author of The Funny Thing about Norman Foreman

‘A gorgeous, big-hearted story about friendship, resilience and learning to value others for who they really are’

– Caroline Day, author of Hope Nicely's Lessons for Life

'An entertaining and life-affirming story with a charm all of its own. Told in a clear, authentic voice and woven with gems of wisdom, it pulls you in and has you rooting for the characters throughout. A real joy to read.'

– Hazel Prior, author of Away with the Penguins

'Extraordinary. Melted my heart’'

– Heidi Swain, bestselling author of The Winter Garden

‘You can do anything with a little help from friends…’

Take a Break

‘The perfect wholesome read to snuggle up with a cup of tea and a plate of biscuits - you’ll feel warm right through.’

Chat

‘Fisher writes with a clarity that makes the empathy, compassion and humour of this novel unputdownable.'

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