Flamingo

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What to expect

A novel of love, homelessness, and learning to be fearless

In the garden, there were three flamingos. Not real flamingos, but real emblems, real gateways to a time when life was impossibly good. They were mascots, symbols of hope. Something for a boy to confide in.

First, there were the flamingos. And then there were two families. Sherry and Leslie and their daughters, Rae and Pauline - and Eve and her son Daniel.

Sherry loves her husband, Leslie. She also loves Eve. It couldn't have been a happier summer. But then Eve left and everything went grey. Now Daniel is all grown-up and broken. And when he turns up at Sherry's door, it's almost as if they've all come home again.

But there's still one missing. Where is Eve? And what, exactly, is her story?
FLAMINGO is a novel about the power of love, welcome and acceptance. It's a celebration of kindness, of tenderness. Set in 2018 and the 80s, it's a song for the broken-hearted and the big-hearted, and is, ultimately, a novel grown from gratitude, and a book full of wild hope.

(P) 2022 Headline Publishing Group Ltd

Critics Review

'Flamingo is the most wonderful, life-affirming, readable book about two families who quite by chance end up living next to each other'
Mary Ann Sieghart
Beautifully written, witty, clever, and a proper page-turner
Felicity Hayes-McCoy
I LOVED this . . . I read it in a day . . . It is vibrant and glorious, full of life and colour and pain and love
Julie Cohen
'I love Rachel Elliott's books. I love the way her stories are populated by characters who don't quite seem to neatly fit into the mainstream . . . You come away from reading a story such as this not feeling quite so bad about yourself . . . Utterly exquisite, heart-wrenching and heart-warming'
NB Magazine
It's a wonderful exploration of family and friendships and how covering up the truth can lead to unnecessary pain. Beautifully written, it kept me gripped as the truth began to unravel
Jules Swain
'Flamingo is as gorgeous inside as it is on the outside'
Sarah Turner
'Heartbreaking and funny at the same time. The observations of internal worlds - how we all think and feel, our fears and insecurities - are so accurate and nuanced, and also incredibly kind. Tender and beautiful, this novel is full of profound intimacy. Just wonderful'
Nigel Wellings, psychotherapist and author of Nothing to Lose, Why Can’t I Meditate? and Present With Suffering
'A brilliant and well-written book that I can't recommend enough!'
Owen Hollifield
'A very special book. Flamingo is one of those novels that's hard to describe, because there's so much in it. It's only when you have read and thought about it that you can really start to appreciate what an incredible author Rachel Elliott is, and how layered and nuanced her novel is. I loved it'
Clare, Two Fond of Books
'Flamingo is a beautiful story of love. You get close to Daniel, Rae, Leslie and the others . . . You want to keep them in your heart, listen to them, sit down at that table and be a family together. The writing style is magnificent: stimulating, intriguing, musical, like a song. A brilliant book - this is a five-star for me'
Naza The Bookworm
'It's really different, fresh, endearing. It's about managing to be in a family and being seen for who you are - all the struggles of that. An easy read yet there's so much emotion. Bravo!'
Philippa Hall, The Quick Book Reviews Podcast
There is heartbreak and laughter within these pages, and everything in between. Rachel captures the human experience so perfectly and the raw emotions leap off the page. It's brilliant and I thoroughly recommend!'
Joanna Wright, Books and Lovely Things
I loved it for many reasons, but her ability to have you laughing out loud on one page, and genuinely moved on the next is a rare and wonderful talent
Years of Reading Selfishly
Every now and then a book stands out as not just amazing but absolutely exceptional and Flamingo is that book.
Intensive Gassing About Books
'Poetic, lyrical, it pulled me in. You really start to feel a part of it - this story, this family . . . I would highly recommend'
The Bert’s Books Podcast
'I don't know if I can find the right words to express how much I loved this book . . . I was enchanted by this story and it will keep a special place in my heart'
The Lotus Readers
'This is a moving story, beautifully written - a story that shows in times of despair that there is always hope, love and kindness around'
Zoe Bees Books
'An enchanting and charming read . . . Even after I had finished it I was still thinking about the characters. It's a story that people may find comfort in, a tender story that in time will heal us'
Echoes in an Empty Room
'I loved the rich and well-developed characters . . . A book I've been unwilling to put down. I'll definitely be recommending this gem'
Little Miss Book Lover 87

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