Flamingo
On sale
3rd February 2022
Price: £18.99
*LONGLISTED FOR THE WOMEN’S PRIZE FOR FICTION 2022*
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.
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.
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Reviews
Every now and then a book stands out as not just amazing but absolutely exceptional and Flamingo is that book.
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
'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'
Beautifully written, witty, clever, and a proper page-turner
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
I LOVED this . . . I read it in a day . . . It is vibrant and glorious, full of life and colour and pain and love
'Flamingo is the most wonderful, life-affirming, readable book about two families who quite by chance end up living next to each other'
'Flamingo is as gorgeous inside as it is on the outside'
'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'
'A brilliant and well-written book that I can't recommend enough!'
'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'
'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'
'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!'
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!'
'Poetic, lyrical, it pulled me in. You really start to feel a part of it - this story, this family . . . I would highly recommend'
'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'
'This is a moving story, beautifully written - a story that shows in times of despair that there is always hope, love and kindness around'
'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'
'I loved the rich and well-developed characters . . . A book I've been unwilling to put down. I'll definitely be recommending this gem'