Rachel Elliott

The Real Riley Mayes

Whispers Through a Megaphone

*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.

Longlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction 2022, an exquisite novel of kindness and hope

Flamingo

Bären füttern verboten

Von seiner Verlobten verlassen und von seinem Vermieter grund- und fristlos gekündigt, steht Daniel Berry eines Morgens buchstäblich auf der Straße; das einzige Überbleibsel seines eben noch intakten Lebens ist ein kleines Keramikschaf. Die plötzliche Heimatlosigkeit lässt Daniel in ein bodenloses Loch fallen – bis eine zufällige Begegnung mit einer Fremden ein Bild in ihm wachruft: von drei rosafarbenen Flamingos auf einem grünen Vorstadtrasen in Norfolk. Im Haus hinter dem Rasen lebt Sherry Marsh, die gern laut und schräg Foreigner-Songs zum Besten gibt und deren Tochter Rae sich über eine App namens FAZ (Fremde auf Zeit) Gesellschaft zum Ausgehen bucht, weil sie die Gesellschaft ihrer Familie nicht erträgt. Doch für Daniel birgt das Haus der Marshs vor allem eins: das Gefühl, einmal glücklich gewesen zu sein und es vielleicht wieder werden zu können, wenn er sich nur traut, dorthin aufzubrechen.

Illustrated stories cover these four important feelings (happiness, sadness, fear, anger) with a gentle and sweet approach. A happy hippo, an angry tiger, a sad zebra and a scared elephant allow very young children to understand these emotions and to learn to cope with these emotions.

Hippo Who Was Happy

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.

Longlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction 2022, an Exquisite Novel of Kindness and Hope

Marguerite is sparkling and beautiful as she dances around her fountain, but Benjamin is too shy to dance with her. Only when the villainous Randolph gets in the way does Benjamin realize how brave he really can be. Rachel Elliot's sumptuous words and Petra Brown's lush illustrations combine to make this a beautiful book to treasure for years to come.

Marguerite's Fountain

Sydney es una dibujante y free runner que no puede quedarse quieta. Su vida se tambalea porque nunca ha aceptado la muerte de su madre cuando tenía diez años. Y así, en un cumpleaños que no quiere celebrar, regresa sola al pueblo de su infancia para enfrentarse a la culpa y al dolor. El viaje resulta más raro de lo esperado, no solo para ella, sino también para su familia y algunos de los habitantes de St. Yves. Ambientada en la Inglaterra de las pequeñas ciudades, No dar de comer al oso es un libro sobre personas que ponen empeño en encontrarse a sí mismas y en cuidarse unas a otras. Rachel Elliott ha escrito, con una gran sensibilidad para las escenas familiares donde los personajes se enfrentan a sus conflictos más íntimos, una emocionante afirmación sobre la vida y el reencuentro con los recuerdos que a menudo uno desearía olvidar. «Una novela asombrosamente buena sobre el dolor y esa compañera sombría que es la culpa. Misteriosa, edificante y, a menudo, muy divertida, me atrapó totalmente de principio a fin.» Deborah Moggach «Elliott es una narradora muy cautivadora y astuta.» Sarah Winman

No dar de comer al oso

Die Wege von Ralph und Miriam könnten unterschiedlicher kaum verlaufen. Der Psychotherapeut und Familienvater Ralph führt ein scheinbar glückliches Leben, bis er seine Frau Sadie auf seiner Geburtstagsparty mit ihrer besten Freundin in flagranti erwischt. Schlimmer noch: Dank Twitter scheint außer ihm bereits die ganze Welt über die wahren Gefühle seiner Frau Bescheid zu wissen. Während Ralph wutentbrannt das Weite sucht, verlässt am anderen Ende der Stadt auch Miriam ihr Haus – das erste Mal seit Langem. Nach Jahren der Isolation wagt sie endlich den Schritt hinaus in die Welt. Mitten im Wald treffen sie und Ralph aufeinander. Was als zaghafte Begegnung beginnt, entwickelt sich zu einer unerwarteten Freundschaft und stellt das Leben der beiden komplett auf den Kopf. Rachel Elliott erzählt mit viel Witz und Tempo von verborgenen Sehnsüchten, dem Wunsch, neu anzufangen, und dem befreienden Gefühl, aus alten Mustern auszubrechen.

Flüstern mit Megafon

LONGLISTED FOR THE BAILEYS WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION 2016 'Wise, witty and utterly delightful. A book with a big, beating heart' Laurie Penny 'A beautifully written, funny, moving, life-affirming piece of wonder' Julie Hesmondhalgh Miriam hasn't left her house in three years, and cannot raise her voice above a whisper. She still lives in the shadow of her dead mother... But today she has had enough, and is finally ready to rejoin the outside world. Meanwhile, Ralph has made the mistake of opening a closet door, only to discover that his wife Sadie doesn't love him... And so he decides to leave his home. Miriam and Ralph's chance meeting in a wood during a summer storm leads to an unusual friendship, and quirky twists. Rachel Elliott's loveable characters confront the hardest things in life with delicious humour and steady courage. Because sometimes, our over-connected world can seem too much for just one person...

'Beguiling and astute' Sarah Winman 'Astoundingly good' Deborah Moggach 'Wonderfully redemptive' Sarah Haywood 'I was delighted and surprised by this textured, fascinating and most moving book' Chris Ware A life-affirming novel about broken but loving families, people making mistakes but doing their best, grief and getting stuck - for readers of ELEANOR OLIPHANT and THE TROUBLE WITH GOATS AND SHEEP On her forty-seventh birthday, Sydney Smith stands on a rooftop and prepares to jump... Sydney is a cartoonist and freerunner. Feet constantly twitching, always teetering on the edge of life, she's never come to terms with the event that ripped her family apart when she was ten years old. And so, on a birthday that she doesn't want to celebrate, she returns alone to St Ives to face up to her guilt and grief. It's a trip that turns out to be life-changing - and not only for herself. DO NOT FEED THE BEAR is a book about lives not yet lived, about the kindness of others and about how, when our worlds stop, we find a way to keep on moving. Readers love Do Not Feed the Bear: 'I loved each and every moment of this book and feel bereft it has come to an end' 'Obsessed with how beautiful this book is! Keep flicking back to reread some passages as love them so much! What a treat of a book' 'Wow, what a joyous and hope-inducing read' 'I can't put it down - it's funny and tender and clever and I love it' 'It might break your heart a little bit first, but eventually it will put it back together and wrap it in a comforting snuggly blanket' 'Rich in poignant emotion and a truly mesmerising and addictive read' 'Swept me up into its pages; a book that I wanted to hug and cherish all the time I was reading' 'It's not just a book I read and reviewed. It's a book that read and reviewed me' 'If you're looking for a story that will make you smile by turns, be heart-lifting and heart-wrenching in a variety of ways but remain entirely beautiful for its honest look at life, then this is the book for you' 'Surprising, authentic and powerful, this book defies categorisation' 'Rachel Elliott has achieved something remarkable in this story of loss, regret and disappointment: she has created a tender, hopeful and uplifting novel, which I feel certain many readers will fall in love with'

Rachel Elliott

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