“Tacon’s writing is concise, nimble and precise […] Every detail rings true . . . Tacon’s skilfully integrated research and the specificity of the situations in which she places her characters work together to solidify her evocation of some very different social experiences.”

“In her sophomore novel, Claire Tacon takes a gentle and measured approach to the story of one family’s experience with Williams syndrome. [She] succeeds at making her characters, and their stories, touching and resonant.”

“Claire Tacon’s In Search of the Perfect Singing Flamingo is a nostalgic novel that, ironically, investigates the theme of accepting change. . . . The family novel is a joy to read.”

“Everything Tacon summons here hums with energy and purpose, captured perhaps most starkly by the juxtaposition of the unexpected: so-called ‘high’ art alongside ‘low’ art, classic literature allusions rubbing elbows with contemporary luminaries and, not to be forgotten, a pair of innocently smuggled turtles who unwittingly cause all kinds of problems.”

“I loved this book. A novel with this many first-person points of view is an ambitious one, but Tacon lives up to the challenge. She gives each of her characters such rich and rewarding back-stories, occupations, and preoccupations – each one enough to fill a book on its own. And as the story progresses, it becomes clear how connected everything is, how multifaceted the symbolism is. This is not a book about Starr, about disability, about a road trip, about an animatronic rat – but instead, it’s about relationships and intersections, and the incredible interconnectedness of all our lives and the things we love, and the ramifications of our behaviour on others that we might fail to consider. It’s about making safe spaces in the world so that Henry can send Starr out into it with assurance that she is valued and included. It’s a novel about trust, in ourselves, in society, and each other. And it’s a triumph.”

“The plot twists here are hilarious and hopeful, even through excellently drawn, spine-tingling conflicts. Dialogue is snappy, and inner monologues humanize the characters, even as they make decisions with bad consequences. Life with Williams Syndrome is explored with nuance.”