Synopses & Reviews
When God Was a Rabbit is a mesmerizing portrait of childhood and growing up; friendships and families, the loss of innocence, triumph and tragedy and everything in between.
Set in Essex, Cornwall, and New York, the novel is a coming-of-age story about the unbreakable bond between a brother and sister, and an unusual best friend. The story is in two parts, the first seen through the eyes of young Elly, growing up in 1968 surrounded by eccentricity, including an elderly neighbor whom she befriends but who soon leaves her with a dark secret. Her brother Joe, though, finds her another friend for Christmas: a rabbit Elly names "God." And when Jenny Penny moves to the neighborhood, Elly finds her soul mate in this sprightly girl with her own secrets, including a mother who can't mother her. Death, cancer scares, good fortune occur-a rollicking ride, but ultimately Elly's family moves away, leaving behind Jenny Penny and the love of her brother's life. The second part of the book is set in New York amid the events of 9/11, with Elly grown and searching for her brother. Both hilarious and devastatingly moving, When God Was a Rabbit will make you laugh and cry-everything you could want from this kind of fiction. More than anything, it's a book about love in all its forms.
Review
"No bare-bones plot summary can do justice to this wonderfully wise and compellingly readable tale of love and friendship in all their forms, of family uncircumscribed by biological bonds, and of loss worse than death. A remarkable first novel, worth savoring."
—Booklist (starred review) "Winmans debut boasts one of the more endearingly unconventional families in a while. A freshly rendered tale of growing up and living in the world by a late-starting author with a bright future."
—Kirkus Reviews "Affecting and original."—Library Journal
"Winman shows impressive range and vision in breaking out of the muted coming-of-age mold, and the narratives intensity will appeal to readers who like a little gloom."—Publishers Weekly
"Sarah Winman has written this book in the exact way events in a childhood—and a life—accrue, and Ive never seen anyone able to do that so well. Brilliant, funny, and moving, When God Was a Rabbit is a captivating novel!"—Robb Forman Dew, author of Being Polite to Hitler
Synopsis
This is a book about a brother and a sister. It's a book about secrets and starting over, friendship and family, triumph and tragedy, and everything in between. More than anything, it's a book about love in all its forms.
In a remarkably honest and confident voice, Sarah Winman has written the story of a memorable young heroine, Elly, and her loss of innocence-a magical portrait of growing up and the pull and power of family ties. From Essex and Cornwall to the streets of New York, from 1968 to the events of 9/11, When God Was a Rabbit follows the evolving bond of love and secrets between Elly and her brother Joe, and her increasing concern for an unusual best friend, Jenny Penny, who has secrets of her own. With its wit and humor, engaging characters whose eccentricities are adroitly and sometimes darkly drawn, and its themes of memory and identity, When God Was a Rabbit is a love letter to true friendship and fraternal love.
Funny, utterly compelling, fully of sparkle, and poignant, too, When God Was a Rabbit heralds the start of a remarkable new literary career.
Synopsis
When God Was a Rabbit is the story of a memorable young heroine, Elly, and her loss of innocence; a magical portrait of the pull and power of family ties, of loss and life. From Essex and Cornwall to the streets of New York, from 1968 to the events of 9/11, When God Was a Rabbit follows the evolving bond of love and secrets between Elly and her brother, Joe, and her increasing concern for her best friend, Jenny Penny, who has secrets of her own. Funny, quirky, utterly compelling, and poignant, too, When God Was a Rabbit heralds the start of a remarkable new literary career.
About the Author
Sarah Winman is an actress who attended the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art and has gone on to act in theater, film, and television. When God was a Rabbit is her debut novel. She lives in London.