When God Was a Rabbit

What a wonderful first effort!
I appreciate uniqueness in writing and was delighted with the author's style and the humor with which she told her story.
Kudos! I will be eager to see what she gives us in her next novel.

The quirky young girl who relates her growing up and family life is someone we would all like to know. The author has made this novel seem true by using real events interwoven in the lives of her characters and plot. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes to read a well crafted book.

What a wonderful quirky book. Sometimes laugh out loud funny, and sometimes really sad. I found this book so engaging, it was really sad to reach the end. A follow up book would be wonderful! I definitely hope Kindle offer more from this author.

Very disappointed and would not recommend.
This book was off to a good start but by 1/4 of the way in started going flat. I'm not going to even pass the book along. To the trash can is as far as it goes.

Slow moving. The plot did not hold any real suspense until the last 50 pages. I wish the narration was third person to get into the minds of some of the compelling supporting characters. Overall I wouldn't recommend this book.

My expectations of this book - that it would be a quirky, pleasingly ingenuous, child's-eye view of the world - were only half fulfilled.
In the first half of the book Elly does indeed boil down the world to a size and shape manageable for her nine year old understanding. Never simplistic it is at the same time simple - a matter of knowing who she is, that she is loved, that grown-ups are complicated and not always to be trusted and that if you believe something to be true, it will be.... somehow. Although childhood throws her some curved balls she has the strength of character and also the imperviousness of youth with which to withstand them. Elly has an endearing, innocent capacity to see things she does not understand, and yet also a surprising penetration which allows her to instinctively understand what cannot be seen. Yes she is hurt, perhaps more than most children are, and the black events of history impact her as they impact us all, but Elly heals and we feel, `here is a survivor.'
But twenty five years later Elly the survivor is nowhere to be found. Her up-beat, essentially hopeful voice has been usurped by a burdened, plangent tone. With every reason to be happy - plenty of money, a secure if slightly bizarre home-life, a successful career, a cosmopolitan life-style - Elly is not. Romantic love has passed her by and she has no friends beyond those of her childhood. Whatever catalyst has crushed that resilient, wise, hopeful child is never explained.
Inevitably her bleakness seems to attract more to itself; troubles come, three and fourfold, not only tragedies personal to Elly but those which affected us all; Princess Diana's death, 9/11, and Elly all but crumbles under the weight of them so that there seemed to me to be no relation whatsoever between this Elly and her former iteration and therefore no point in either.
The mood of the second half of the book is dark indeed, lightened only by the beautifully described landscapes of Cornwall and the troupe of wonderful but somehow improbable characters who inhabit it. I found the desolation of the second half of the book almost intolerable, not just the events it describes but also its relentlessly miserable tone.
The happy ending which Sarah Winman plucks, like God the rabbit, from the hat of the dismal crucible she had constructed for poor Elly did need, like the rabbit itself, a real leap of faith to believe in.

This book takes place in England and begins in 1968. It's the story of siblings Elly the sister and her best friend Jenny Penny who lives with her immature mother, Joe, the brother and his best friend Charlie, who lives with his wealthy father and their kind and loving parents. There is Aunt Nancy, a lesbian, free spirit, and a ray of sunshine, their neighbors and later on lodgers and of course, a rabbit named God, which was a Xmas gift from Joe to Elly.

The story is about growing up, the love and devotion between a brother and sister, family ties, loss of innocence, secrets and friendships.

Sarah Winman has a talent for creating the most original characters and they add so much spice to the story.

The book is filled with twists and turns, sadness and humor. After reading the first few pages, you are hooked and your interest will be held from beginning to end and I especially liked the eccentric characters, but oh so believable.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can highly recommend it. Just cuddle up in your favorite chair and enjoy. I am looking forward to Sarah Winman's second book and you can be sure I'll be one of the first to buy it.

While some spend their adult lives running away from their memories of childhood, others embrace them. Sarah Winman's "When God Was a Rabbit" amazingly captures both such struggles as experienced by Elly who looks back and describes the array of people who loved, harmed, confused, and helped her in her journey through the wilderness of growing up. Through an odd assortment of family, friends, and neighbors, Elly lets us remember that time of childhood innocence before we understood what all those people in our lives were really saying, doing, implying, and meaning--the time of see no, hear no, speak no evil because we knew no better. She also reminds us of the pain caused by disappointment in those we trusted, by loss of the dream for the person we could never be, and by sadness as childhood friends and siblings grow away from us. As Elly herself realizes, "Our lives had become tidal: friendships, money, business, love--nothing ever stayed the same." Yet throughout the story, the belief that love, loyalty, and acceptance will heal a multitude of pains beats a constant refrain.

Central to the story is Elly's brother, Joe, whose homosexuality is incidental to the fabric of relationships woven into Elly's life. The other central figure is Jenny Penny, Elly's only childhood friend whom she must leave behind when the family moves to Cornwall. Although Jenny visits once and they write to each other, they gradually lose touch until the day, years later, when Elly receives a letter from Jenny in prison. Jenny is the beginning and the end of Elly's story. In between are "years of the late adolescent or the twentysomething . . . Wandering years I waste no time in recalling."

Through various characters Winman presents a kaleidescope of lifestyles that reside naturally within the narrative. The neighbors of Elly's childhood are varied and real, and not always nice. Her portrait of Elly's family that refuses to bow to conformity, and the eccentric people that find acceptance and love in their home, is genuine and inspirational. Elly's voice as she recalls the events and reactions that formed her psyche is honest and engaging. Like Alice Hoffman, there is a magical quality to the story through the presence of Elly's pet rabbit named god, who doesn't abandon her even after his death. I could not put this book down and wish I could read it again for the first time.

Oh, how I loved this book! I knew within moments that "When god was a rabbit," a first-time effort from author/actress Sarah Winman, was going to provide me with the kind of reading experience I treasure most...characters I just fall in love with, my not wanting to reach the final page but wanting more. If you like the somewhat quirky...I do...then you will thrill to coming to know Elly and this wonderful cast of characters who people her world from l968, when we first meet her and them, to just after 09/11 and the World Trade tragedy. Elly's special relationship with a somewhat older brother Joe, Joe's relationship with Charlie, Elly's best friend "for life," Jen, and Elly's mother and father and wonderfully devloped extended family and friends...it's all here in a book of just three hundred pages, the length of which was all too short as I reluctantly moved to the end. Author Winman has left her younger characters at such a point that meeting them again in some sort of sequel would be just what this reader would long for. The words that Elly writes at a point in the story when she is certain she's lost her brother Joe are words any of us would be lucky to say to one we love: "...my friend...the witness of my soul, my shadow in childhood, when dreams were small and attainable for all. When sweets were a penny and god was a rabbit." Someone described the "story" as a love affair between brother and sister, and, if so, then in the most ideal and celebratory way possible, one there for the other. We're witness to Elly's growth to adulthood, not so much through a story, but through events and moments, not all of them pleasant ones to live through, but events and moments that help to form the Elly we come to love and reluctantly say goodbye to at story's end. Give Sarah Winman a read...I don't think you'll be disappointed.

This is a series of character studies of interesting people in 1970s England, drawn together as a "family story" about a nuclear family that wins the soccer pools, moves to Wales, and opens a bed and breakfast, and the friends and relatives that surround them and their children. The story's told from the perspective of the younger daughter of the family, who receives a hare as a present and calls it "god." A series of tales of love and loss are told from an innocent but sober perspective, as the protagonist encounters the many ways in which the people around her are damaged but continue to live nonetheless.

This novel really wasn't what I was expecting; it skirts issues of trauma and recovery but without being explicit; it is never over emotional or maudlin; and yet it manages to move the reader immeasurably. Frequently vignettes (for example, when the young protagonist surprises her older brother with his lover as a teenager) from the story stuck in my mind hours after I'd put the book down. The depiction of the characters is precise and loving without being sugary -- the author never asks you to love or dislike any of the characters, but in the end they are hugely memorable. This novel is a bit of a dark horse and in some ways more like an indie movie than a novel, but it's hugely convincing and something I'm definitely going to recommend to friends.

When God Was a Rabbit is literary fiction, and like most literary fiction, was not meant to be read casually. Zone out for a second and you might miss something important. There were points where I found this book very difficult to read, particularly in the latter half of the novel, but I consider the first half enjoyable enough to outweigh the things I didn't like about the second half.

Reading When God Was a Rabbit was a bit like reading two separate books. It was easy for me to fall in love with the first half of the book because I was charmed by Winman's spot-on ability to narrate the perspective of a child using the voice of an adult character looking back. But as I reached the second half of the book, I found myself falling out of love with it. As a kid Elly was so resilient and centred. There were problems in her life, sure, but although they shaped her life she never seemed to be emotionally scarred by them. I kept wondering what happened to that child to make her into the insecure, lonely, mysteriously bereft adult in the second half of the book?

There are two Ellys in When God Was a Rabbit: Elly the child and Elly the adult. It really is like reading about two completely different people, which causes a sort of narrative dissonance-the entire book is narrated in first person by adult Elly. As a child I rooted for her to have a happy life and succeed, but as an adult I often wished she would straighten up and get over herself.

At the heart of the novel is the loving relationship between siblings Joe and Elly. They share a level of esteem and understanding that is rare for siblings with as wide an age gap as they have, and it was quite touching at times. I enjoyed it more because Winman never veers into sappy territory where the brother and sister are concerned.

I enjoyed reading When God Was a Rabbit and might recommend it to a friend, but I don't think I'll feel compelled to ever reread it.

Every family has secrets and even the ones that seem to have it easier than others hide those secrets even from themselves. Sarah Winman has beautifully shown how a secret can be lost to a family and retrieved in the most unexpected ways. In When God Was A Rabbit, Elly's life is tied to that of her best friend, Jenny Penny, a girl who seems to have mystical powers. As Elly and Jenny weave their way through childhood, Elly relies on her brother Joe to be her stronghold even as she watches him grow into adulthood and change in ways she didn't understand at the time.

As they age, the family comes into good fortune and an eclectic cast of characters changes the way they view people and each other. Jenny Penny fades from Elly's life but, as all soulmates are, Jenny and Elly are connected and they seem to find one another again. While the writing was confusing and disjointed at times, particularly when it came to understanding the characters of Alan and Arthur, overall, the book was nicely done. There were no punches to be pulled and the plot didn't drag.

The most compelling part of the book, for me, was watching Elly cope with her personal drama as a child by turning her rabbit into a talking version of God. I have never seen a defense mechanism so beautifully written and it showed a stoic Elly turning to an animal in a way that most children do but it is rarely shown realistically in novels. As an aside, children who have experienced trauma or who have difficulty talking to other humans can frequently express themselves more easily to animals and I found this a particularly sensitive aspect of the novel. Elly continues to search for her rabbit God throughout the novel and I found it touching.

**Disclaimer: I received this book for free in order to review it. Thanks for allowing me to share my thoughts on this novel with others!

I fell in love with this book somewhere around the halfway mark. It's a disjointed, busy, somewhat confusing story that takes some getting used to but that ultimately leaves you feeling deeply touched. It's about Elly and her brother Joe and tells the story of their lives from the late 1960s through to early in this century. Their lives are peopled with eccentric friends and family and rich with highly dramatic and sometimes tragic events. Ultimately it's a story about love, be it gay or straight, unrequited or enduring, platonic, abusive or tragic.

The tone of the book can veer from highly amusing to deeply melancholy in the blink of an instant. Early on something shocking happens to Elly, but she glosses over it and we're off and away into another story. For a while I felt like shouting "hold on a minute!" everytime the author did this, but after a while I adjusted. By the end I was thoroughly in love with Elly and her cast of eccentrics. I'm not sure I'll remember much about this book in a few months' time, but I truly enjoyed the time I spent reading it.

I enjoyed this book immensely. The author has a magical way of combining serious issues with humor. There were many lines in the book that made me just laugh out loud.

I felt quite sad for Elly, whose character was fleshed out and real, as it seems she never has had a chance to really live for herself. She is what I would consider a "giver". I equally enjoyed the bond she shared with her older brother and the love they have for each other. I have hope that if the story were to continue, that Elly might breakaway from all the needs of her family and friends and sketch out a life for herself.

I have mixed emotions on the ending of the book. I know we usually like to read books with tidy nice little endings with no strings left hanging, but this is one book that could have pulled off a tragedy which is the only reason I give it 4 instead of 5 stars. Regardless of the ending, I found this to be a wonderful read and don't hesitate to recommend it.

I will be looking forward to additional titles by this gifted new author.

[...]

Heart-wrenching, funny and moving. There were moments that made me giggle out loud, and moments that brought me near to tears. I don't how to describe the plot; this is just a story about growing up, about family, relationships and life. I was transported into Elly's world experiencing life through her eyes. The characters are unforgettable, each of them equally memorable in their own ways - Elly, Joe, Jenny Penny, Arthur, Nancy, Ginger and even the mysterious talking rabbit called "God". I wish I could find a way to fully express my feelings for this wonderful book. I think the blurb on the back describes it the best - "It's about love in all its forms". It seems like such a simple story, but behind that simplicity is so much depth, so much insight about life, love, pain and sorrow. Highly recommended!

This is a wonderful first novel...it brings you into the characters lives immediately. The setting is magnificent. The short complete chapters keep you motivated. The author has a magical way of telling the story of the lives of one brother and sister, their parents, and their friends. She weaves in history at the same time. Following these characters through their lives continues to give you the joys that they are living. They touch your life in a special way and you continue to root for them through all their trials and tribulations. This story will touch the lives of anyone who understands that life is hard and that you have to understand that everyone is fighting a hard battle.

Sincerely, Leilani Ruland, author of Baby Lost

Eleanor Maud, born in 1968, is the narrator of this story, she's the sister of Joe who is 5 years older and he was different to other boys his age; "an exotic creature who secretly wore his mother's lipstick at night, it was his outlet against a conservative world, the quiet rebellion of a rank outsider."

The book is rich with eccentric characters, including her best friend, Jenny Penny, who would pull a coin out of her arm and Arthur, (came to stay and never left) who knew his exact date of death and how he would die.

It is told in two parts, the first is Elly's childhood and the second is her adulthood. And this is where my feelings about the book changed. I loved the first part, it was funny ...... I was in stitches reading about the Nativity Play and the rugby match ......... it was touching when her brother gave her a rabbit for Christmas and called it god .......... and the ups and downs of her parents relationship and her friendship with her best friend. All wonderfully written and a joy to read and I just wanted it to carry on in that era but then the story moves on 19 years and it just wasn't the same for me.

The writing was still of a high quality but I found myself not caring as much for the characters and I can't really put my finger on why I felt like that. Maybe I just liked them as children but not as adults.

Overall, this was a book of two halves! That's why I gave it 3 stars instead of 5.

While I enjoyed the quirkiness of all the characters in this book, and found it refreshing that the story revolves around a loving family and those they generously chose to share their lives with, I feel in the end that the story was nothing more than the random thoughts of the writer about the strange trajectories of these characters' lives.

There is really no plot to the novel, which is OK if it is handled correctly. But, I found the main character's life (Elly) to be oddly non-self reflective and dispassionate. I kept rolling along, but was really dismayed by the scene (spoiler alert) where Elly has a one-night stand with a stranger, purportedly because they are both overwhelmed with grief over their losses in the 9/11 tragedy. REALLY? This seemed to me like a scene written by an over-zealous MFA student.

I was also quite taken aback by the notion that the gay characters in this book seemed to experience no discrimination or backlash, despite it being the 70s. This puzzled me and made me ask once again if I was missing something.

There are many good scenes in this book and the writer, in general, has a talented writing style. I just didn't care enough about the characters to enjoy the book wholeheartedly.

`When God was a Rabbit' is an exceptional debut novel and one deserving of all the praise it has received so far.

This tells the story of a family and their friends as they go through life and all the various trials and tribulations it entails. It is very well written and has numerous phrases or sentences that describe a scene perfectly or capture your imagination. I did find the characters slightly 2D, for want of a better phrase. All of the elements where there, but I never really got a feel for any of them, although the things they do and experience move you. I just felt I never knew what made them tick, this may be a personal thing though. The wonderful writing style more than made up for this though.

I initially found the plot quite average, although it kept me turning the pages in rapid succession and kept me engrossed throughout. But the last hundred pages are where this book comes into it's own and finds some drive and direction. These last pages have the most impact and in hindsight that may be because of the dense layers built up in the preceding 300 pages. Taken as a whole, the story is very good and I was left feeling satisfied that all loose ends had been tied up. This has a scattered chronology at times, but nothing too confusing, or that detracts from the story being told.

All in all, this was an immensely readable and enjoyable book and I look forward to reading the next offering from Sarah Winman. She has a captivating voice and delightful writing style that I would like to experience again.

Feel free to check out my blog which can be found on my profile page.

This novel has the structure of a memoir with the main character, Elly, taking us through her life story from her birth in 1968 through to the mid-2000s. What stitches the years together are her relationships with her brother Joe and her childhood friend Jenny Penny. Joe, older by five years, is her protector and confidante. She and Jenny are oddballs who sustain each other in the arid environment of suburban London. They part when Elly's family moves to the country, a separation that devastates both of them. They lose contact and are not reunited until they are adults, after Jenny Penny has suffered some serious hard knocks.

Sexual abuse is another thread that runs through the book. [Not a spoiler as it's presented in the first few pages]. The author brilliantly captures the schism that sets Ellie's apart after she is molested by the next door neighbour. She carries the secret and its attendant sadness with her through the years. It is backdrop and ground for her existence.

Magical realism also suffuses the text, which gives it a tone that speaks to a child's wish for lost innocence.

When God Was a Rabbit is a sweet, gentle book with a melancholy tone. Sarah Winman sacrifices depth for breadth - a whole lot happens in this book, enough for five lifetimes. But that's also what gives it a great deal of its appeal. You turn the pages wondering what improbable event will occur next. It's a well-written, easy-breezy read.

I am really disappointed with this book. I was excited to read this for the tour after reading about it. It sounded really good. Sadly, it didn't live up to what the book sounds like from the blurbs. I can't really pin point one exact thing that I didn't like about it. It all just sort of ran together for me and the characters were bland. I would have loved to have seen a lot more complexity to the plot line and more personality to the characters. Personally, I don't think that I can go back and try to read this 3 star novel again. That being said, however, I do encourage others to read this book. My tastes vary and are often different from other people, so while I disliked this novel, there are those out there who will love it. Please, give this novel a try. I will, in the future, try another book by Sarah Winman as she does show an obvious talent for writing, this book just didn't flow with my personal tastes.

*This review is based on a complimentary copy which was provided for an honest review*

I really hope Sarah writes more books. I loved this one. At the beginning I was laughing out loud and I was surprised at the darkness that crept into the book. It was beautifully written and I found it difficult to put it down. The brother and sisters relationship spanning 20 years is developed in a wonderful way. I loved all the characters and found the story an unusual treat.

I had great epectations of this book having read the reviews on the front and back cover but having got over half way through and wanting to give up (I never give up on a book) I have decided that life is too short to carry on!!! The characters are very unplausable, there is no depth to any of them - you never really end up "liking" or caring too much about them. The plot reels all over the place and many storylines are not followed up. I keep waiting for the book to come together and make sense but having now read other reviews it sounds like it never does. It feels like the author has put together their childhood diaries and splintered memories - rather like a vanity project - with no real or credible story line and very 2 dimensional unbelievable characters. I am usually happy reading any book that keeps my attention or is interesting. But this is neither - it is boring, unbelievable and utterly put downable (which is what I am now going to do!!)

This book had a very engaging beginning. Although the writing was well done,the story began to lose track of itself about halfway through. (I just looked up other reviews and this seems to be the consensus.)Sometimes you can almost feel the author becoming aware of herself--it had a "I got this far and I have to figure out the ending" type feeling. However, The writing is solid and the characters are refreshing.

This little novel is just perfect. The characters are whole and well developed. I fell in love with Joe and Charlie. I completely identified with the narrator whose life span was the same as mine so she lived through events that I have lived through. Even the characters on the outskirts of the story were real: Mr Golan, the parents, Alan. It's a simple book which somehow takes many complicated events and puts them all together neatly into a tale of love and loyalty and friendship and survival. I don't really know how else to describe it but you should read it!

This is a beautifully constructed and eloquently written book about two siblings, the unbreakable bonds of friendship, the difference between losing something and hiding something, and how things that are lost are almost always found and the things that are hidden are almost never found.

Recommended for fans of the talented Kate Atkinson.

While this book has its moments and the characters are engaging there is a central theme missing. It "should" be something about God, shouldn't it? The best thing about this book is its title. I mostly had a good time on the journey but it was a journey like life, the author did not book end and choose the items shared in the service of some greater understanding - or maybe I just missed it.

I truly enjoyed reading this debut novel not only for the beautiful writing but also for the characters and the relationships they had with each other. The book has two parts, of which the second is more serious. I enjoyed the humor in the first part very much and it really worked well with the story. I felt a real connection to the people, which made me want to keep reading. The story was so believable that I was completely immersed in it. I will definitely be looking for more from this author and will not hesitate to pick up her next book.

I just loved Sarah's writing style. Wish there were more books from her to buy right now. What attracts me to this writing style is the fact that nothing is being over explained. It is also a very touching and heart warming story. Well done to the author. I'm waiting for more!

An unusual book. Told in two parts. I enjoyed the first part better, it had more interesting subjects. The second part was a little disjointed. Overall a good book with some interesting observations on life and love.

Although Winman is a good author, and passages of this were occasionally amusing, I didn't really like this novel. It takes place in the 70s and the 90s in England, and is about three kids and the nature of dark secrets, and also about a rabbit named God (don't ask). The voice of the main character was good, but the novel just seemed to ramble, not really going anywhere. But if you don't care much about plot, and just want to read some amusing writing, then this might be for you. Me? I don't have the patience to keep going when a plot seems to go nowhere.

I loved this book. It had great characters in usual and unusual situations, comedy and tragedy, and most of all it ended appropriately -- with a well written ending that left me satisfied even as I knew I would miss these characters like old friends. HIGHLY recommended reading about a family (in all its forms.)

What a fabulous book! Beautifully written, full of emotion and wit. The story made me laugh out loud and gulp then cry. I have ordered her next novel to enjoy over the Xmas holidays. Well done Sarah Winman.

This is a beautifully written book. True there is no real story line but it does a wonderful job and developing the characters. It's beautiful to see the journey each character has taken throughout the novel. I would recommend this book and will pass it in to all my friends!