16.3.11

Book Review: When God Was a Rabbit by Sarah Winman

This is a book about a brother and a sister. It's a book about childhood and growing up, friendships and families, triumphs and tragedy and everything in between. More than anything, it's a book about love in all its forms.
This book felt very different from anything I have ever read, in a good way, it felt completely original.
When God Was a Rabbit revolves around Elly as she grows up at the end of the 1970s. She has a brother Joe and they have a very normal like with their parents. There is nothing extraordinary about the family but we follow them as world events occasionally come knocking at their door. We all have those conversations, telling each other where we were when we heard that Princess Diana had died and when the first plane hit the twin towers on 9/11. Sarah Winman describes how these events and many others affected Elly and her family.
The book explores relationships, those within a family and those special people that we take in and make part of the family, even though they weren't there from the beginning. The relationship between Elly and her brother Joe is just lovely. I think that Sarah Winman shows that what other people know about us and the memories they have are often just as important as our own. You sometimes need someone to have shared something otherwise it doesn't always feel real.
There is a plot to this book in that there are several pivotal moments but the characters are the key. I didn't need exciting things to be happening around them to enjoy the characters; I think this is what makes the book so special.
I know that When God Was a Rabbit will stay with me for a long time and I think it will appeal to many different readers so I highly recommend giving it a go.

Many thanks to Headline for sending me a copy of this book to review.

8 comments:

Irena @ This Miss Loves to Read said...

Lovely review! When I read the title of the book, I laughed a little.:) But the contents seem to be very gripping. Thanks for sharing!

verity said...

Like the sound of this, not least because it does have a good title. One to look out for!

Dot said...

Irena- You're welcome, it's ever such a good book!

Verity- The title really grabs you! Really enjoyed this one!

Unknown said...

I loved this book too! I have to disagree about this being an ordinary family though - they are a magnet for disaster and I can't imagine that any normal family experiences the number of events that they do.I agree about the originality - this book is like nothing I've read before. I hope lots of other people decide to give it a try.

manjulika said...

The Book appeals to me. Thanks for the review.
http://pendown.blog.co.in/

Dot said...

farmlanebooks- They were a magnet for disaster! I hope that it reaches lots of readers too!

Matt said...

I loved this book--one of my new favourites, I think.

Dot said...

Matt- It was great wasn't it, I hope that the author writes more.

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