Sarah Winman’s When God was a Rabbit

I enjoyed this book although I did find the episodic narrative a bit disconcerting at times. The events cover many life events that will be familiar to anyone who grew up in the 80s and 90s and, therefore, lend a nostalgic feel to much of the novel. It struck me as being a book about loss and love, about family and friendship. The characters are interesting although some are more beautifully portrayed than others. I felt that the brother was an important character for the protagonist but I didn’t ever really know much about him, so that when he was lost in the book, I didn’t really care as much as I felt I should have.

The rabbit is interesting but a little incoherent, almost as if Winman hadn’t quite decided how much magic she wanted in the novel. I would recommend this book  and I will also look out for Winman’s next book as she has a wonderful writing style and although this book didn’t quite work in its entirety for me, I can see the parts as having great promise for her future writing.