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pejms's review
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Death of parent, Child abuse, and Religious bigotry
Minor: Abandonment and War
brenxbee's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: War and Child abuse
Moderate: Rape
Minor: Cursing and Abandonment
emory's review
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.75
Very much enjoyed the writing. I would've liked more character work, but what was there was still nice, just felt rushed. Not sure if the story benefitted from its setting in the 1950s--made quite a few things seem anachronistic. Lovely story overall. I was a bit disappointed with the big reveal, but I loved the story building and the haunting tone.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Child abuse, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Death of parent, Grief, War, Physical abuse, Rape, Murder, Alcohol, Death, Religious bigotry, and Abandonment
Minor: Cursing, Slavery, and Xenophobia
Small bit spoken by a character who is of mixed race as a result of her slave trading grandparents having children with slaves can be rather upsettingtales_of_1001_books's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This entrancing historical fiction takes place in 1954-55, following the story of Mila, a young mother to precocious Janey, and her mother Magda. Mila's relationship with Janey's father has fallen apart and her domineering mother has decided to remove the small family to a neglected manor house in Cornwall, where she plans to open a guest house. But strange things, omens and portents, haunt the family as they begin renovations on the house, starting with a vision of a large white hare as the family first visits the house.
Deftly woven into the narrative are threads of ancient magic and the White Lady who guards the lands the house stands on, as well as some contemporary history in the post-war years. Mila's character arc is inspiring. She goes from an unsure-of-herself somewhat mousy young mother to a more confident, vibrant woman as she and her daughter come to love the house and the lands they now inhabit. The supporting cast of characters in the village, including the overly pious churchman, the artist/healer couple who continue to honor the old ways, and the intially enigmatic love interest, are all drawn with distinct personalities and contribute to the story seamlessly.
I really enjoyed escaping with this book and the author obviously knows her homeland of Cornwall, as she describes the natural world in glowing detail and tons of history, from ancient tribes to small village pettiness, from golden torcs to rock carvings, in such a way that I want to hop the next plane across the pond and immerse myself in this world. A highly entertaining book, well written, with lots to keep historical fiction fans turning the pages. Perfect for fans of Susanna Kearsley.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape, Death of parent, and Physical abuse
Minor: Forced institutionalization and War
daynacruz01's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Death of parent
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Rape, and War
kari_f's review
4.0
A darkly spellbinding story taking place in a seaside village, The White Hare tells the story of three generations of women, the old house they have fled to after a shocking secret was revealed, and a long-held village secret. The setting is atmospheric and eerie, the main characters are flawed and secretive, and the house has a tragic history that is slowly unraveled.
Things I enjoyed:
⁃ Mother/daughter relationships are examined from multiple perspectives, with some generational trauma thrown into the mix. The relationships felt realistically flawed as mothers and daughters struggled to understand each other.
⁃ Real Cornish folklore fits beautifully into this fictional tale of a seaside locale with a complicated history.
⁃ Some of the side characters were beautifully quirky and provided a support system to this family who desperately needed it.
⁃ The atmosphere was done beautifully, with a perfect blend of loveliness and haunting eeriness.
A few things I wished:
⁃ There are several instances where the young child character speaks in a way that feels far beyond what a five year old would say, and I wish parts of it felt more accurate to a real five year old. (Some of this is explained in the book, but there were instances outside of this explanation.)
⁃ There was a section of exposition near the 3/4 mark that felt forced in how it was explained to the reader. I loved what was revealed but not how it was revealed.
Overall I enjoyed the quiet magical realism of this story and the unraveling of all of the secrets!
Thanks so much to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for the advanced readers copy!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Murder, and War
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