A review by franalibi
When God Was a Rabbit by Sarah Winman

dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

I actually last read this once in high school and again just a couple of years later. And that was around 2011-14. So I’m intrigued as I read this to see what my thoughts are this time around...

Set in two parts, this is a story revolving around the many relationships one can have in their lives. And especially surrounds Eleanor Maud and her relationships with her parents, aunt, neighbours and house guests and above all her childhood friend Jenny Penny and her older brother Joe.

It’s a wonderful and bittersweet read with heartache and loss but also sunny moments of joy, and being able to reconnect and restart, in between. Sarah Winman touches on violence with domestic abuse and world events like the tragic bombings and attacks in the 70s, the 9/11 attacks and Princess Diana’s death. 

This book is about the bond you have with those you love and the secrets you share. As well as the hole those people you love leave when they become absent from your life (even if like in this novel it’s temporary and you find that person again). I definitely feel like I do understand the themes more as a 23 year old compared to a pretty much naive 13 year old trying out adult fiction for the first time...