When God Was a Rabbit

When God Was a Rabbit is a mesmerizing portrait of childhood and growing up; friendships and families, the loss of innocence, triumph and tragedy and everything in between.

Set in Essex, Cornwall, and New York, the novel is a coming-of-age story about the unbreakable bond between a brother and sister, and an unusual best friend. The story is in two parts, the first seen through the eyes of young Elly, growing up in 1968 surrounded by eccentricity, including an elderly neighbor whom she befriends but who soon leaves her with a dark secret. Her brother Joe, though, finds her another friend for Christmas: a rabbit Elly names "God." And when Jenny Penny moves to the neighborhood, Elly finds her soul mate in this sprightly girl with her own secrets, including a mother who can't mother her. Death, cancer scares, good fortune occur-a rollicking ride, but ultimately Elly's family moves away, leaving behind Jenny Penny and the love of her brother's life. The second part of the book is set in New York amid the events of 9/11, with Elly grown and searching for her brother. Both hilarious and devastatingly moving, When God Was a Rabbit will make you laugh and cry-everything you could want from this kind of fiction. More than anything, it's a book about love in all its forms.