In Godalming in the reign of the first King William, a local surgeon is summoned to the home of a local couple and there delivers the woman, Mary Toft, of a rabbit. Mary claims to have dreamt that she was attacked by rabits and they became part of her, and every couple of days she gives birth to another rabbit. The Surgeon informs his peers in London and suddenly Godalming is overrun by the curious. Decaping to London, Mary becomes a sensation but also her strange births seem to stop.
This is a novelisation of a true story and Palmer has managed the truth and fiction incredibly well. He weaves together a story which contrasts the science of the day with the social zeitgeist. The motif of 'freak show' and the venality of society sits well alongside the tale of the naive country doctor and his apprentice. I particularly liked the way that Palmer has used the fable of 'The Emperor's New Clothes' as a device, taking it as a folk tale and using it as a mirror for the gullibility of the main protagonists. This is an impressive working of a sad little story

Intriguing tale that defies reason, and therefore is based on true events. It is very well written with a cast of characters who leap from the page. When a woman gives birth to a dismembered rabbit, the medical profession is agog with theories and conclusions but everyone has their own agenda and many see ways to gain something for themselves along the way. Zachary, the apprentice surgeon is the main narrator and a true voice. His master, John Howard is swept into believing but his wife, strong and full of wit, is a lone voice of reality. An excellent read that is steeped in the history of the day, quirky and readable.

Actual Rating: 3.5 Stars

Whilst I really loved hoe detailed and incredibly riveting the story could be - particularly in finding out how this absurd happening transpired and the workings of the hoax... the meandering middle and the uneven pacing dampened by enjoyment. I would recommend this to anyone fond of reading uniquely interesting premises fashioned in rather slow pacing, instead focusing on the literary sense as it keeps you on the edge of your seat-anticipating more.

Before starting this book I had been stuck in the longest reading slump I’ve ever experienced & I thought the utter strangeness of this story may trip me back into my love of reading... & I was right.

Reviewing this book in an extended review will be incredibly hard but in this basic review I can say that I was constantly intrigued (if not disgusted by some scenes that did not <i>need</i> to be included) by this story & I found myself constantly eager to get back to it. To know that Mary Toft was once a real, living being blows my mind & I’ll definitely be reading her “confessions” about what happened to her. This book surely won’t be for everyone because it’s absolutely bonkers, but apparently it was just what I needed at a rather crappy time in my life.

It was bloody bizarre though.

⚠️ This book contains violence, scenes of labour, discussions of miscarriage & a very graphic description of a still-birth. This book also includes descriptions of both mental & physical abuse, sexism, racism, violence against animals, scenes of surgery & ableism. ⚠️

This was not an appropriate book for me.
I was initially attracted to the story due to the bizarre content, after which I discovered it was based on a true story.

I was not expecting to enjoy the book once I had researched the content, however I found that I was pleasantly surprised by how much of an easy read it was. The author has done an excellent job combining his writing style with a classic literature language.

I reached 40% through the book before I came to the conclusion that this book wasn't suited to me as a reader and I was a little bored. However, I am a reader who Enjoys fast paced action.

I have no criticism of the book, I just realise it wasn't for me so I gave it a 3 star as I feel with the correct reader this book be a really good read

Sorry but this book was not my cup of tea. I am a big fan of historical fiction and this book sounded really interesting and different. I persevered but could not get into it at all.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

Fascinating and highly entertaining. Excellent depiction of the 18th century. I would have liked to hear more from Mary, though!

I knew nothing of Mary Toft before picking up this novel. Even accounting for a bit of artistic license thrown it, it’s a remarkable tale. It’s written well and you get drawn in, however much as I love rabbits (or maybe because), I found the book too peculiar.

I just couldn't get into this book at all. Historical fiction is just not my genre. I thought I'd try something different, and to be fair the blurb sounded so unique, I really wanted to give it a go. Just not for me, sorry.

The premise of this novel is quite unusual, which is what attracted me to it! A woman called Mary Toft frequently gives birth to rabbits in 1726, and this leaves the local doctor stumped. Doctors from London are called in to make their own assessments, meanwhile we follow the life of the local doctor’s apprentice, Zachary. Zachary is a complex character, his apprenticeship binds him to a man of science, whilst at home his father is a member of the clergy. A common theme in the novel is the push and pull between religion and science, with Zachary’s master a frequent reader of David Hume. Another common theme is storytelling, we are often called upon to think about what we consider what the difference is between collective belief and a true story. At one point a character tells a version of The Emperor’s New Clothes, which is not formally published by Anderson for almost another 100 years. I thought this was a very successful and thoughtful novel, that is perfectly in tune with humanity’s constant quest for the truth. Even though it is set 300 years ago it does resonate with our modern society, the populist politicians and cries of fake news do make you wonder if the emperor is wearing any clothes.

1726, what an intriguing time, the contrast between London and the quiet countryside is well described. The intriguing town of Godalming, with its petty squabbles and gossip is the home of Mary Toft, who appears to give birth to pieces of rabbit. A local surgeon/midwife John Howard and his apprentice Zachary becomes involved in the case. John invites the Kings surgeon to witness the phenomenon. Events spiral out of control and the truth is revealed.
At times unbelievable and at other times horrific this is an entertaining novel based on true events.
Well researched especially the domestic details of home life at that time

I wouldn't normally read a book like this but was attracted by the name of the book and the cover. After reading that it was set in Godalming I was intrigued as it's a town I know well. The book was very well written and researched, I could imagine I was there at the time. The main surgeon and his apprentice are loveable characters. It would have been interesting to hear Mary's point of view as she was going through this ordeal. The whole story was told from the viewpoint of several men which didn't sit right with me being a book with a female at the centre of the story. I do appreciate this is what would have happened at the time though.

It was the gorgeous cover of this book that caught my eye. When I read the blurb I realised I had heard of this real-life story, so I was interested to see how the author had worked it into a tale of fiction.

Way back in the early 18th century, a woman in a small English town begins giving birth to rabbits. While the local surgeon can hardly believe it (although his wife has her own opinions!), the vicar takes it as a Sign from God and the constant battle between good and evil. Word begins to spread until even the King has heard the story and he sends his own physicians to investigate...

I enjoyed the story and loved all the historical detail. It's very easy to read - I had the idea I'd browse a few pages to see what it was like, got hooked, and found I'd gone through 10% fairly quickly! The characters are thoroughly engaging. I particularly loved the fourteen-year-old Zachary (the surgeon's apprentice) and the dry humour of his master, John Howard (and John's wife!). The author has some good points to make about the perils of seeking celebrity, how easy it is to become carried away by the schemes of others, and the fragility of a good reputation.

As much as I loved Zachary, I think I would have preferred The Rabbit Queen to have had more from Mary's point of view - to learn about her life and the reasons behind the strange choices she made. Despite the title, the story is mostly made up of Zachary's observations on 18th century life, particularly in London. I think it was these details (and the characters) that made the story for me. I'd recommend it to anyone who likes their historical fiction gritty and based on true life. The only negative for me was the scene of animal cruelty towards the end of the book.


Thank you to Dexter Palmer and Corsair (Little, Brown Group, UK) for my copy of this book, which I requested via NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

This is a very well researched and written historical novel. I was expected something a little lighter, and for my taste it was a bit bigger down in philosophy. I loved the first half, where the surgeon's apprentice begins his trade in a small town, and gets pulled in to the strange story of a woman who appears to be giving birth to rabbits. The characterisation was great, the setting totally believable and very well researched. For me, once the action moved to London and began to focus more on the obsession and voyeurism of the public and society doctors, the story was much less compelling, and even a little too disgusting. An unusual historical novel that on balance,I did enjoy.

Before I talk about what is inside this book, can I just mention, the gloriousness that is the cover? Very appealing to my eyes, it would definatly make me pick it up off the bookshop shelf, that and the title!

Mary Toft the Rabbit Queen, what does that statement sum up in your mind? A woman who loves rabbits? A woman who kept so many rabbits, they nik named her the rabbit queen? Did she look like a rabbit?
wolks folks, I certainly was not expecting it to turn out that she,Mary Toft, a wife that lived in 1726, gave birth to rabbits, DEAD rabbits. Now comes the part when i tell you that this book is written upon fact, what the actual?...

Zachary Walsh and John Howard, a working partnership,one the master, the other the apprentice. Howard and Walsh a travelling surgeon duo. Howard always thinking that his rationality saved him, but absolutely bemused with this woman and what she is expelling out of her.
Top London surgeons consulted, all expressing views and thoughts and some deciding that this is a case that can catapult thier careers.
It is not long before Royalty learns to hear of this and they are summoned to court.

The book consisits of five parts all with several chapters a piece.

I started reading this with gusto, I wanted to know if this was something miraculous, a quirk of nature or some assanine ploy to rid other people of their hard earn cash, I did find that some of this book was heavy going and fully admit that I did skim read patches here and there, did make the parts that did not engage me bearable, and I mean this in the most politest of ways, as I found the writing, especially at the beginning to just melt off the page and flew through the first part.

I will add that there are parts of this book that highlights human depravitiy and if this type of reading that disturbs you, then go ahead and skip, those parts of the book or skip this book period.

This is certainly a strange and quite unlike anything I have read in a while.

If you are wondering what happened to Mary and indeed the rabbits, then you are not going to find out in this review, we are not spoiler city!

I dare say some googling will reveal said explanation, but why miss out on all the gory details!

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishers for letting me experience this entertainingly oddity before the publishing date - 14/08/2020

From what I can gather this book is avialbable in Kindle, Hardcover, paperback and audio.

Dont Bother
Sorry this was not one of my favourite books. I persevered until the end but it was obvious what was going on.
Not for me !

I’ve always loved a bit of weirdness and this definitely delivers. A very creepy and insightful coming of age story. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy.

I think I was expecting something quite different from this based on my understanding of the historical element, and I was really pleasantly surprised by the vast majority of our story being told by young Zachary Walsh, surgeons apprentice.

I really appreciated all of the characters and the way they interacted. Howard was an honest man, who wanted only the best for everyone around him, and our London surgeons, Lords, Ladies and onlookers all added to the feeling of what is a wonderfully written historical fiction, that is based on one of the more random of English history tales. I especially loved the character of Zachary, and reading the story in his 14 year old voice enabled just a little simplicity in the telling.
He was smart, and kind and curious and I really appreciated the way he was written, as a teenager with a little bit of something about him and also as a young man, heading firmly into adulthood as the time period would have permitted.

The story, despite being about Mary Toft and her rabbit births, while central to the book, was predominately about humanity, about faith and science and how there is often a need to try and balance the two, and about the difficulty that can be had in distinguishing truth from lies.
It explores the depravity of people as a whole, and it forces us to look at the way people behave, when alone, when with others, and how we are affected by every person we interact with, and even though it is set in the 1700's, a great many of the lessons could well be applied even today.

I would definitely recommend this to anyone with a taste for the strange, and for lovers of historical reads.

I really enjoyed this book, it had everything that I like in it. The story was set back in the 18th century and told of a woman who was claimed to have given birth to rabbits.
Mary Toft lived in Godalming, a place I am familiar with and near where I also worked as a midwife. As I read through the book I tried to keep an open mind. I thought it was clearly written and it appeared to present the case fairly. I was fascinated by the work of the surgeons. In someways it is fairly easy to guess how the story ends but throughout it is believable.
As the story develops there is a richness to all the other characters and to the environment. All the time I could imagine this may have happened. I was very interested to read the authors notes and explanations at the end.
I realised much later I was familiar with the story but not the details. Although the book might sound fantastical, it also had a sense of sadness and a belief that some people live very different lives. A great read.

After reading this novel my first thought was a reflection on what motivated and prompted me to pick it up. This is no way a condemnation of the novel at all but rather a thought on the wider implication as to what compels our fascination with the darker or more morbid aspects of our humanity. The novel centres around the real-life figure of Mary Toft, who in 1726 became a celebrity of sorts by supposedly giving birth to seventeen rabbits. It is no spoiler to say that this was certainly not the case but the journey to that discovery exposed and embarrassed surgeons and doctors of prominence at the time.
The reader shares the perspective of young apprentice surgeon Zachary as he navigates the unfolding situation with his mentor John Howard. There are moments within the narrative that pause and explore other aspects of society. A key example of this is Nicholas Fox’s travelling convoy of Medical Curiosities who seasonally travel to different parts of the country to shock and titillate paying audiences. This is where, as a reader, you are reminded of how cruel humans can be to one another, how we can forget the humanity in others purely for our own entertainment: a message that feels very apt in the present day.
One character who really stood out for me was Alice, the wife of John Howard, who seemed to have a grasp and understanding of events from the onset. A perspective nearly everyone around her refused to share. It seems that Dexter Palmer is making a commentary on the position of women in society at the time. The women here are strong and forthright rather than meek, servile or angelic. That is not to say they are the heroes of this novel. It is a book that is dark and brooding. No one seems to really win here but it does serve to remind us that we should not treat others as if life were a game or spectator sport.