This is the second book of Sarah Winman’s I’ve read, and Still Life remains one of my favourite books of all time. Two aspects I particularly love about both books are the character development and relationships, and the way she brings every story thread to an end. That isn’t to say that every story ending is happy, but the reader isn’t left to try and make up our own interpretation.

This is Winman’s debut novel, and whilst I didn’t love it as much as Still Life, I felt invested in the characters and the themes.

With thanks to NetGalley and Headline for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I'm so glad I finally got around to reading this book! It was such a touching and beautifully written novel.

As with Still Life, it's the characters that are the beating heart of this book. Elly as our narrator is a deeply relatable and endearing protagonist. Her bond with Joe and best friend Jenny Penny are so vividly portrayed.

Sarah Winman has a real talent for creating characters who feel real, flawed, and utterly human. I particularly adored Aunt Nancy, Ginger and Arthur. They brought so much warmth and wisdom to the story.

The story itself is non-linear and the narrative has an almost conversational tone. lt felt like the author was chatting to a friend in a similar way to how a conversation can make twists and turns and veer off onto a different subject. It felt like a collection of moments from various points in time but they all combined to give the reader a greater insight into the characters.

The novel combines elements of humour, tragedy, and magic realism. The titular rabbit named God and Arthur's knowledge of how he was going to die made the story feel surreal in places which I actually loved. It felt quirky and whimsical one moment and heart-breaking real the next.

Deals with serious subjects/themes such as child and domestic abuse and death. Love loss sexuality friendship

Sarah Winman's prose is lyrical and evocative and I just love how she tells a story. She has a real knack for capturing seemingly ordinary moments and infusing them with depth and emotion. I was left with a lump in my throat on more than one occasion. The author deals with some series themes such as abuse, love, loss, sexuality and friendship yet the overall feel to the story is one of hope and optimism.

You can read my full review here: https://mmbbookblog.com/when-god-was-a-rabbit-review-sarah-winman/

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
When God Was a Rabbit
by Sarah Winman

This is Sarah Winman's debut novel, originally published in 2011, picking up several prestigious awards. I was surprised to find this on #NetGalley but it seems it is being republished. Perhaps owing to the resurgence of her latest novel "Still Life" over on Tik tok? I love seeing a new generation discovering the genius in back list books.

This is a quiet one, a book of two halves. It's a story of sibling love and how the secrets forged in childhood shape who we are and how we relate to each other, and what haired when they are carried into adulthood.

The first half is a coming of age story, that of Elly, her brother Joe, her best friend Jenny Penny and her pet rabbit God, as her life relocates from suburbia to Cornwall.

"Nothing stays forgotten for long, Elly. Sometimes we simply have to remind the world that we're special and that we're still here"

The second half takes up when Elly is 28 and we see how life turns out for them, how circumstances changed them and the people around them, with some very unexpected consequences.

I just love the first half, as each new character is introduced and becomes part of the fabric of Elly's life. Because it is told through her perspective, it is quite interior, but despite some upsetting aspects, it is warm and tender and very funny, full of childhood innocence.

It took me a chunk of pages to find my groove in the second half. Gone is the cute innocence, making way for a more world weary tone, but just when I was beginning to wonder if I had had enough, a few hints about where it's going cropped up and I was back engaged.

Here's the thing; this author can write characters. There are lots, but they are the dimensional, full of individual personality, voicey and interesting. As in "Still Life" there's no mixing up who is who, and none are dispensable. I really love the fresh, assured dialogue and the smart observances of the bonds of friendship. She really knows how to root her settings with musical and cultural references that can steep the reader in nostalgia.

Thanks to #netgalley and #headlinebooks for the ARC

#whengodwasarabbit
#sarahwinman

I bought this book when I was in uni and it’s sat on my shelves ever since until I finally got round to reading it over the summer, it didn’t wow me but it was a cute coming of age story and I’m glad to have finally read it.

I’m trying to mix up my reading abit and vary between new books and old books as I know I have some absolute gems on my bookshelf.

It has been a long time since any book really made me cry true, ugly tears. When God Was A Rabbit by Sarah Winman has taken me a small step towards feeling less shattered. Knowing that someone in this world can write words that heal in such a beautiful way is something to be treasured.

Sarah Winman is slowly creeping her way up to favourite author territory. I loved this almost-memoir book, I loved Elly and Jenny Penny and Joe and Charlie, of course. I loved the eccentric Nancy and Arthur, and I loved Sarah's witty writing style. Mostly I loved the relationship between Elly and Joe – that wonderful sibling relationship that cannot be compared to anything else. I think I'll read anything that Sarah writes – her characters are so real & touching.

When God was a Rabbit is the debut novel of Sarah Winman, an author whose works I have come to enjoy because of her beautiful way with words and her ability to create characters that are believable and lovable. These features are apparent even in this early work which is the story of siblings Elly and Joe and follows them across four decades, from their childhood in the late 1960s to the aftermath of the attack on the World Trade Centre in 2001. This warm and relatable book is about love, love for family and for friends (both human and animal). The one thing I struggled with was the rather abrupt shifts in time and setting , that took a little adjusting to at first, but that is a minor gripe.
I read a review copy courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

This is a book about a brother and sister.

It's a book about childhood and growing up, friendships and families, triumph and tragedy and everything in between.

More than anything,
it's a book about love in all its forms.

There's something about the way the author writes that makes the words flow easily, and the pages turn themselves!

A real heartfelt read, about real life family problems, love and friendship.
It was nice to read something different and real, i could not put this down i really enjoyed it.

This is Sarah Winman’s début novel first published in 2011. It tells the story of a family and follows sister and brother Elly and Joe, across four decades, from 1968 onwards. The book is an exploration of many and varied kinds of love and I adored the characters from the outset. Set in Essex and Cornwall, Sarah Winman’s masterful writing allows her characters to really shine. A must-read.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel, at my own request, from Headline, Tinder Press via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

Elly Portman observes. She watches (from a safe distance) the confusing world she’s growing up in. Adults behaving in mysterious ways. There’s heartbreak and old wounds. But then there’s god, her grumpy pet rabbit, talking to her. There’s her odd bezzie Jenny Penny and her beloved brother Joe who is struggling with the revelation of being gay and being abandoned by his first love Charlie. There is a motley crew of flamboyant house guests once the family relocates to Cornwall.
I am so glad that this book, Winman’s debut, has been re-released after her success of “Still Life” and “Tin Man” - it had escaped me the first time round.
In style and partly in plot, it reminded me of Valerie Perrin’s “Three”, down to the slightly irritating hops, skips and jumps in POVs and location.
This is a fabulous tale about memories, about starting over, being lost and found and about bonds of blood or friendship - full of beautifully turned phrases and emotion.

Winman has a remarkable talent. I loved Still Life and this was another emotional read with characters I genuinely cared about.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publishers for letting me read this book in exchange for my review.

My thanks to Headline Tinder Press for a review copy of ‘When God Was A Rabbit’ by Sarah Winman.

This was Winman’s debut novel first published in 2011. It was both a critical and commercial success, winning a number of awards. I read it in 2013 for our library reading group and appreciated the opportunity to reread.

It is written in the style of a memoir by Eleanor Maud (Elly). She describes its structure: “I divide my life into two parts. Not really a Before and After, more as if they are bookends, holding together flaccid years of empty musings, years of the late adolescent or the twentysomething whose coat of adulthood simply does not fit. Wandering years I waste no time in recalling.”

Part One runs from her birth in 1968 to 1980, when she is twelve. Part Two opens in 1995 with Elly now twenty-seven and in receipt of an unexpected letter from her childhood friend, Jenny Penny.

The title refers to Ely’s pet rabbit that she names God, after a falling out with the vicar at Sunday School. She decides that if “God couldn’t love me, then it was clear I’d need to find another one that could.” As a big fan of rabbits and hares, I appreciated her decision.

‘When God was a Rabbit’ is a rather rambling narrative that explores the bond between Elly and her quirky family, especially her older brother, Joe.

This 2022 edition contains bonus material including an Author’s Note, short essays about the inspiration behind the novel and on Sarah Winman’s life as a writer, and finally Reading Group questions.

Overall, I felt that ‘When God was a Rabbit’ held up well and I very much enjoyed rereading.

The author says she wanted this book to read like a memoir and she certainly succeeded. The tone of the book is consistent throughout and the voice of Elly is clear.

The book is a quirky tale of life, love, siblings, friendship and tragedy. The story travels almost an entire lifetime, from Elly’s birth until her mid-adulthood. It focuses on her relationship with her brother and childhood friend. As well as the relationship between her brother and Charlie.

There are enormous amounts of quirky characters who take side roles within the main story. The events unfold in such a calm manner I sometimes had to re read to check what had just happened!

Just as wonderful, whimsical with an undertone of serious life stuff as the first time I read this. Sarah Winman may have had a recent breakthrough with Still Life, but she’s been wonderful for much much longer!

This book runs four decades in the life of Ellie a d her brother Joe. It covers their lives as they grow up in the suburbs of London in the 1960s. We also see them when they are living in Cornwall and also when they are living in New York. We see the ups the downs and everything in between.

I really loved the God aspect of this book who was a fantastic little rabbit who likes to swear. Which did make the book rather funny.

There is lots in this book, warmth, love, family, friendship, laugh out loud moments and heart breaking sadness. A very well written book.

This seemed to be a book of two halves. I enjoyed the first half and the characters. I found the second half dragged though and it was a push to finish it which seemed a real shame. Almost like it lost momentum.

This was a great read - super easy and flowed so nicely. I raced through it which is always a good sign!

This is an incredible read that made me both laugh out loud and made my heart completely shatter. It was well written with a compelling storyline and well developed charc=acters that I loved. A really enjoyable read.

4.5* When God was a Rabbit is fantastic. I could not recommend it more highly.

Ellie and her brother Joe are growing up in the suburbs in the 1960s. We join them at intervals throughout their lives from Cornwall to London and New York. There are extraordinary events and there is the hum-drum, but the plot keeps you going.

However, where Sarah Winman has a magic flair is characters. Ellie, Joe and everyone of the ensemble cast are a treat. From their childhood best friends Jenny Penny and Charlie to God … who is (a fantastically sweary) rabbit.

I loved every moment of this book. There is warmth, laugh out loud moments and heart breaking sadness. I have been meaning to read it for a long time, as I really enjoyed Tin Man and Still Life is one of my favourites (and one which I urge others to read).

With huge thanks to Headline and Netgalley for kindly providing a copy of the book. Rather than reading the book, I bought the audiobook because I listened to Still Life and it is the best audiobook I have ever listened to. I didn’t want to miss out on Sarah Winman’s narration and When God was a Rabbit was just as beautifully narrated.

Really looking forward to the next outing from this author.