When God Was a Rabbit

By: Sarah Winman

Narrated by: Sarah Winman

Young Elly's world is shaped by those who inhabit it: her loving but maddeningly distractible parents; a best friend who smells of chips and knows exotic words like 'slag'; an ageing fop who tap-dances his way into her home; a Shirley Bassey impersonator who trails close behind; lastly, of course, a rabbit called God. In a childhood peppered with moments both ordinary and extraordinary, Elly's one constant is her brother Joe.

Twenty years on, Elly and Joe are fully grown and as close as they ever were. Until, that is, one bright morning when a single, earth-shattering event threatens to destroy their bond for ever.

Spanning four decades and moving between suburban Essex, the wild coast of Cornwall and the streets of New York, this is a story about childhood, eccentricity, the darker side of love and sex, and the pull and power of family ties, loss and life. More than anything, it's a story about love in all its forms.

©2011 Sarah Winman (P)2011 Headline Publishing Group Ltd

Critic reviews

"Author/narrator Winman pulls listeners in with her beautiful prose and vivid descriptions.... Thoughtful, unexpectedly funny, and ultimately compelling." (AudioFile)

'Thronging with incident and wonder.' (The Guardian)

'Beguiling... You can't get the voice out of your head.' (Daily Mail)

Even better

I enjoyed the history of Still Life and enjoyed the more contemporary history of When god was a rabbit.

Excellent!

Each character is unique and as the story continues it’s easy to feel you know them

The characters in this book were so beautifully portrayed, I felt that I knew them all.

The story was was so rich, the characters so lovable and complex, the written word beautiful.

Soooooo good

It's long and engaging and endearing. I didn't want it to end. The author is a really good writer - just enough detail, just enough emotion, rich characters not overwrought. It's amazing to me that she is also the narrator. She's one of the best I've heard and this was like my 400th audio book.

I listened to this after her Still Life. Now I'm going to look for yet another book by her. Thanks for the enjoyment and company of a good book well played.

Ordinary, Magical Adventures

When God was a Rabbit by Sarah Winman exceeded my expectations overall. This book is so realistic, clever, funny, sad and moving! The situations, characters, and relationships are both extraordinary and mundane.

The style of writing is beautiful and also restrained in the best way. Many writers who employ flowery descriptions show a lack of restraint. That is not the case here. Elements of fantasy and magical realism are blended and woven together in an expertly crafted, believable tale.

The rich descriptions draw the reader in and we experience all of the events as though we were active participants. The only reason that this book did not receive 5 stars from me was because of the rather abrupt and somewhat disappointing ending. However, Sarah Winman’s talent both as a writer and as a narrator is to be respected and enjoyed.

I would recommend this book to fans of historical fiction, and especially fans of richly detailed writing that contains a big range of emotions from funny to grief stricken and everything in between. I would not recommend this book to folks who are offended by depictions of graphic sexual situations. Trigger warning also for readers who have experienced trauma and sexual trauma specifically.

It is very rare for an author to do a great job with the narration. Sarah Winman is an accomplished actor if this performance is any indication. In addition to being a great writer, Sarah Winman’s narration performance was almost as strong as her excellent writing.