"When God was a Rabbit" by Sarah Winman

Sarah Winmans first novel, “When God was a Rabbit” received various awards, among others New Writer of the Year in the Galaxy National Book Awards , has been named the Summer Book of the Year and has been published in Germany in Limes. Plot and themes speak certainly more women It’s a family history; it’s about friendship and love; a time of misfortunes interweaves all parties together, it leads ever closer, because only together they will be able to master the darkest phase.

The first-person narrator Eleanor Maud, named Elly, is 1968 in a middle class family born in Essex. The girl managed to read at 4 years, is precocious, inquisitive and interested in everything. Their family caregivers are father Arthur (lawyer and atheist), mother Kate, Aunt Nancy and older brother Joe. Nancy and Joe’s homosexuality is not long even before Elly secret. Joe’s just different from other boys in his heels, wig and women’s clothing.

Gern Elly visited their neighbors, Mr.

Golan, who told her gruesome stories. He is a Jew, and bears a number on his arm. When he dies one day, Elly is inconsolable. brother Joe gives her a new friend, a rabbit rabbit that calls it “God” and can talk to her. As Elly in the school locker announced that she had made with God, her rabbit, a shopping trip, her teacher is appalled by such blasphemy – but a classmate laughs and claps in this embarrassing situation applause: Jenny Penny, the new in the class, the strange girl with the unruly hair.

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She lives alone on his own. The father is once cut down, the mother is a bitch and has Men stories. Elly and Jenny swear eternal friendship. They would like to jointly discover Atlantis …

One day gains father Maud much money at a football bet. Of these, the family buys a beautiful property in Cornwall, located next to a river where they want to operate from now on a bed and breakfast. Shortly prior to leaving from Essex has to Joe to say goodbye to his intimate friend Charlie, because of moves to Dubai. After this painful loss Joe will be able to bind properly ever again.

Elly’s childhood that she has been confronted with disease, abuse and death, is now over. You must Jenny leave, and the contact between the two sleeping for many years one. Even “God” has died. But the time of the disaster is not over. Joe, who went as a singer in New York, meets at a party Charlie again. He works as a banker in the World Trade Center. Then on Sept. 11, 2001 … How come close to each other happiness and unhappiness are not only Elly, – now a journalist – but the whole family until the end of the novel painful experience again and again Sarah Winmans. Roman offers a mix of sadness, happiness and lightness, mixed with slapstick. Even in Elly’s childhood this melange is omnipresent: the school nativity play, the teacher well planned is a tragedy … All this put the little girl on inimitable naive way off, while as adults increasing calamities that personal burden, the no longer cope with emotional pain, the futility, indeed would even give up themselves and their struggle for survival. But then suddenly breaks a ray of sunshine through the dark clouds, a hint of hope, and life goes on.

Although overburdened something with disasters, Sarah Winmans Roman convinced of their beloved characters through the soulful drawing. The focus Elly and her family that receive any outsider without prejudice. In addition, many extraordinary characters such as Arthur, who, life einmietet itself and his girlfriend Ginger, a unrigged singer as a guest, and father joined by lesbian sister Nancy. Which had already loved her sister Kate before she married Father. Sometimes you can even a threesome to be happy …

And what deeper significance of the strange title? I fear: no. Because the subject is quite superficial bound to Elly’s childhood phase and serves to adults exposed to the storms of life, only as an image, to once again be able to return to those days, “when God was a rabbit.” And of course the title stimulated successfully the curiosity of interested readers …