When God was a Rabbit

When God was a Rabbit is the debut young adult novel by Sarah Winman. Published in 2011 by Headline, it tells the story of a single family across four decades and the strange and wonderful events which shape them. This coming-of-age novel is praised for its comments on familial ties and the loss of childhood innocence. Winman is an international bestselling author, and When God was a Rabbit received numerous awards including the 2011 Edinburgh International Book Festival First Book Award and the 2011 Galaxy National Book Award for Galaxy New Writer of the Year.

This novel follows the life of Eleanor Maud Portman, or Elly, from childhood to adulthood, and chronicles her relationship with her brother Joe, as well as other prominent characters throughout the story. Spanning from the late 1960s through the 1970s in England to the early 2000s in New York, the first person narrative depicts the turbulent and fictitious life of Elly against the backdrop of political and cultural history.

The first half of the novel takes place in England. From the beginning, protagonist Elly narrates the story, starting with her birth in 1968 in Essex. When she is a toddler, Elly's grandparents die in an unexpected car crash, and Elly's mother spirals into depression. Four-year-old Elly is precocious and befriends her new elderly neighbor, Mr. Golan. The seemingly gentle 80-year-old man is an alleged concentration camp survivor, and Elly starts believing that he is her best friend. After Mr. Golan molests her, Elly confides in her brother Joe, who promises to keep her secret. Joe discreetly confronts his sister's abuser, and Mr. Golan eventually commits suicide.



To comfort his lonely little sister and provide her with a "proper friend," Joe buys Elly a Belgian hare for Christmas, a rabbit which she names "god." While her local Sunday School rejects the blasphemy of Elly naming her pet "god," the event spurs a friendship between Elly and her classmate Jenny Penny. Jenny has a tumultuous family life, as her mother is a promiscuous alcoholic, and the two girls lean on one another, forming a life-long friendship.

Elly discovers that her brother is in love with his friend, Charlie Hunter, and that the two boys are engaged in a clandestine romance. Elly, in turn, swears to keep her brother's secret. Charlie reveals his family's impending move to Dubai, to which Joe swears to never love another. Both Portman children are heartbroken when their family moves from Essex to Cornwall after their parents opt to open a bed and breakfast with money won in the lottery. Before they leave, the children bury a red tin box in the Essex backyard.
With the loss of her best friend due to circumstance, Elly comes to rely on "god" for comfort and companionship and believes that the animal talks to her. Even though the rabbit frequently disappears, he reappears when she needs him the most, and Elly believes this is somehow magical. When a guest at the bed and breakfast runs over "god," killing him, Elly is devastated and forced to confront the chaotic events of her life seemingly alone.

As the book moves forward, Elly and Joe discover that Charlie is kidnapped in connection to his father's oil company and is being held in Beirut. Concerned for her distraught brother and the safety of Joe's best friend and former lover, Elly beseeches the spirit of her dead rabbit for help. The news reveals that Charlie returns home right before Christmas, and it appears that once again "god" has come to Elly's aid.



The second half of the novel, set between Cornwall and New York, jumps ahead to 1995. It is just after Elly's 27th birthday, when Jenny reenters Elly's adult life via letters. During their correspondence, Elly learns that Jenny is in jail for murdering her abusive husband, and that her friend was also molested as a child. Although they continue to stay in touch, Elly chooses not to visit Jenny at Her Majesty's Prison. Through their renewed friendship, Elly finds a calling as a newspaper columnist, specializing in articles about lost and found relationships. She accepts a job in New York, and her brother Joe decides to start a new life and move there as well. After years of separation, Joe and Charlie meet again in New York, but they do not rekindle a romance.

As Elly watches the events of September 11 occur on the television, she is unable to contact Joe, who works in one of the towers. In the interim of his disappearance, Elly returns to her childhood home in Essex. She unburies the red tin box and discovers a note from her brother, which reminds her that she is a survivor. She also returns to the bed and breakfast in Cornwall, and there she sees a rabbit living on the property. After seeing the rabbit, Elly receives a strange phone call from Jenny, who mystically predicts that Joe is alive. Shortly thereafter, Elly receives another call from Charlie in New York, stating that her brother is alive but is suffering from amnesia. Once reunited, Elly devotes herself to helping her brother recover, albeit unsuccessfully. Joe remarks that all he remembers is "Trehaven," the name of the guest who accidentally killed "god."

Joe's condition strains his and Elly's once close relationship, and he returns to England to be with his family. Slowly his memory returns, and as he regains his past, Joe inadvertently reveals to his parents the history of his sister's sexual abuse. Although her parents are guilt-ridden, the exposure of Elly's lifelong secret turns into a moment of bonding and healing for her and her family. At the closing of the story, Elly decides to see her old friend Jenny as she is being released from prison. Jenny presents Elly with a fossil, a token of their friendship from years ago, and remarks that she "kept it safe for her."