When God Was a Rabbit

Translator: Rini Nurul Badariah
Publisher: Penerbit Bentang
First Published on August 2011
398 pages

A debut novel written by Sarah Winman. A story about a family. The book is divided into two parts, the first part is about Elly's childhood in England during mid 1970s and the last part telling on her current life in New York.

Let's meet Elly and her brother Joe. Despite their eccentric family, they have a special relationship on each other. One day Elly got a rabbit and her brother suggested her to name it, God. Elly's life changed since then. This is not a common family story. I am amazed to find many 'strange' characters and moments here such as: the gay people, an alcoholic mother, a friend who is a victim of child abuse, a kidnapping and many more. But beside the bitter stories, I also enjoyed their childhood experiences in a great big home surrounded by green forest where they can easily go to the river for swimming, boating and fishing. Some experiences are so dull and they keep me laugh out loud. This first part of the book is my favorite.

The second part of the book is a bit serious. Elly has already been grown up now and live in New York. Life is not too engaging anymore. It is more like routine. Her life was turned upside down when she found out that her brother Joe was one of the victim of that cruel incident. Does the story end here? Of course not, keep reading and be prepared to find surprise things on every page of the book.

All in all this is a very unusual and totally original story. It is beautifully written and captivating. A story about family and in particular the bond between a brother and sister. Highly recommended.