When God Was a Rabbit

A stunning commercial literary debut that will be a huge book for Headline Review in 2011

1968. The year Paris takes to the streets. The year Martin Luther King loses his life for a dream. The year Eleanor Maud Portman is born. 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 tapdances 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 forever. 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, the pull and power of family ties, loss and life. More than anything, it's a story about love in all its forms.

'Gloriously offbeat... Winman's narrative voice is beautifully true, with a child's unsentimental clarity. A superb debut' -- The Times 'Beguiling... you can't quite get the voice out of your head' -- Daily Mail 'Captivating... rendered with an appealing frankness, precision and emotional acuity' -- Observer 'Thronging with incident, wonder and outr? language... sharply funny, whimsical and innovative' -- The Guardian

Sarah Winman grew up in Essex. She attended the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art and went on to act in theatre, film and television. WHEN GOD WAS A RABBIT is her first novel. She lives in London.

Winner of Galaxy National Book Awards: Galaxy New Writer of the Year 2011. Shortlisted for Galaxy National Book Awards: WH Smith Paperback of the Year 2011.