The White Hare
-
-
4.3 • 4 Ratings
-
-
- $13.99
-
- $13.99
Publisher Description
For fans of Alice Hoffman and Kate Morton, The White Hare is a spellbinding novel about mothers and daughters finding a new home for themselves, the secrets they try to bury, and the local legends that may change their lives.
In the far west of Cornwall lies the White Valley, which cuts deeply through bluebell woods down to the sea at White Cove. The valley has a long and bloody history, laced with folklore, and in it sits a house above the beach that has lain neglected since the war. It comes with a reputation and a strange atmosphere, which is why mother and daughter Magdalena and Mila manage to acquire it so cheaply in the fateful summer of 1954.
Magda has grand plans to restore the house to its former glory as a venue for glittering parties, where the rich and celebrated gathered for cocktails and for bracing walks along the coast. Her grown daughter, Mila, just wants to escape the scandal in her past and make a safe and happy home for her little girl, Janey, a solitary, precocious child blessed with a vivid imagination, much of which she pours into stories about her magical plush toy, Rabbit.
But Janey’s rabbit isn’t the only magical being around. Legend has it that an enchanted white hare may be seen running through the woods. Is it an ill omen or a blessing? As Mila, her mother, and her young daughter adjust to life in this mysterious place, they will have to reckon with their own pasts and with the secrets that have been haunting the White Valley for decades.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Johnson (The Sea Gate) delivers an engrossing gothic tale of family secrets, scandals, and ancient mysteries in a small Cornish village in 1954. When Londoner Mila Prusik, 26, discovers her husband's betrayal, her mother, Magda, pressures Mila to leave him. The two women move with Mila's five-year-old daughter, Janey, to a weathered beach house in White Cove. Though once a setting for posh gatherings before WWII, the house took on a reputation of harboring an evil force after the previous owners disappeared. Magda, vain and manipulative, torments Mila for her failed marriage; later, Magda reveals secrets from her past to Mila, which explains some of her hostility. Magda is also cruel to Janey, a clever child, whose toy rabbit is a proxy for Janey's fanciful visions. With the help of handyman Jack Lord, Magda begins returning the house to its former opulence, and invites the village to its grand opening on New Year's Eve. Johnson uses the party to revisit another New Year's Eve when a tragedy occurred in Jack's childhood, just as Mila and Jack are beginning a relationship. Though the supernatural elements involving Janey feel a bit overdone, there are plenty of savory atmospheric details, and Magda's and Jack's confessions hit hard. For the most part, Johnson gets the job done.
Customer Reviews
Historical Fiction Fantasy Magic Mystery
The White Hare by Jane Johnson is Historical Mystery Fiction with mysterious legends, secrets and apparitions in very unusual places. Her characters seem so real and easy to imagine while others are very odd creatures that are more difficult to fathom. Exciting inexplicable adventures as former live events are revealed and understanding comes.Jane Johnson is one of my favorite authors, who never disappoints with her exciting and unique stories.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. I appreciate the opportunity and thank the author and publisher for allowing me to read, enjoy and review this book. 5 Stars