I enjoyed quite a bit about this novel. I enjoyed the characters, the setting, the mystery and the hunt for treasure. Is it a bit “out there”? Yes. But I liked it! So read it and let me know what you think!!

This was a great magical novel! I enjoyed all the characters, even the 'evil mother. I appreciated her redemption later on. Janey was fun to read about, and I appreciated her as a wise child.
I was surprised to see that Johnson has written several other novels and look forward to checking them out.
Thank you, Netgalley, for the opportunity to read this novel in exchange for a free and unbiased review.

The White Hare is an atmospheric story set in rural Cornwall, within an old house that contains secrets. While reading I found myself immersed in the lush forests. It’s a story about place and how we connect with the land, as well as the history that surrounds us. It’s also about religion and belonging. There’s a big house, a mythical hare, and an old secret. There’s a lot of interesting elements, and I did enjoy it, but my one critique is that it was difficult to get a sense of time (months pass in the book, but there’s no sense of it in the writing.

The story follows Mila and her daughter Janey in their escape from London to a house in Cornwall after WWII. Mila is shamefully fleeing a relationship with a married man and is dependent on her mother for financial and emotional support. They’ve purchased a house with a local reputation for being haunted. Magda is intensely focused only on transforming the house into a premium destination for wealthy travelers. Mila and Janey are obviously suffering. I was very close to giving up on this book. I could not figure out why Mila stayed so loyal to her mother Magda for as long as she did, especially after her mother struck Janie in a fit of temper. The white hare they see on their way is a sign of the oddities and omens that follow. The first half of the book was a bit of a slog, but I’m glad I stayed with it. Overall, this is a tale of the resilience and power of mother/daughter/granddaughter relationships and the power of magic. Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Simon & Schuster, for an advance egalley in exchange for an honest review.

When I requested this, I was very interested to read it but I didn’t get to it and now my reading tastes have changed and it doesn’t appeal to me anymore. Thank you to the publisher for the gifted book.

Leaving London for Cornwall in the 1950s, three generations of women move into a house which locals whisper about because of its tragic past and the strange occurrences on the land and beach associated with the house.

Mila is reluctantly there, while her mother Magda has big plans for the house, wanting to transform it into a bed and breakfast. Mila's young daughter Janey is excited and intrigued by the change to their life, though missing her father. Magda and Mila, are originally from Poland and arrived before the WWII; Mila had a difficult time adapting to England, but Madga has the big, vibrant personality that captures others' notice. Mila also has not told Janey that her father will never be joining them, as Mila's and his relationship was far from perfect, and had one secret too many to it.

Before Magda can open the doors for business, they must first renovate the old house, employing a local construction crew, as well as local handyman Jack Lord, whose handsome looks, brooding quiet, air of mystery but solid kindness intrigues Mila.

Pretty soon odd things start happening around the house. Janey begins telling Mila of a presence, a hare, that inhabits the area. While Mila copes with all the changes to her life: getting to know people in the nearby town, she also must deal with her persistent feelings of attraction for Jack, and her growing acknowledgement of something haunting the area.

I have never read anything by this author before, and I was so pleased by this book. The characters are well drawn, as well as the wonderful sense of atmosphere author Jane Johnson conjures from the opening pages of this novel. Mila's and Madga's differences of opinion were painful to read, while Janey's words about Rabbit were wonderfully eerie.

I also loved how all the magic was so woven into the countryside, and its water, stones and land, and that the author did not then dismiss it as a some mundane thing, like someone knocking on walls or deliberately moving items around. Instead, Jane Johnson let there be magic and it was natural, and a little scary.

I am looking forward to reading more by this author.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Simon & Schuster Canada for this ARC in exchange for my review.

Sometimes a slower, atmospheric read is what's needed. Nothing chaotic or bloody...just a good story with full characters and a burst of momentum.

The White Hare is a tragic, yet beautiful story. Family can be complex and secretive and this journey pulls you into the realm of mother-daughter relationships. The author does a great job with this and I was engaged from the beginning.

I love the ending and the closure it gave me too. The characters are wonderful, even when difficult (you have to read this to understand) and I fell in love with them all.

Highly recommend this one when you need a book to get lost in, that is for savoring and fully enjoying.

I sincerely appreciate the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon&Schuster Canada for an egalley in exchange for an honest review.

I knew I would love this book from reading the first chapter! I really loved the folklore part of this book however there was parts that were extremely slow, and it made it really hard to keep reading. Overall, I enjoyed this book but I don't think I would read it again.

Thank you netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my review. I honestly did not really care for this book. The characters were not likable in my opinion and there were may too many plot holes. I loved the cover and wanted to love the book but unfortunately it fell flat :/

Set in 1954, deep in a valley named The White Valley in the Cornwall District of England. We meet mother, daughter and grandchild, Magdalena, Mila and young Janeska as they arrive at a broken down house in the valley. It hasn't been lived in for many years and needs quite a bit of work done. Work also needs to be done on the relationships between the members of the family. Mila is a stranger in a strange town, in every way. Initially rejected by many of the townspeople due to her Polish background, she is determined to make a go of her new life, being completely unable and unwilling to return to the one she left behind. Mila’s mother, Magda, is terrifying and appears heartless and desperately cold and uncaring, blaming Mila for their situation and insisting Jane has a different upbringing. Magda, too, has demons, and once they are revealed I connected with her immediately, and my attitude of her changed. There is also a romantic conflict with a handsome stranger. This novel is also a mystery that will keep you turning pages. I enjoyed being in this world and looked forward to returning to it every time, but I will admit that past the midpoint, it dragged a bit. When I was done reading, though, every detail made sense.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and Simon & Schuster

I couldn't finish this book.

It didn't catch my interest and ended up quitting it at about 40%. It just wasn't for me I guess.

Hmm… I requested the book because of the premise and the cover. I thought, an enchanted white hare, a Cornish house and 3 generations of women together seems like a a pretty good read. Unfortunately the first person narration just didn’t catch my attention. I felt like it was dragging on and on and it was hard for me to get into.

I may try picking it up again in a few years to see if I can get into it again.

ARC received in exchange for an honest review from the publisher.

I did not finish reading this book. I found that it was not what I expected and it did not keep my interest.

I enjoyed the magical realism aspects of this novel, set in 1950s Cornwall. A family of grandma, mom, and young daughter move from London to start a new life, at a crumbling old mansion.
There were many tragic elements and it was sad to read the descriptions of the unfortunate situations of the main characters.
Some of the writing was a bit lofty for me and I found myself using the dictionary feature on my kindle. I was also unfamiliar with references to Cornwall, which was so interesting to learn.
I would read another book by this author but this book was a slow burn.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Johnson has an excellent command over her words and develops the setting in a way that feels immersive. I absolutely love stories like this that are full of mystery and folklore. I recently read Elsewhere by Alexis Shaitkin and these two books shared a lot of similarities in setting that I really enjoyed (though they were certainly very different in many ways so it kept them unique from eachother). I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a rich and unique setting and stories steeped in folklore.

I really enjoyed Johnstons The Sea Gate so was looking forward to reading another of her works. The White Hare was phenomenal and very unexpected. I knew this would be an intergenerational story of mothers and daughters, but I wasn’t expecting the folklore aspect and great enjoyed it. I loved returning to the Cornish countryside for more bracing breezes and undiscovered mysteries.

This was a weird and wonderful sort of book. It's tagged as "fantasy" and "romance" fiction. It had a lot more going on for it than just those tags. To me it was a little gothy, in a good way, and filled with magic and folklore, and magical realism, I guess. It certainly kept my interest the whole time I was reading it. The characters were all interesting and if not at least likeable, understandable, and I'm a sucker for books set in England. Oh, and the cover is beautiful.

This was my first book by this author, and I'm excited to read more of her books.

Thank you, NetGalley for the chance to read and review this ebook. All opinions are mine and freely given.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of Jane Johnson's 'The White Hare'.

I am so mad at myself for not reading this as soon as I was approved to read it. But then again some books speak to us differently at different moments in our lives and perhaps this was the right time for me to read this novel.

I loved this novel set in 1950s Cornwall, UK. The author is remarkably skilled in her ability to engross you in the setting of the story. Her descriptions of the Cornish landscape, the local community, and Cornish folklore are immersive to the point that I was sad to leave her world whenever I put the book down.

5/5 would recommend this novel as your next read.

I enjoyed this piece of British magical realism. It had some darker elements, but was an overall good story. I recommend for those who enjoy a bit of suspension of belief and a touch of magic in their stories. Thanks to Jane Johnson, Simon & Schuster, and Netgalley for providing thie ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The White Hare had me at the get go. Is it possible to cross Sense and Sensibility with magical realism and a touch of BritBox mystery shows? Jane Johnson managed to do just that in an engaging, bewitching atmospheric novel rich with a sense of place. And I'm all for bewitching bunnies. I really enjoyed this novel- evocative, original and a perfect fall read.