The white Hare by Jane Johnson

Just as Magda, daughter Mila and granddaughter Janey arrive at their newly acquired home in Cornwall, the 5 yr old sees a giant white hare staring at the group. The presence of this Spector and the local superstitions permeate the entire book as Magda struggles to renovate the property, Mila struggles to get along with her difficult mother and Janey struggles with secrets that only she is privy to. Part gothic thriller, part love story, part fantasy, the reader is intrigued from the first chapter.

This was okay. A little slow going most of the time. Plot too meandering for me. Suspense is not a page turner. It's the kind of story you put down and pick up again. Nice writing style and fascinating story. I do not agree the Alice Hoffman comparison is accurate though. Characters were well developed.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The White Hare tells the story of Mila, who moves to a small village in Cornwall with her mother Magda and her daughter Janey. Her marriage has fallen apart so the family decide to get a new start, only to find that their new home has a strange history.

Although I really enjoyed Jane Johnson's writing, this book ultimately fell flat for me. The writing was atmospheric and Johnson was able to paint a vivid picture of the town and the slightly mystic forces at work there. But for me, I just didn't really feel engaged by the plot. It felt like we were just running on vibes for the first 70% and then the major conflict and development was all rushed at the end.

Stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

PUBLICATION DAY: October 4, 2022

When Mila moves to the English countryside with her young daughter Janey and challenging mother Magda, she expects to be leaving her recent problems behind. Little does she know that a whole new set of problems are waiting for her in White Cove. With household repairs, local superstitions, distrust of newcomers and relationship dramas, Mila must learn to trust herself, and Janey if she hopes to embrace the fresh start in her new home.

PROS and CONS:
I love Jane Johnson’s writing style - this is not a book to rush through, rather one to savour and enjoy. Very descriptive, with a somewhat slow (and at times repetitive - come on people just finish a story already) plot - when I convinced myself to slow down I really enjoyed it. A very, very talented writer - no question there, and the story really picks up steam at the end.

READ IT?
If you are into exceptional, descriptive writing, this one's for you!

4 Stars

Loved everything about this book from the setting to the characters. The Cornwall coast was evocative and reminded me of Daphne du Maurier. The story was intriguing and caught my interest from beginning.

This was a very enjoyable read, and I'll be recommending it to historical fiction fans, especially those who love Kate Morton. The characters were engaging, the plot was intriguing, and I learned some really interesting history/folklore about the region where it's set.

This book satisfied all of my cravings! It was a little bit magical (without being cheesy) and had the right amount of mystery and love story intertwined. The likeable characters were the right amount of likeable, and the characters that were not so pleasant came off that way as well.

I've also read The Sea Gate by Jane Johnson and really like that story as well. My only complaint is she often uses words that I've never heard in my life. I was thankful to be reading an electronic version, where I could tap on the word and see the definition! I found myself doing that quite a lot.

Captivating family drama woven together with the mystery of the white hare and her mythical significance to the valley. A page turner til the end!

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: October 4, 2022
After a devastating relationship breakdown, Mila and her five year daughter, Jane, are desperate for a fresh start. Which is how Mila, her daughter and Mila’s mother, Magda, end up purchasing a rundown home in a small valley in Cornwall, which Magda plans to restore and turn into a functioning bed and breakfast. But immediately upon their arrival, the women start to realize that there is a secret looming over the White Valley; the townspeople talk about strange happenings and curses, and young Jane seems fascinated with her own stuffed rabbit, claiming it’s telling her tales from someone assigned to protect the property. Mila just wants to escape her past and start a new life, but something in White Valley won’t let her, and she is forced to with her demons before she can be granted a new beginning.
Jane Johnson’s new novel, “The White Hare”, is a uniquely magical tale of town folklore, fraught mother-daughter relationships, and starting over.
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. But Magda, too, has demons, and once they are revealed I connected with her immediately, and my attitude of her changed.
The story is told completely from Mila’s perspective, and although we don’t get a play-by-play of her past mistakes, we get the necessary details. This was more than enough, encouraging readers, like Mila, to look forward and not focus on the past. At the heart of the plot is the complicated relationship between Mila and her mother, Mila being abandoned by her mother at a young age only to be forced into rekindling the relationship when her mother returned to claim her years later, which is slowly repaired as the house they are rebuilding slowly takes shape.
There is such a magical element to this story, complete with a mystical “White Hare”, when a town legend seems to actually exist, and young Jane who has a deeper connection to the magic than anyone else. Women with “healing powers”, family secrets long buried, and protective spirits only add to this delightfully told, well-crafted story.
Johnson’s novel is unique and creative, with emotionally relatable characters and a well thought out plot. A rundown house in Cornwall is the perfect setting for relationships to rebuild, and to form, and “Hare” is flush with magical escapism. Johnson has been in the publishing and writing industry for twenty years, and her talent is evident on every page.

Immersive and magical. I finished The White Hare and immediately went back through to reread my highlighted (virtually) lines and notes. This story has some of my favorite ingredients, not least of all folklore that is new and unfamiliar to me.

I don't want to say too much about this one. I went in cold based on a friend's recommendation and I am SO glad I did. So here let me be the friend that says, "Trust me. Just read it."

Truly. Trust me.

Set in Cornwall in 1954 White Hare combines legend, myth, romance and family secrets. Mila and her mother , Magda along with Mila's 5 year-old daughter Janey, move from London to an old house in Cornwall's White Valley. They've left London to escape the results of the scandal involving Mila's bigamist husband. Magda and Mila have history that sets them at odds with one another. The house they acquire has been abandoned since before the the war and villagers imply that it's haunted. Magda has plans to renovate the house and make it a bed and breakfast. They small family is viewed with suspicion by the locals. Not only are they from London but they are Polish. Strange things happen from the start. As they approach the house Janey sees a white hare. A roofer says a ghost pushed him from the roof of the house and Mila often senses strange lights on her walks. She's also curious about the last owners who apparently abandoned the house and were never heard from again. She tries to elicit information from people in the village but no one is forthcoming. While looking for Janey she finds a secret staircase to an attic room where someone has been living. Mila assumes it's the handsome, mysterious man who has been helping with renovation. On a dark and stormy night all is revealed.
While I found some of the language a bit trite and the romance predictable this is a book that pulled me in and held my interest throughout. The characters are well developed and I especially enjoyed Janey and her link to the other world that permeates the story. The author's note at the end of the book is fascinating and lends credence to events in the story.

Creepy and gothic - loved it!

A family plagued by poor choices moves to a remote part of England for a "fresh start". The home they move into, however, has its own unfortunate history. The whole town whispers about it, but nobody will tell Mila about the mysterious white hare that is rumored to have a mystical connection to the land around her house. When Mila's 5 year old daughter starts talking about things that she should have no way of knowing, Mila is determined to find out the truth.

I finished this book in one day; I absolutely did not want to put it down. A lot of the story is rooted in actual legends of the area (Cornwall) and I love how that is woven through the story. It's set in the 1950's and the historical details are spot on.

An eerily atmospheric book! This is a perfect tale to cozy up with during the upcoming fall season! I was captivated from the start and thoroughly enjoyed reading this story full of folklore and amazement.

The author paints such a perfect picture of the setting that you can’t help but to feel like you are there. The story line is very intriguing and there are a few twists and turns I was not expecting. It’s magical and mythical with just the right amount of spook!

Thank you to Simon & Schuster for the advanced copy and to Jane Johnson for writing such a beautiful story!

Book Review: The White Hare, Jane Johnson
I am grateful to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review. I loved it – all of it – the characters, the setting, the mysticism, and the story, the history. It’s a little bit fantasy and a little bit historical fiction, described by the publisher as “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 1954, Magdalena and Mila (and Mila’s young daughter Janey) acquire a strange and neglected home with a mysterious past in the far west of Cornwall and close to the sea. Magda has visions of glorious parties and of bringing back the “glitter” from days gone by. Mila is recovering emotionally from a past scandal and only wants to create a haven for she and her daughter. The daughter, Janey, is a wonderfully magical child with seemingly special instincts that go even beyond her imagination. She is obsessed with her stuffed animal, Rabbit, and imbues him with human-like qualities and the ability to see things mere humans cannot see.

On top of all that, the book includes a sub-story line about an enchanted white hare that can be seen on the property. Now that’s magical, especially in such a remote and quiet place as White Cove. The story weaves in ancient mysteries, a village hostile towards outsiders, and beautiful settings. It is a very visual story from the descriptions of the homes, the characters, and the earth.

Couldn’t resist the cover and loved the folklore. It was more sad than I was expecting but super atmospheric and so beautifully written.

Jane Johnson did a masterful job creating a magical setting for the story, The White Hare. A relatable protagonist with a shameful past and a strained relationship with her mother, moves to a country home to escape their past and find themselves knee deep in the history and mythology of this historic valley.

I really enjoyed the beautiful writing style and the story moved quickly with just enough tension and revelation to keep me engaged.

If you enjoy stories with strong settings, engaging characters, and a connection to the past, this is a fun read.

What a wonderful read! This book held my attention, took me away from household chores and kept me awake until the very end. Any book that can suck me in like that, deserves 5 stars. Magda is an overbearing mother, who who always seems to be in competition with her daughter, Mila. Mila is a naive and young 26 year old with a young daughter, Janey. "A tragedy" has caused Mila to put her life in Magda's hands. The "tragedy" is referred to and tickles the reader while bits and pieces are revealed throughout the story. Magda, Mila and Janey move to Cornwall and buy a house and property that is to be restored. This will provide them with a bed and breakfast type of place, a way to make a living. The people of Cornwall are a tough bunch, resistant to newcomers. Many still believe in the old ways, the Celtic gods and practices. This book is a gothic mystery, a coming of age, AND a family drama.
Thank you to Simon and Schuster Publishers and NetGalley for providing me with a DARC. This rating and review is my own honest opinion.

A solid 4.5. The White Valley of Cornwall is filled with magic, myth, and folklore in this historic fiction book that does not read like a lesson in history. Thoroughly enjoyed the characters, and the beautiful description of the land and vistas.

I quite enjoyed the gothic vibes with the spooky old mansion sitting in a small town valley. I was really looking for more folklore elements but what there was was great. The story kept me interested throughout though I think it would've been easy to put this book down and forget about it. Some great secondary characters as well though the male lead I didn't really care about. Definitely recommend a read if you're into the Cornwall setting and some darker vibes.

3.5, but that's mainly me. This is billed as Alice Hoffman and Kate Morton, and, okay, kind of, but waaaaay more Kate than Alice, which just wasn't what I was looking for. Still, it's pretty in the right places and has an imagination.