Rabbit Moon
Jennifer Haigh
Narrated by Katherine Chin and Yu Li Alice Chen
4stars
This book is not my usual genre and I confess that it was the book title and cover that attracted me to it
It is the story of a young American woman , Lindsaywho is involved in a hit and run accident whilst working in China . She is in a coma and her divorced parents are reunited as they rush to her bedside . The narrative explores the family and things in their past that has brought them to this moment , including the adoption of Lindsay’s sister Grace from a Chinese orphanage and events when Lindsay was a teenager. The final part of the book is the thoughts of Grace which draws the narrative to a satisfying conclusion.
The narrator does an excellent job with the subtleties of the story,and I think I enjoyed the audiobook more than I would have reading a physical book. I didn’t particularly like any of the characters other than Grace , I could feel empathy for them and imagine myself in their positions and found myself fully invested in the story .
I will be recommending the book and I am glad I listened to it .

3.5 stars —

• when they find out their 22-year-old daughter lindsay has been hurt in a hit-and-run in china, where she’s been teaching english, divorced parents claire & aaron rush to her side. the accident reopens old wounds, and forces them to reexamine the event that ended their marriage & estranged lindsay from them. one thing’s for sure though: nothing is what it seems.
• this story was fast-paced, and the changing perspectives really allowed the reader to see the different sides of what happened & how we got here. i particularly liked learning lindsay’s side of events, and why she ended up in shanghai (when she was thought to be in beijing).
• the audiobook narration for this book was really well done, especially when we got grace’s perspective (with a new narrator) in the final chapter.

I really enjoyed Jennifer Haigh's Mercy Street so I was eager to read Rabbit Moon, and while I normally prefer to read character driven novels on the page as opposed to listening to them, I was so eager that I took the chance on an audio ARC. I am so glad that I did (and thankful that the publisher was kind enough to approve my request) because the audio version of this book is excellent and the dual narration really leant itself to the story and immersing the reader in the characters' perspectives.

An accident puts Lindsay in a coma while she is in China. Her divorced parents come there to be with her. Family drama ensues and secrets come to light. Haigh manages to both develop the characters at the same time as she amps up the drama, something of a feat. This book will keep you engaged to the very last page.

firstly, thank you to the publisher for an arc and an alc!

this was a sad read about a broken american family facing their complicated past after the eldest daughter dies in a hit and run in china, but i really didn’t feel connected to any members of the family, or the supporting cast.

as for the audio, i loved that there were two narrators, and both did a fantastic job!

Thank you to #NetGalley and to #HachettePublishing in conjunction with #LittleBrownAndCompany for the advance loan of #RabbitMoon by #JenniferHaigh (a favorite author of mine)!. This #audiobook was beautifully narrated by Katharine Chin and Yu-Li Alice Shen.

I requested this novel based solely upon the author's name and my appreciation for her prior novels (which I strongly recommend). I've been a fan of Jennifer Haigh for many years. That said, I cannot recall finishing an audiobook this quickly - it was nothing short of addictive. At just one hour into the book I realized that its description and summary (which seemed only marginally interesting when I read it) did not do it justice.

This author is tremendously talented at weaving compelling plots via layered characters but, most of all, at keeping a reader pulled along by the brilliance of the unfolding, high-stakes events. This is all done within a seemingly small arena - one family. There is a COMPELLING. inciting event, a seemingly unrelated situation/character, and then more and more is revealed and it picks up incredible speed.

Every character within this novel evoked strong feelings in me -- the Litvak family was so relatable and Haigh gives them each standalone importance - but the power of sisterhood shines BRILLIANTLY throughout. The darker side of human nature (the preciousness of childhood and the liabilities of being a coveted and beautiful "swan" in a world filled with sharks) is also brilliantly depicted.

To avoid spoilers and flags in posting this prior to tomorrow's publication, I have bookmarked a few AMAZING quotes and will get them onto a few social media platforms over the few days. This was, hands down, one the best novels I have reviewed and I would give it more than 5 stars if possible.

Available on Tuesday April 1st, 2025. Do NOT miss this one. Mesmerizing from start to finish.

Thank you, NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company, for allowing me to read this book early. The opinion in this review is my own.

Lindsay was the victim of a hit-and-run accident while living in China. Her divorced parents need to come together and go to Shanghai to be with Lindsay while she’s in a coma. The last time they spoke with Lindsay, she was working to teach English to Chinese children. Lindsay confides in her adopted sister, Grace, who is a native born Chinese. Grace is the only person in the family who knows what Lindsay is actually doing in Shanghai.

The narrators did a great job and the quality was good on the audiobook. Told in past and present timelines with multiple viewpoints that divulge little bits of information at a time. This book was paced well, but was deliberately written to be a bit slower. It’s one you should plan to take your time with. The writing is beautiful and the dialogue feels natural. This book raised lots of topics like inter-racial adoption. sister love, cultural issues with sexism and homosexuality, broken families, and many more, but I don’t want to give any spoilers. This book gives the reader a lot to think about. The ending had a bit too many coincidences for my liking. Sometimes, that feels like an easy way to wrap up a story, and I didn’t appreciate that. I highly recommend this book to anyone who appreciates literary fiction.

Beautiful, sweeping literay fiction that completely swept me away in the story. I love a family saga and this one was intense, complicated and compelling.

This book is a heart-wrenching story about family life, filled with tragedy and heartbreak. It all starts with a devastating accident in Shanghai, China. Lindsey Litvak is struck by a car and left for dead on the street. Her parents think she was in Beijing teaching English, but when they find out she’s in a Shanghai hospital, they’re shocked and scared. Most of the story is told through flashbacks, revealing how Lindsey ended up in China alone, how her parents’ marriage crumbled, and how Grace, a Chinese orphan, became part of their American family. There are some supporting characters who become important to Lindsey’s life while she’s in China. Their stories and involvement in her life give us a glimpse into her daily life in Shanghai. I’d describe this book as a slow-burning story. There’s a major turning point at the beginning, some smaller moments throughout, and another big moment at the end. While I was really into the story, I wasn’t on the edge of my seat after each chapter. The writing was compelling and the book had amazing imagery of China, the descriptions were beautifully vivid. Some of the writing seemed almost poetic. I enjoyed listening the book on audio, the narrator did a phenomenal performance especially with the Chinese text and dialog. I’d recommend this book to anyone who loves a good family drama.

This book is a thoughtful, considered and written in a lovely way. It tells the story of 22 year-old Lyndsey, lying in a coma in Shanghai and the people she has touched - her parents, ex-boyfriend, adopted sister from China, friends, workmates. I won't write too much about the plot - both because this isn't really a story about plots, it's a story about a life and because I think this is a book that is helpful to go into without too much fore knowledge.
I was given the audiobook by Netgalley (in exchange for an honest review). The narrator is perfect for this. She just sounds right. I don't know how she did with the brief amount of Chinese, since I don't speak the language.
The only thing is that this book had a surprise epilogue, told, in first person, 15 years after the book has ended. It had a different narrator too. Once I realised this, I stopped listening. it seemed completely unnecessary- bit then I'm never really a fan of an epilogue. YMMV.

Jennifer Haigh is an auto-buy author for me, so even though I pre-ordered a copy of Rabbit Moon, when I saw the audiobook available on Netflix Galley, I requested it immediately. Both narrators were excellent.
One of the reasons why I love Haigh’s books is her ability to capture both the beauty and messiness of human beings. The story line is compelling and propulsive, and my only complaint is that the book is not longer so that each character could have been explored more fully. I would have loved even more insight into Claire and Aaron’s marriage, as well as into Lindsey and Grace’s relationship as sisters. However, as it is, Haigh’s latest offering is powerful and well worth the read or listen.

Thank you to Net Galley for an advance copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

A thoughtful and sad novel about a beautiful young woman who leaves college and her family to teach English in China. She has a much-younger adopted sister from China who has wanted nothing to do with her heritage but who misses her big sister fiercely while she is overseas. There’s an accident, and all of the family’s life choices come under a microscope.
My thanks to the author, publisher, @HachetteAudio, and #NetGalley for early access to the well-narrated audiobook for review purposes. Publication date: 1 April 2025.

First off, a huge thanks to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for the early listening opportunity!

3.75
One of the things I really enjoyed about Rabbit Moon was the way the story branched into so many different paths, giving us deep insights into each character’s backstory. Haigh does a fantastic job of showing why each character made the choices they did—even when we, as readers, can see that their reasoning isn’t entirely correct. That complexity made the story feel layered and real.

However, there were moments that felt jarring, particularly the use of outdated language, including the r-word. That was uncomfortable and unnecessary.

That said, I loved how all the different storylines and events wove together into a cohesive and engaging narrative. The connections between characters felt organic, and it was satisfying to see how everything tied together.

My biggest issue was with the final chapter focusing on Grace—it felt too easy, almost rushed, compared to the depth the rest of the book provided. I wanted more from that conclusion.

Overall, Rabbit Moon is an intricate, thought-provoking story with compelling character explorations, though it has moments that don’t quite land.

Well written but sad

This is the story of a family. Each member has their own issues. The mom is a would-be writer, but life has gotten in the way. The dad has various middle age issues. One daughter had been adopted from China as an infant, but really hadn’t explored that part of her heritage. The last, who is the main focus of the story, was gifted in languages. She did not want to continue on the expected college path and so dropped out to go teach English in China. The book opens with her out one night and getting hit by a car. The story continues as her family deals with the aftermath of the accident.

It was well written and the characters believable. I normally read mysteries and expected their be one in this, but there wasn’t. The ending was sad. Actually, the whole book was. But it was very good and ends with aome hope for the family members’ futures.

What an interesting look at something so powerful. The character driven novel was hard to stop listening too due to the intensity of the storyline woven in. I would highly reccommend this book.

Jennifer Haigh's Rabbit Moon is a masterful exploration of family, identity, and cultural intersections, set against the vibrant backdrop of Shanghai. The novel begins with a tragic hit-and-run accident that leaves Lindsey Litvak, a young American woman teaching English in China, in a coma. As her divorced parents rush to her side, they confront not only the mysteries of Lindsey's life abroad but also the unresolved fractures within their own family. Haigh's storytelling moves seamlessly between past and present, weaving together Lindsey’s fragmented narrative with the perspectives of her parents and younger sister Grace. The richly drawn characters grapple with themes of love, betrayal, and the consequences of choices—both personal and societal. Shanghai itself emerges as a dynamic character, its bustling streets and cultural contrasts mirroring the complexities of the Litvak family's journey. With lyrical prose and poignant insights into human frailty, Rabbit Moon is a deeply affecting novel that lingers long after its final page. Haigh’s ability to delve into profound issues like adoption ethics and familial alienation while maintaining an engaging narrative cements her as one of contemporary literature’s finest voices.

Jennifer Haigh’s Rabbit Moon is the beautifully tragic story of a family whose lives are forever changed when the oldest daughter becomes the victim of a hit-and-run driver in China. Lindsey’s divorced parents have to put aside their differences and travel to Shanghai - she hadn’t told them that she moved there from Beijing the year before - to try to piece together the details of her new life.

Years before the accident, Lindsey had traveled to China with her mother Claire to adopt her little sister Grace. The journey had left her with many conflicted feelings and after deciding that Wesleyan wasn’t the right place for her, Lindsey decided to return to Grace’s birthplace. She tells her parents that she is teaching English there but the clothes in her luxury apartment in Shanghai tell a different story. Claire and Aaron fight against the language barrier and their own personal differences to uncover the path that Lindsey had ultimately taken.

This is a heartbreaking and insightful literary masterpiece that was made even more captivating by the fabulous narration. Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC that introduced me to some of the most flawed and interesting characters I’ve ever met.

This is one of those rare immersive novels that delivers more than it promises. Beginning with a hit-and-run that spreads its effect on everyone connected to the victim, it covers not only family dynamics but individual identity, intellectual curiosity regarding cultural commonality as well as difference. Everyone associated with Lindsay thought they really knew her, but in Haigh's deft handling, the reader is the only one who knows the entire story. She is adept at creating characterizations for everyone even those who only had tangential contact, including her landlord, but most notably her sister who was closest to her. The final section, as narrated by that sister, covers even wider spectrums of influence, holding interest until the final page is turned. Highly recommended.

Lindsey is the victim of a hit and run driver in Shanghai. Her parents will go to her bedside, despite being divorced. Language is an issue to be faced together in this family’s trauma.

A moving, well written novel. Good characters who will reflect on their relationships. How do you help a daughter lying in bed in a coma wh3n you know so little of her life in China? Excellent storytelling.

I absolutely adored this novel. It encompasses everything I desire in a book—an abundance of drama, rich character development, an engaging narrative, and a gripping plotline.

Lindsey Litvak, whose parents believe she is in Beijing, China, teaching English as a Second Language, is actually in Shanghai. One fateful night, she becomes the victim of a hit-and-run that leaves her clinging to life in a Chinese hospital. In a coma and sustained by tubes and sheer determination, her divorced parents, Claire and Aaron, perplexed by their daughter’s situation, rush to Shanghai to be by her side. They remain unaware of her true activities in Shanghai or the reasons behind her departure from Beijing.

Grace, Lindsey’s younger adopted sister, is deeply concerned for Lindsey. Adopted from China and raised in the United States by the Litvak family, Grace has always shared a close bond with Lindsey. Typically, they exchange texts frequently, but when Lindsey suddenly stops responding, Grace's worry intensifies. Currently at a Quaker sleepaway camp, she is oblivious to the grave nature of her sister's accident.

Unknown to her parents, Lindsey isn’t teaching English at all. Instead, she is entangled in a dubious situation she has kept secret from them. Her only close friend, a gay hairstylist, goes to great lengths to avoid facing Lindsey’s parents upon their arrival in Shanghai.

What a great book!
The writing and the narration is excellent.
A very deep and complex story..
I will definitely be recommending to all.