The White Hare by Jane Johnson

THE WHITE HARE by Jane Johnson is recommended for fans of Kate Morton (The House at Riverton and other titles) and I wholeheartedly concur. From the very opening quote, “There is no such thing as an innocent landscape,” to the final page, this novel is filled with suspenseful secrets and a sense of foreboding. Three generations, stylish Magda (“don’t call me Granny”); her daughter Mila (recently jilted by a bigamist); and five-year-old Janey (wise beyond her years) are intent on beginning a new life in Cornwall during 1954. There, they plan to renovate a house know as White Cove and encourage paying guests. But the locals keep alluding to bad history associated with the house and each of the woman senses another presence at times. This is a wonderful tale with allusions to folklore and to a much more recent mystery. While it’s sometimes difficult to believe that a child as young as Janey is allowed to roam so freely, the story is extremely atmospheric, the characters are genuine, and the rural setting beautifully depicted. Johnson even offers a taste of romance and utilizes the Prusiks’ Polish origins to frame thoughts on belonging and acceptance. THE WHITE HARE received a starred review from Library Journal. Other read-alikes might include The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield or Eve Chase’s Black Rabbit Hall.