The White Hare

Fourteen-year-old Robbie is what many people would call a troubled boy since his mum died. As well as losing a parent, he’s lost his home in London and moved to the countryside with his dad. Trouble is, Dad’s got a new partner and Robbie doesn’t feel at all welcome – despite their efforts – in dad’s new family, complete with two irritating girls, Jess and Lucy.

But alongside the modern themes of failing to fit in at his new school and in his new family, Robbie’s friend Mags introduces him to something far more ancient and mysterious: the local lore of the white hare, a mythical animal that portends trouble.

A magical and thoughtful tale about the place where old and new communities meet, this is also a sensitive, well-told story about the rifts that occur in families and friendships, and how they can be healed. Fishwick’s writing is fine and stylish and never loses the grip of a slowly building, powerful story.