Black Rabbit Hall completely met my expectations. As it was recommended by Kate Morton who is my favorite author, I had an idea what kind of book it would be. A story with two timelines (past and present), a big old house, tragedy, and lots of secrets.

Compared to Morton’s work I would say that Eve Chase’s story is easier to read but not as elaborate as hers. In my next post, I will write about Kate Morton’s books and tell you in detail why I think so.

Setting

Now back to Black Rabbit Hall, which is the name of the property where the Alton family spends the summers. I love the title as it already gives you a hint for an interesting story behind the name. Who gave it? Why black rabbit? During the story, we will find out that it has a symbolic meaning and will play an important part in the plot because the rabbits will be key elements in the whirlwind of upcoming events.

The house is a typical old, ivy-covered romantic building located in Cornwall with a huge estate, a forest, and a cliff. Who doesn’t love this kind? Because I do and also our protagonist Lorna. She is in the present storyline looking for a place for her wedding. In a bit adventurous way, she and her fiancé find Black Rabbit Hall and she instantly falls in love with the place, but also senses a weird attachment, which will be explained once the secrets are revealed. The owner of the property is an old lady, Caroline Alton who would like to save the house because it is not in the best shape. The money from the wedding could cover the price of renovation so she is very keen on convincing Lorna to choose Black Rabbit Hall.

Characters

To me, Lorna was the least believable character. She sometimes acted a bit crazy, for example, I’m not sure if I would stay a few nights alone with a strange old lady in a house like this. Though nothing terrible happened it was still weird to me. One explanation for her behavior could be that she had a subconscious attraction to the place. Other than this she was a bit insignificant to me, I liked the Alton family and the past more.

My two favorites were Amber and Barney, two out of the 4 Alton siblings. In my view, they were the most likable and relatable characters. Amber is a girl who had to grow up too fast at a young age and take care of her siblings. I liked her maturity and her love for the family. In the case of Barney, he is a sweet little boy and I think his biggest virtue is his compassion for animals.

About the others, they were all quite complex and had both good and bad traits. In one moment they annoyed me and in another, I could feel with them which shows that the writer did a good job in creating 3-dimensional characters and also the dynamic in their relationship is portrayed well.

My summary

The writing style is enjoyable it flows throughout the book. The descriptions are vivid and the whole story grabs the attention. You can quickly finish off if you like the atmosphere. To me, it was surprising how descriptive the writer went in certain parts regarding traumatic events. It’s in human nature that we crave the nasty, shocking details and I think it was quite unexpected. Especially, since it was written from the perspective of a 15-year-old girl and how she experienced it. If you would like to know more about it I definitely recommend this book, it’s worth reading!

In addition, the story is not an easy read because it is about loss and bereavement. In parts sad and soul-crashing but all in all a moving, lovely book.

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