When God Was A Rabbit - Sarah Winman

There is a five year gap between El and her brother Joe but that never stopped them from being close. He looked out for her and she worshipped him. Even though they had a loving family and good friends it was always them together against the world. Even when all grown up and separated by an ocean nothing got between them. Then disaster strikes and threatens that close relationship. El realises that who she is and all her memories are wrapped up with her brother. It's for that reason that her family believes that she can bring back her brother to them.

There are no words to describe how lovely this book is. I always have a soft spot for books where the main relationship is between two siblings. It's generally sisters that effect me emotionally being close to my sister myself. In this case though it was that between brother and sister. Both are unusual characters. They have always felt different amongst their peers and found difficulty making friends. For El that never mattered because she always had Joe.

I liked that the first half was written from the point of view of El as a little girl growing up and the second half when she was a grown up. You could instantly see the differences in little El and grown up El yet that bond with her brother was just as strong. I did think that something was going to come out of the woodwork. Something that happened between both sections that we didn't get to see. Nothing did but what happened near the end was enough to have me in tears.

One of my favourite books this year. A lovely story and I dare anyone not to be moved by it.