I'm honestly perplexed by Rabbit Moon. I'm not sure what I was meant to take away from this book; what I do know is that I couldn't connect with it on any level. It's a confusing mix of a tender sisterly relationship between Grace and Lindsey, Lindsey's reckless decisions and downward spiral, and the complete incompatibility of their parents as a couple.

The majority of characters were deeply unlikable, with the exception of Grace and Johnny Du. Claire and Aaron Litvak's ignorance about life in Shanghai was grating, especially Aaron's nonstop commentary on Chinese culture and customs. I found myself bored by their dynamic as well, and how they constantly blamed each other for the event that fractured their family.

Lindsey's story is rooted in trauma, as she was groomed by a family friend, Dean Farrell. This leads her, later in life, to seek validation and love from a client while working as an escort in Shanghai. While this glimpse into life as an escort was one of the few aspects that piqued my interest, there was hardly any substance or purpose to its inclusion.

Some elements reminded me of They're Going to Love You, another story about strained familial relationships stemming from a cataclysmic event. Unfortunately, both books failed to hold my attention. I wanted to see characters grow and develop; I didn't want it to be told to me through Grace's perspective in the very last chapter. Ultimately, this book's lack of depth left me disappointed.

Twenty-two year old Lindsey Litvak is supposed to be teaching English in Beijing when her divorced parents, Claire and Aaron, receive a call from a stranger informing them that their daughter is unconscious in a Shanghai hospital. Leaving their younger child, Grace, in summer camp, they fly to Shanghai. Neither of them understands Chinese or knows anyone in the city. As they wait for news, they learn that neither of them had any idea of what their older daughter has been doing for the past two years.
Rabbit Moon is an astonishing book about family and identity.
Told from the viewpoints of Lindsey, Grace, Claire, Aaron, and several minor characters who knew Lindsey in Shanghai, it tells the story of a beautiful and gifted young woman who made a series of horrendously illogical life choices. The reader expects to end up blaming at least one of Lindsey's parents, but they both gave her love, opportunities, support, and the freedom to be herself. It becomes clear that ability, privilege and good intentions are not enough to create happiness.
Every chapter is told in the third person except for the first and last, which are narrated by Grace, the sister whose adoption from a Chinese orphanage created Lindsey's fascination with all things Chinese and gave her the purest relationship of her life.
After reading this enthralling book, I look forward to discovering other titles by Jennifer Haigh.
I am grateful to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for giving me the opportunity to read an advance copy of Rabbit Moon in exchange for my honest review.

While this was well written, I'm not sure what it was aiming to do. There wasn't really a plot, just a lot of backstory presented while Lindsey lay in a coma. I'd thought there would be some development, like the parents learning about her life or their relationship with each other changing, but that didn't really happen. It was somewhat interesting as a character study, though all I saw of the parents was why they didn't like each other, not how they came across to those who did like them. It mostly felt like a description of wreckage, with Grace's personal growth tacked on at the end.

"This is how it happens. Your life appears to be about one thing. Then the phone rings, and in a single moment, it is completely and irrevocably about something else."
Another wonderful novel by Jennifer Haigh! In Rabbit Moon, we meet the splintered Litvak family: Claire and Aaron are divorced and daughter Lindsey has been living overseas on a gap year while younger sister, Grace, is currently in summer camp in New Hampshire. Their lives are all changed when they receive a call that Lindsey has been seriously injured in a hit and run accident in Shanghai.
The novel jumps back and forth between time periods, locations and characters, with the story primarily being told by a close cast of characters: Lindsey, her parents, Grace, and her Shanghai bff, Johnny. Much of the novel, however, is set in Shanghai and we're able to get an interesting picture of life in this large city. There's some intrigue - why was Lindsey in Shanghai, why was she in the deserted business district in the middle of the night and why is her closet filled with expensive designer dresses and shoes when she's supposedly teaching English? While her parents never learn the answers to these questions, we do. through Ms. Haigh's clever storytelling.
I especially liked the ending - fast forwarding us to Grace's future adulthood, and in doing so, we're able to really understand the special relationship between the two sisters.
Thanks to Netgalley and Little Brown and Company for the opportunity to read Rabbit Moon. I received a complimentary copy of this book and opinions expressed are completely my own.

Review copy provided by the publisher.

The most common reason I bounce off a book is the prose voice. That means that the most common reason I read a book all the way through that I don't end up liking much is *also* the prose voice. This was a very readable book on the sentence level. I have no complaints about its prose.

On a larger scale, though...this book just didn't go anywhere deep or interesting with its premise. It's about a young American woman who is hit by a car in Shanghai when her parents think she's living and working in Beijing, and about that whole family trying to figure out what's been going on. Which they mostly don't do. Mostly they just flail around being a mess. Friendships and relationships are severed more or less by bad luck.

On the up side, the sex workers in the book are treated with respect as people. On the other hand, there's not a lot of depth in that part either--and it's a pretty large theme to tackle without having anything in particular to say about it. I can't say this motivated me to seek out Haigh's other books. Oh well, they can't all etc.

I thought this a somewhat sad tale of Lindsey, a young woman teaching in China who is critically injured in a hit and run and the mystery of events with the accident in the wee hours of the morning she was found. When Lindsay's parents, Claire and Aaron receive word that their daughter was found laying in the streets of Shanghai the divisions that developed during their contentious divorce brings them together to find out what happened to their eldest daughter but left behind in the states is younger sister Grace who adopted from China as a baby and Lindsey's biggest fan is left lost and confused. The events leading to the accident begins with the storyline of Lindsey being seduced as a teen by a handsome married neighbor, the subsequent unfortunate decisions she makes navigating through her life in Shanghai and the outcome. I initially didn't care for Lindsey's character in the beginning but as the story unfolded came to understand her more and this ended up almost being a tear jerker for me because of the loss the whole family ended up sustaining in many ways.

Big thank you to author Jennifer Haigh and NetGalley for a copy of this in exchange for my review all my opinions are my own

This is the story of Lindsey Litvak, a college dropout of 22, who decides to move to China to find work. Lindsey's parents are divorced, and unaware that she is not in Beijing- she is living in Shanghai. Lindsey's adopted sister Grace was born in China, and the sisters remain close.
Suddenly, Lindsey's private life is exposed when she is a victim of a hit and run car as she is standing on a Shanghai street, and her parents and Grace are devastated by this accident. The author is an expert at developing complex characters, while giving us the vicarious experience of seeing Shanghai through their eyes.

Rabbit Moon by Jennifer Haigh completely swept me away. Claire and Aaron’s reunion in Shanghai after their daughter Lindsey’s accident was so raw and emotional—I could feel the weight of their history in every interaction. The family dynamics were messy and real, and I loved how Grace’s connection to Lindsey added another layer of heartbreak and hope. It felt like I was right there with them, navigating the city’s chaos and their own tangled relationships.

This book had me glued to the pages with its gorgeous writing and deep, emotional pull. If you love stories about family, secrets, and the things that bind us together even when it hurts, this is a must-read. It left me both heartbroken and hopeful, and I couldn’t stop thinking about it long after I finished. ★★★★★

I have read many books by Jennifer Haigh and enjoyed them all, so I was thrilled to be approved for this ARC. Once I picked up Rabbit Moon, I could not put it down. The story about Lindsay Litvak, a young American woman living in Shanghai is propulsive. After being critically injured in a hit-and-run, Lindsay’s life is under scrutiny. Her parents thought she was living in Beijing teaching English. So what’s she doing in Shanghai with a closet full of clothes entirely different from the girl they remember? The story visits perspectives of people who loved Lindsay: her little sister, her best friend, and her parents, but they all circle the gorgeous, magnetic, and very smart Lindsay. I loved the way the characters and story came together and was hooked till the very end. I was mildly disappointed in the ending, but not enough to knock it down to 4 stars.

Highly recommended. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

In 'Rabbit Moon', Aaron and Claire, who are divorced, discover that their daughter Lindsey has been involved in an accident in Shanghai. It also tells about Lindsey’s life before the accident. Aaron and Claire's youngest daughter, Grace, who is adopted and Asian, has to go through that tragic event. Grace discovers more about her sister Lindsey while she is living in Shanghai. This book has so many things to talk about, such as life after a tragic event and the struggles Aaron, Claire, and Grace have to go through, especially learning more about Lindsey living in Shanghai. Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for giving me an opportunity to read this book and do a review.

I was a big fan of Mercy House by Jennifer Haigh, so was very excited to read Rabbit Moon. When I read the synopsis of the plot, as the mother of a now adult daughter adopted from China, I couldn't wait to start the book. Once I started, I could not put it down. Lindsey, a young American woman, is living in Shanghai after having dropped out of university. While her parents think she's teaching English, that couldn't be further from the truth. When Lindsey is injured in a hit and run accident, her divorced parents rush to China, leaving her beloved sister, a Chinese adoptee, alone at summer camp. This is a complicated family drama with non-stop suspense. All of the characters are very well-developed, flawed and real. The book deals with some very complicated issues such as parenting issues, child abuse, cultural differences, and international adoption. I highly recommend this novel, so much to discuss in a book club.

This book had an interesting premise but it was slow moving for me. The descriptions of China were interesting but the characters did not appeal to me and were not likeable. The parents are divorced and thinking that their oldest daughter is teaching a language in China which is not the case. They get notified that she is in a hospital and they rush over to see her and try to piece together her life. Meanwhile, the second daughter, adopted from China, is younger and away at a summer camp in New Hampshire. The sisters are close but suddenly the texts have stopped. This is a story about a deeply fractured family and the consequences.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy. All opinions expressed are my own.
Many great reviews but just not for me.

In her new novel, Rabbit Moon, Jennifer Haigh expertly captured family relationships as well as the angst and complications of the life of a young woman. The setting in Shanghai made the writing and story come even more alive. The main character is Lindsay, a young woman who is adrift in life, having dropped out of college and moved to China (with her boyfriend) to teach English. She finds herself alone in Shanghai and makes a life altering decision regarding her employment. She suffers a terrible accident (that’s all I’m going to say to avoid spoilers!). The reader first meets her divorced parents at the time they receive word that their daughter has been seriously injured in Shanghai.
The novel goes back in time to disclose the messy family history, including the effect of Lindsay’s actions on the entire family. The parents and their domestic life, attitudes, issues and decisions are very well drawn by the author. But most importantly, the reader sees deeply into Lindsay’s life and choices. She was fully portrayed as a character, and as I reader, I felt I knew her and wanted to give her advice. The other important character is Lindsay’s sister, Grace, who was adopted from China. Issues regarding Chinese Americans are nicely shown – but the author doesn’t pound on them. Other wonderful characters included Johnny, the hairdresser and friend of Lindsay, who hid his gay life as a hairdresser entirely when he visited his parents and created a whole new “good Chinese son” persona for them.
Intertwined throughout the novel were the city of Shanghai itself, daily life in Shanghai, and lots of current Chinese culture. I thought the author did an excellent job of weaving this setting into the storyline. The novel moves quickly, and I remained interested to find out what happened next. I have not read Jennifer Haigh in several years, but I fully enjoyed this novel and now I plan to read more of her prior work.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book. I loved it. The author did a wonderful job of bringing the characters to life, and the story is revealed in bits and pieces from each character's perspective. I found all of them relatable and/or recognizable. Many of the characters' stories and issues could have been books of their own, but the epilogue of the book left me satisfied. Haight also successfully showed the contrasting locales of suburban Boston and Shanghai and the darker sides of each. There were countless interesting issues raised, from international adoptions to religion to post-partum depression to predatory relationships to ex-patriotism. I think this would be the perfect choice for book discussion groups. I highly recommend this book.

It isn't a book I will be pushing into people's hands, but neither would I dissuade someone from reading it. None of the characters were terribly likeable though Haigh certainly renders them in credible fashion. She gives the reader plenty of details for her setting in Shanghai, sometimes too much and offered from a distinctly Western point of view. I would have been happy if the story ended on page 171 with Johnny sending up the flaming lantern, but the author felt the need to go on and tie a neat bow around all the supporting character's stories.

We live at the intersection of causality and chance. from Rabbit Moon by Jennifer Haigh

A compelling family drama, Rabbit Moon‘s authenticity and characters made it a page turner.

The story subtly touches on so many issues: postpartum depression, the morality of foreign adoption, sexual abuse of a minor, how a crisis spurs divorce, the love between sisters, a woman giving up her dream to be a mother, being Asian in white America. And, we learn about Modern China, “dangerous, polluted, crowded, expensive.”

The book opens with a young American women standing on a Shanghai street at night when a drunk driver side swipes her. A passerby steals her cell phone, but does not alert the authorities.

Her parents arrive in China separately to stand vigil, their oldest daughter in a comma. They believed Lindsey was in Beijing, teaching English, on a sabbatical from college. Why was she in Shanghai–why on the street at night wearing a dress and heels which she never wore before–why did her apartment hold no clues to her life? And what was the Chinese character tattooed on her arm?

Meanwhile, Lindsey’s beloved little sister is at camp, waiting for the message from her sister that never comes. Grace has been adopted from China when Lindsey was thirteen. Her big sister was the first person she knew loved her.

Lindsey’s back story will break your heart, a story that Grace, decades in the future, finally discovers. Grace is set free by telling the truth of what happened to her sister.

Although we may wish for justice for Lindsey, there is satisfaction in the ending, the realization that love shared is eternal.

Thanks to the publisher for a free book through NetGalley.

I'm a fan of Haigh's and I found this very readable--a well-plotted and thoughtful examination of consequences and very evocative of place, in this case China. I do not think the coda was necessary and robbed the story of some of its impact.

In this book the author carefully and crafty weaves a bunch of little threads that seemingly don't fit together into one incredible story. I devoured it, and felt like the characters were so real, I could almost have known them myself.

A solid 3.4 stars for this one, so 3 stars.

Claire and Aaron Litvak were divorced four years before they got a phone call telling them their daughter Lindsey, who is teaching English in China during her gap year has been critically injured in a hit and run. The race to Shanghai to be with her.

While there they learn about Lindsey’s life in Shanghai, which is fraught and further explore the event that ended their marriage and left Lindsey estranged from them and she has confided only in her sister, Grace who was adopted from China as an infant. What is happening is Lindsey’s life?

Maybe I’m just jaded, but this book was so not shocking, and seemed a bit sterile. Grace was really the only character I liked, other than the wonderful friend, Johnny. The book’s brevity meant that readers don’t know any characters well. So, it was fine.

I absolutely loved this novel. It reminded me in a way of Run Lola Run (if you haven't seen it, go watch it right now) wherein every time we brushed up against a character who was part of Lindsey's life, we got to peer inside. The satisfaction of all the threads coming together and forming such an exquisitely detailed picture of the lives of the characters! Fanatastic. I felt like I was witnessing a master-class in writing character and POV. This novel is very character-driven - a standout in a sea of plotty-novels for those of us who always want to be climbing into other people's heads. Highly recommend! This one is going to be on a lot of lists in 2025.