When Claire is called by the Chinese American embassy, she receives the terrible news that her daughter is in a coma in a shanghai hospital. Lindsey has been teaching English in China, but she has been leading a secret life, keeping secrets from her family. We gradually learn about the events that led to her near estrangement from her family, her parents divorce, and the life in China that culminate in her accident.
This novel was excellent. An incredibly strong character study. I didn't love the characters, i didn't hate them, but they were all very very real and I really felt for them. Each is flawed, but sympathetic. Each is damaged by their experiences and none react perfectly. Their relationships and interactions are superbly written. This extends beyond the central family to other important characters.

I was instantly drawn into this story. There were so many touching, small, tender moments. You could feel each character's vulnerablitlities. The ending felt a bit fractured and bittersweet. Some storylines got more time and attention then others. I was left with a sense of loss, Each character often felt isolated in their own story.

Thank you NetGalley, Hachette Audio, and Little, Brown & Company for the ARC.

Listening to the audio version of this book transported me to another place and time. Not only was the story interesting, immersive and beautifully told it was also perfectly narrated by Katherine Chin and Yu- Li Alice Shen.

Claire and Aaron Litvak, divorced and living apart in separate US cities receive a call from Shanghai, China police that their eldest daughter, in China to teach English, has been the victim of a hit and run driver and is on life support in a hospital.

IThey each hurry to be with their daughter, Lindsay and as the story unfolds, Lindsay’s life and journey to Shanghai unfold bit by bit, revealing a multitude secrets kept from family members but not from the reader. Lindsay’s life was not what it seemed.

Lindsay’s younger sister, Grace was adopted from China as an infant. Lindsey accompanied Claire to bring her baby sister home to the US. The two sisters grew very close despite their age difference. While others’ believed they knew Lindsay, her vast secrets rendered her unknowable. . As with an onion, the author deftly peels back the years and events that changed Lindsay’s life, causing her to relocate and a live a life that was unimaginable to her family.

With characters who are so well developed that I felt I knew them, and a plot that was original and believable, Jennifer Haigh has written a book that captured my mind and my heart. Five well earned stars for a book I highly recommend. Many thanks to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my review. It was published on April 1, 2025. Don’t miss it!

It takes days to identify a young woman hit by a car in Shanghai who is now in a coma in the hospital. Her name is Lindsay and she is an American, and the daughter of divorced parents Aaron and Claire who run to be by her unconscious side. Lindsay had dropped out of college after sophomore year (my college actually) and moved with her boyfriend to Beijing to teach English; her family has no idea why she is in Shanghai. Through flashbacks we learn Linday's history, her relationship with her parents and her sister, adopted from China, as well as how she ended up on that dark fateful street late at night. While dealing with their daughter's grave injuries in a foreign country, Claire and Aaron are also navigating their complicated post divorce relationship.

I only had the audiobook for this and I wish I could have read it as well, not because the narrator wasn't great, because she was, but because I loved the story so much as well as the dimensions that the author gave to each character. This is both plot driven and character based and going in blind I had no idea what to expect. The characters are slowly developed throughout the novel through flashbacks and the present day trauma that they are dealing with. I loved this one and will go back to Haigh's backlist because I cannot wait to be introduced to more of her characters and her stories. This is a wonderful one that will be a 2025 favorite for me.

4.5 stars

Thank you to Hachette Audio and NetGalley for the ALC to review

Haigh stuck to the multi-pov style with this second novel. I liked this style with MERCY STREET but I also found like it left some characters flat.

With RABBIT MOON, I do feel like Haigh achieved better characterization than her debut. However, I still think this book suffers from a fizzled ending. I enjoyed listening to this on audio as it was a well/written plot to follow, but I felt underwhelmed with the ending after the unexpected twist 75% in.

Thanks to @netgalley and @hachetteaudio for the early review copy!

𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐄𝐖 ~ 𝐑𝐀𝐁𝐁𝐈𝐓 𝐌𝐎𝐎𝐍 ~ by Jennifer Haigh ~ Happy Publishing Day! A big Thank you to Little, Brown and Company and. Netgalley for an ARC copy of this book that is due out today, April 1st 2025!. This book is definitely for fans of literary fiction who are ready to explore a damaged family, a broken marriage, flawed characters, and to experience a rather somber tone. My very favorite part of this story is the explanation and in turn, mental exploration of the title. I liked this author’s writing style but it did take me a little bit to connect to the characters. However, I felt emotion for them all in the end. Also, I liked the newly introduced POV that ends the book in the last chapter as it sheds a whole new light on all of it. I loved that this author left some room for personal interpretation of some things rather than spoon feeding the readers definitions of all behaviors. I have daughters who have moved fairly far from home as older teens, and while we remain close, I cannot deny that hearing Lynsey Litvak’s tale was daunting to take in at times. I think this perspective and the coming-of-age aspect is what connected me to this dark. perhaps cautionary story. I would have liked to know more about these people and their interests, motivations and connections, but there was definitely something that kept me drawn to this book while I was reading it. I don’t know if this will be for everyone, but I do believe that it will resonate with many for a variety of reasons as it explores a myriad of themes: acculturation, parenting, predatory sexuality, adoption, the sex trade, alternate lifestyles, sexual violence, fate/chance, death/grief, sibling relations, and marriage. Thanks to Little Brown 7 Company and author for the opportunity to experience this book.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
𝐇𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐲 𝐆𝐫𝐢𝐦 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐔𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐥𝐥! 📚❤️

This was such a complex and layered story. It opens with a young woman, Lindsey Litvak, hit by a car while living abroad in China during a college gap year. Her divorced parents, Claire and Aaron, make their way to China to be with their daughter. Throughout the novel, we learn about what tore their family apart. It's heartbreaking. While the story is sad and dark in many ways, it was also compelling on a psychological level. I enjoyed listening to it and getting to know the characters and their lives. The narration is good--accessible, friendly, not too stiff.

Rabbit Moon
Jennifer Haigh
Narrated by Katherine Chin and Yu Li Alice Chen
4stars
This book is not my usual genre and I confess that it was the book title and cover that attracted me to it
It is the story of a young American woman , Lindsaywho is involved in a hit and run accident whilst working in China . She is in a coma and her divorced parents are reunited as they rush to her bedside . The narrative explores the family and things in their past that has brought them to this moment , including the adoption of Lindsay’s sister Grace from a Chinese orphanage and events when Lindsay was a teenager. The final part of the book is the thoughts of Grace which draws the narrative to a satisfying conclusion.
The narrator does an excellent job with the subtleties of the story,and I think I enjoyed the audiobook more than I would have reading a physical book. I didn’t particularly like any of the characters other than Grace , I could feel empathy for them and imagine myself in their positions and found myself fully invested in the story .
I will be recommending the book and I am glad I listened to it .

3.5 stars —

• when they find out their 22-year-old daughter lindsay has been hurt in a hit-and-run in china, where she’s been teaching english, divorced parents claire & aaron rush to her side. the accident reopens old wounds, and forces them to reexamine the event that ended their marriage & estranged lindsay from them. one thing’s for sure though: nothing is what it seems.
• this story was fast-paced, and the changing perspectives really allowed the reader to see the different sides of what happened & how we got here. i particularly liked learning lindsay’s side of events, and why she ended up in shanghai (when she was thought to be in beijing).
• the audiobook narration for this book was really well done, especially when we got grace’s perspective (with a new narrator) in the final chapter.

I really enjoyed Jennifer Haigh's Mercy Street so I was eager to read Rabbit Moon, and while I normally prefer to read character driven novels on the page as opposed to listening to them, I was so eager that I took the chance on an audio ARC. I am so glad that I did (and thankful that the publisher was kind enough to approve my request) because the audio version of this book is excellent and the dual narration really leant itself to the story and immersing the reader in the characters' perspectives.

An accident puts Lindsay in a coma while she is in China. Her divorced parents come there to be with her. Family drama ensues and secrets come to light. Haigh manages to both develop the characters at the same time as she amps up the drama, something of a feat. This book will keep you engaged to the very last page.

firstly, thank you to the publisher for an arc and an alc!

this was a sad read about a broken american family facing their complicated past after the eldest daughter dies in a hit and run in china, but i really didn’t feel connected to any members of the family, or the supporting cast.

as for the audio, i loved that there were two narrators, and both did a fantastic job!

Thank you to #NetGalley and to #HachettePublishing in conjunction with #LittleBrownAndCompany for the advance loan of #RabbitMoon by #JenniferHaigh (a favorite author of mine)!. This #audiobook was beautifully narrated by Katharine Chin and Yu-Li Alice Shen.

I requested this novel based solely upon the author's name and my appreciation for her prior novels (which I strongly recommend). I've been a fan of Jennifer Haigh for many years. That said, I cannot recall finishing an audiobook this quickly - it was nothing short of addictive. At just one hour into the book I realized that its description and summary (which seemed only marginally interesting when I read it) did not do it justice.

This author is tremendously talented at weaving compelling plots via layered characters but, most of all, at keeping a reader pulled along by the brilliance of the unfolding, high-stakes events. This is all done within a seemingly small arena - one family. There is a COMPELLING. inciting event, a seemingly unrelated situation/character, and then more and more is revealed and it picks up incredible speed.

Every character within this novel evoked strong feelings in me -- the Litvak family was so relatable and Haigh gives them each standalone importance - but the power of sisterhood shines BRILLIANTLY throughout. The darker side of human nature (the preciousness of childhood and the liabilities of being a coveted and beautiful "swan" in a world filled with sharks) is also brilliantly depicted.

To avoid spoilers and flags in posting this prior to tomorrow's publication, I have bookmarked a few AMAZING quotes and will get them onto a few social media platforms over the few days. This was, hands down, one the best novels I have reviewed and I would give it more than 5 stars if possible.

Available on Tuesday April 1st, 2025. Do NOT miss this one. Mesmerizing from start to finish.

Thank you, NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company, for allowing me to read this book early. The opinion in this review is my own.

Lindsay was the victim of a hit-and-run accident while living in China. Her divorced parents need to come together and go to Shanghai to be with Lindsay while she’s in a coma. The last time they spoke with Lindsay, she was working to teach English to Chinese children. Lindsay confides in her adopted sister, Grace, who is a native born Chinese. Grace is the only person in the family who knows what Lindsay is actually doing in Shanghai.

The narrators did a great job and the quality was good on the audiobook. Told in past and present timelines with multiple viewpoints that divulge little bits of information at a time. This book was paced well, but was deliberately written to be a bit slower. It’s one you should plan to take your time with. The writing is beautiful and the dialogue feels natural. This book raised lots of topics like inter-racial adoption. sister love, cultural issues with sexism and homosexuality, broken families, and many more, but I don’t want to give any spoilers. This book gives the reader a lot to think about. The ending had a bit too many coincidences for my liking. Sometimes, that feels like an easy way to wrap up a story, and I didn’t appreciate that. I highly recommend this book to anyone who appreciates literary fiction.

Beautiful, sweeping literay fiction that completely swept me away in the story. I love a family saga and this one was intense, complicated and compelling.

This book is a heart-wrenching story about family life, filled with tragedy and heartbreak. It all starts with a devastating accident in Shanghai, China. Lindsey Litvak is struck by a car and left for dead on the street. Her parents think she was in Beijing teaching English, but when they find out she’s in a Shanghai hospital, they’re shocked and scared. Most of the story is told through flashbacks, revealing how Lindsey ended up in China alone, how her parents’ marriage crumbled, and how Grace, a Chinese orphan, became part of their American family. There are some supporting characters who become important to Lindsey’s life while she’s in China. Their stories and involvement in her life give us a glimpse into her daily life in Shanghai. I’d describe this book as a slow-burning story. There’s a major turning point at the beginning, some smaller moments throughout, and another big moment at the end. While I was really into the story, I wasn’t on the edge of my seat after each chapter. The writing was compelling and the book had amazing imagery of China, the descriptions were beautifully vivid. Some of the writing seemed almost poetic. I enjoyed listening the book on audio, the narrator did a phenomenal performance especially with the Chinese text and dialog. I’d recommend this book to anyone who loves a good family drama.

This book is a thoughtful, considered and written in a lovely way. It tells the story of 22 year-old Lyndsey, lying in a coma in Shanghai and the people she has touched - her parents, ex-boyfriend, adopted sister from China, friends, workmates. I won't write too much about the plot - both because this isn't really a story about plots, it's a story about a life and because I think this is a book that is helpful to go into without too much fore knowledge.
I was given the audiobook by Netgalley (in exchange for an honest review). The narrator is perfect for this. She just sounds right. I don't know how she did with the brief amount of Chinese, since I don't speak the language.
The only thing is that this book had a surprise epilogue, told, in first person, 15 years after the book has ended. It had a different narrator too. Once I realised this, I stopped listening. it seemed completely unnecessary- bit then I'm never really a fan of an epilogue. YMMV.

Jennifer Haigh is an auto-buy author for me, so even though I pre-ordered a copy of Rabbit Moon, when I saw the audiobook available on Netflix Galley, I requested it immediately. Both narrators were excellent.
One of the reasons why I love Haigh’s books is her ability to capture both the beauty and messiness of human beings. The story line is compelling and propulsive, and my only complaint is that the book is not longer so that each character could have been explored more fully. I would have loved even more insight into Claire and Aaron’s marriage, as well as into Lindsey and Grace’s relationship as sisters. However, as it is, Haigh’s latest offering is powerful and well worth the read or listen.

Thank you to Net Galley for an advance copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

A thoughtful and sad novel about a beautiful young woman who leaves college and her family to teach English in China. She has a much-younger adopted sister from China who has wanted nothing to do with her heritage but who misses her big sister fiercely while she is overseas. There’s an accident, and all of the family’s life choices come under a microscope.
My thanks to the author, publisher, @HachetteAudio, and #NetGalley for early access to the well-narrated audiobook for review purposes. Publication date: 1 April 2025.

First off, a huge thanks to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for the early listening opportunity!

3.75
One of the things I really enjoyed about Rabbit Moon was the way the story branched into so many different paths, giving us deep insights into each character’s backstory. Haigh does a fantastic job of showing why each character made the choices they did—even when we, as readers, can see that their reasoning isn’t entirely correct. That complexity made the story feel layered and real.

However, there were moments that felt jarring, particularly the use of outdated language, including the r-word. That was uncomfortable and unnecessary.

That said, I loved how all the different storylines and events wove together into a cohesive and engaging narrative. The connections between characters felt organic, and it was satisfying to see how everything tied together.

My biggest issue was with the final chapter focusing on Grace—it felt too easy, almost rushed, compared to the depth the rest of the book provided. I wanted more from that conclusion.

Overall, Rabbit Moon is an intricate, thought-provoking story with compelling character explorations, though it has moments that don’t quite land.

Well written but sad

This is the story of a family. Each member has their own issues. The mom is a would-be writer, but life has gotten in the way. The dad has various middle age issues. One daughter had been adopted from China as an infant, but really hadn’t explored that part of her heritage. The last, who is the main focus of the story, was gifted in languages. She did not want to continue on the expected college path and so dropped out to go teach English in China. The book opens with her out one night and getting hit by a car. The story continues as her family deals with the aftermath of the accident.

It was well written and the characters believable. I normally read mysteries and expected their be one in this, but there wasn’t. The ending was sad. Actually, the whole book was. But it was very good and ends with aome hope for the family members’ futures.