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The Rabbit Girl

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What is the secret of Mallie's picture? The mystery unfolds as evacuees Tony and Alice escape the terrors of London's Blitz for the Lake District, where they befriend a fascinating and fearless old lady. Many years later, an after-school job in a pet shop enables well-meaning Mallie to buy her mum a drawing of a girl with a rabbit. Could this old picture bring past and present together - and change Mallie's life?

211 pages, Paperback

First published October 25, 2011

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About the author

Mary Arrigan

48 books3 followers
Mary Arrigan is an award-winning writer of fiction for children and teenagers. She has been shortlisted for the Readers Association Award, the Bisto Award and the White Raven Award.

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5 stars
15 (23%)
4 stars
17 (26%)
3 stars
25 (39%)
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3 (4%)
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3 (4%)
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
Profile Image for Lindsay.
761 reviews231 followers
January 4, 2011
What a lovely book! Beautifully written, a cracking story, and a pleasure to read. I am so glad I came across this novel.

It tells two stories, parallel to each other in alternating chapters. One is set in and around the Second World War, first in Ireland, then London, then the Lake District, as young Tony travels to England to be with his father who has found work in London, and slowly adapts to a new life, before having to adapt all over again when the War begins.
The second is in the present day, and tells of a teenage girl called Mallie Kelly, who lives alone with her mother Sarah. Mallie worries for her mother, who seems to keep losing jobs and has lost her love for her talent, which is drawing and art. Mallie secretly takes a job working at the pet shop, against her mother's wishes, to get some money and buy her mother a special gift.
This gift turns out to be very special indeed, and it is this, alongside the romantic matchmaking attemps by Mallie for her mother, which ultimately draws together the two strands of the story to meet.
There is a secret which you may guess at during the story, which is revealed at the end of the story. I'll say no more than that.

I am a huge rabbit fan, and a fan of the Lake District, and so this story combined many favourite themes for me, which added to the delight I derived from reading it.
I think this is a children's/young adult's novel in theory, but in reality I am an adult and loved it and would recommend it if you are looking for an enjoyable, sweet and touching story.
Profile Image for Adele Broadbent.
Author 10 books31 followers
May 25, 2015
Mallie (Mary Alice Kelly) lives with her mum in present day London. Her mum can’t seem to keep the jobs she gets – never quite settling in. Trying to cheer her mum up on her 40th birthday; Mallie buys her an old painting she finds in an antique shop.

It’s of a girl holding a rabbit. Who is she and who drew the picture? As money is tight, Mallie gets a job working in a pet store a few hours a week. Her friend suggests she try setting up her Mum with the nice guy who works there.

What results is a chain of events that solves the mystery of the picture – surprising them all.

This story was an easy, enjoyable read. Told in two viewpoints – beginning with a five year old boy in the past – and Mallie’s story, it all links together wonderfully at the end.
Profile Image for RLL22016_Yolanda Cedillo.
20 reviews
June 7, 2016
The rabbit girl has so much going on in the story that it is a bit difficult to follow at first. Mary does such a great job and her descriptions of the characters and of the setting that it makes it impossible to not want to continue to read. This book is a revolves around around a boy and girl and their adventures. Mallie (the girl) decides to buy a picture of a girl and a rabbit and a pet shop but soon finds out that picture means more than what she could imagine and that is what gives the story its excitement and emotion because it is a mystery that is waiting to be found and it also is a lot of fun to read. I really enjoyed this book and recommend it because it's health two stories and one.
Profile Image for Amanda Paso.
30 reviews
October 13, 2017
The Rabbit Girl is a text that is written from two different character's point of view and is written from two different time periods. The first character whose perspective the reader exposed to is Mallie (Mary Alice), who is a teenage girl growing up in present day London. The second character whose perspective the reader is exposed to is Tony,a ten-year-old boy growing up during the time of World War II in London.

Tony is torn from his home in Ireland to move to London with his father. His father is in search of work and Ireland seems to offer no relief. With the passing of Tony's mother, the young boy is emotional and cannot bear the thought of leaving the comfort of his home country. Tony soon learns the ways of London and begins to live a normal life. That is until the German bombers begin to drop bombs on the city of London. Tony's father and their neighbor Doris try to make a life for Tony in the midst of war times, but are not successful. Tony is sent to live on a farm in the countryside, outside of the city limits. The people whose paths that Tony come across help him to learn to appreciate the countryside and to show him happiness even in the unfriendliest of times.

Mallie is a teenage girl who lives with her Mother in present day London. Mallie's mother is an artist who cannot seem to keep a job. Sarah (Mallie's mother) tries her best for her daughter, but a niche cannot be found. Mallie becomes in search for part-time work, against her mother's wishes. Through a set of events, Mallie becomes an assistant in a pet shop several hours a week, after school. The job is going great, until Mallie's mother finds out. While Sarah is attempting to have Mallie quit the job, Mallie tries to find a way to match her boss, Steve, with her lonely mother (as well as keep her job). When Steve's father returns to work at the pet store, he does not agree with the choices that Steve has made in hiring Mallie.

While Tony is trying to find a way to get back to his father and neighbor Doris, Mallie becomes entangled between obeying her mother, having a job she loves, and dealing with the boss who no longer wants her there. The plot lines soon become entangled and a mystery of history is exposed.

This text was not predictable, which was one element that I truly enjoyed. I also enjoyed reading about the experiences that Tony had of a young boy in the times of war, and how the plot weaved its' way back to the present times.
Profile Image for Lisa Reed.
26 reviews
October 24, 2019
"The Rabbit Girl" by Mary Arrigan was a difficult book to locate for reading. According to Barnes & Nobles, the book is currently out of print. It was written in 2011 in Great Britain and the USA. The book is historical fiction and falls under the International literature category. The author, Mary Arrigan, resided in County Tipperary of Ireland. Her books were translated into many languages. She won many awards including, but not limited to, The Sunday Times CWA Award, International White Ravens, Munich and the Bisto Merit Award.

The setting of the story takes place in England. It was unclear to me as to which city exactly. It could have been London, but it could have been a different city as well. While the story was written in 2011, as a high school instructor, I detected that the time of the story might have been in the 1970s or 1980s, at the latest the 1990s. In order that the plot would work out chronologically and realistically, the author may have had to move it back a bit in years. Timing would be relevant to this story as the plot is two-fold and involves two different eras of time. The story begins in pre-world war two Ireland and England and flips with every chapter to come into the "present".

As a history teacher, I enjoyed the insights of an international book. It provided perspective in the plot which I might not have appreciated. While like C.S. Lewis it refers to a time when children were evacuated to the countryside during WWII from London, the characters and events are far more realistic and not about a magical wardrobe. It was not an easy time. It is lovely how the story comes full circle and celebrates life, new and old friendships and overcoming the past.

Also, as a bilingual history teacher, I might not be able to use this book for my students. The reading level is adequate; however, there were terms that were quite different from American colloquialism which is already new to my ELLs.

The book kept me interested, but I did feel it could have been a bit more profound and not so contrite in the last pages.
Profile Image for Erica Massarelli.
30 reviews58 followers
October 11, 2017
The Rabbit Girl by Mary Arrigan is definitely a novel worth reading. Written from two different perspectives in two different time periods, I was eagerly flipping through the pages in this story to find out what happened next. The two main characters, Mallie and Tony, seem to have different interests and stories until discovering a collision in their lives towards the end.

Mallie, a teenange girl growing up in present-day London, lives with her single mom. She and her mom don't seem to see eye-to-eye, often disagreeing. Sarah, Mallie's mom, is struggling to make ends meet as an artist and often seems to struggle raising Mallie on her own. After the tragic loss of Mallie's grandmother and her dad, life is difficult for the two.

Tony, a young boy in the time of World War II, had to leave his home in Ireland for London. He is reluctant to go with his dad, but has to because that is where his dad found work. Finding a place where he feels at home is a struggle for him after the death of his mom, and especially because he had to leave a place filled with memories for him. When he is forced again to evacuate London, a place that finally feels familiar, during the war, Tony finds friendship with a girl named Alice and an elderly woman named Mrs. H.

This story especially kept me on my toes because I was so curious how these two very unrelated stories would come together in the end. I would recommend it to anyone. It is charming, entertaining, and fun to read!
15 reviews
October 21, 2019
Age Range: 9 - 12 years
Grade Level: 4 - 7
Readers will enjoy piecing together the two stories and puzzling out the who’s who of characters, and they are likely to be surprised by the difficult-to-guess ending. Not only are the details throughout well conceived (including how the various plot threads come together), but the rich WW II backdrop may be a selling point for historically minded kids.

The mystery unfolds as evacuees Tony and Alice escape the terrors of London's Blitz for the Lake District-They befriend a fascinating and fearless old lady. Many years later, an after-school job in a pet shop allows Mallie to buy her mum a drawing of a girl with a rabbit. This old picture brings past and present together - and changes Mallie's life.
The descriptions of life from Tony's point of view make Blitz and the life of evacuee seem very real and will appeal to young teenage boys. These chapters would also work well as an introduction to World War II and the evacuation of children.
Mallie's story is slower and discusses aspects of modern life as a child of a single parent trying to be carefree but with responsibilities and restraints.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Nicole Harris.
12 reviews
October 12, 2019
The Rabbit Girl is a wonderful children's novel that will keep readers guessing until the very end of the book. The story focused on a young girl named Mallie who ends up coming across a unique drawing of a rabbit that she is drawn to while looking for a birthday present for her mom. What she doesn't know is that the picture has an interesting past which she will soon learn about. The novel moves back and forth between Mallie's story in present day England and the story of a young boy named Tony who is forced to evacuate his home and leave his family during World War 2. Readers will want to keep reading to learn about the Mallie and Tony's stories and how they intersect.
I would recommend this book to children who are in 4th-6th grade. It can be used in class to help show different perspectives as well as a great introduction to some of the things that children went through during World War 2.
Profile Image for Haley.
25 reviews
October 18, 2017
In The Rabbit Girl, a story about friendship, Mary Arrigan writes across time and weaves together the lives of young Tony and teenage Mallie. The reader alternates perspectives every other chapter as they view the world through Tony’s and then Mallie’s eyes. Eight year old Tony is living in London when Great Britain declares it is at war with Germany. When all of the children are forced to evacuate the city and seek the safety of the country, Tony is devastated. However, he unexpectedly feels a sense of belonging when he meets and befriends the fascinating Mrs. H and determined young Alice.

Mallie’s story takes place in the present day. Determined to strengthen her relationship with her mother, Mallie secretly takes up a part-time job at a pet store to help ends meet when her mother is let go at another job. Her new job and a mysterious picture at an antique store lead Mallie to discover her family’s amazing past and create life changing friendships, both of which brings her closer together to her mom.

The events of WWII and Mallie’s intriguing antique shop find lead characters to forge the most unlikely, yet strongest of friendships. This book would be wonderful to use in the classroom to study point of view and perspective taking. I would recommend providing students with background information on the setting by pairing The Rabbit Girl with a nonfiction WWII text.
Profile Image for Jenny.
20 reviews
October 6, 2018
Mary Arrigan's writing transports readers back and forth between past and present causing readers to never want to put the book down. As chapters switch between wartime in England and present time and different character perspectives, Arrigan keeps you wondering how the stories are connected. This book is full of intriguing wartime stories, character changes, relationships, and curiosity. Arrigan keeps you hooked and invested in the characters' lives every moment until bringing the story full circle at the end. A MUST read!
Profile Image for Mari .
53 reviews
January 27, 2020
There are two timelines being written side by side. One in wartime London and the other in present time London. So it's pretty much a slice-of-life story told from two children's perspective, albeit one of which includes war elements. I read halfway through and wondered when they would get to the point, and it took me until pages 150+ to see how everything told so far finally merged together. So... probably not the best book for impatient readers. I read this because of the rabbit theme and, even so, they don't appear very often.
12 reviews
May 5, 2017
I thought this book was a great book about past and present can be brought together. The past is how a boy and girl try to escape the wars of London and the present was so cute how Mallie found the picture of a girl with a rabbit at the antique shop for hser mom and how it brought her mom and Steve together. The picture brought Mallie and Mr. Armstrong closer together as well. I recommend this book.
Profile Image for Lauren Brant.
61 reviews3 followers
November 2, 2013
Mary Arrigan's "The Rabbit Girl" has a slow start in my opinion. We're introduced to two stories from two different times, presented simultaneously. We meet Tony and his father who live in Ireland in 1934 and then Mallie, her mother Sarah & Mallie's friend Jamila, living in England in the present day. The story takes us through the struggles of Tony losing his mother, having to move to England with his father to find work, and later having to leave his father to be in the countryside where he's safe from the bombings at the hand of Hitler. Mallie's struggles are less serious. She & her mother are living paycheck to paycheck, her mom struggling to keep a steady job. When Mallie takes a part-time job behind her mother's back and buys a painting of a rabbit for her mom's birthday, things get more interesting. All while reading, I sometimes struggled to keep track of the importance of the rabbit & waited for the two stories to intertwine. It all got MUCH more interesting to me in the last 20 pages of the book, where I found myself saying "Whoa!" For someone who likes to piece things together and likes reading books with the element of the unknown, this is a quick, enjoyable read. I do think Mary Arrigan's historical fiction piece tied into the present day offers an interesting viewpoint of life in the same place at two different times. The language is also unique and provides the reader with a new dialect, which is fun to decipher.
13 reviews
November 4, 2014
The Rabbit Girl is a sweet novel which tells of two stories with one major connection- a drawing of a girl with a rabbit. The first story line takes place in London in the late 1930s/early 1940s. The story tells of a young boy Tony who is forced to leave his home of Ireland after his mother passes away and eventually is forced to leave London (including leaving his father and neighbor) during the war. Tony is taken to the countryside where he befriends another city child-Alice- and a mysterious older woman name Mrs. H.
The other story line takes us to present day London and tells of Mallie, a teenager living with her Mum and trying to encourage her mother to find a job doing what she is good at-drawing animals. She finds a drawing of a girl with a rabbit and sees it as good luck so she buys it for her mum. The story is woven between the two plot lines until the end where they are seamlessly tied together.
While the ending was very sweet, I could predict how the stories would connect very early on and yet part of the conclusion still held a surprise.The story left me with a warm feelings and I found it to be a very easy read. I think middle schoolers would really enjoy this and teachers could use it to teach a bit about the effects of the second World War on children in London. This book could also be used to teach about Beatrice Potter (although I won't say how...;)). I highly recommend this book!
54 reviews
November 4, 2013
The Rabbit Girl is a story told through two different time periods, during World War II and then in the present day. The story from the past is about a young boy who must deal with losing his mother, then being sent away by his father to the country in order to escape the fighting in the city. While there he makes a new best friend, Alice and comes to enjoy his time with a mysterious women Mrs. H. The present day story is about a young girl and her mother who struggle often in their relationship to get along. The mother is unhappy in her work and struggles financially. The connection between the two times period was not apparent until the end of the story which made the book a little confusing. In the last few chapers, the reader finally discoverd how the characters from the past and present connect in a very unexpected way. I don't feel this book gives a sufficient amount of history to make it historical fiction compared to some others. World War II and Hitler are only minor parts of the story. Overall I wasn't a huge fan of the book. I would have liked to see the two storylines connect more throughout the story rather than at the end.
Profile Image for RLL52014_ShelbyThompson.
17 reviews
November 7, 2014
This is a great novel with two stories in different decades intertwining and coming together at the end. Tony's story takes place in London during WWII, it describes his life with his father and his experience as an evacuee in the countryside. Mallie's story is about the her life and frustrations with her free spirited mother and her part time job at a pet store. These two lives come together and find their happiness is restored with an unexpected connection. This book would be great for younger middle school readers. There was not much character depth or drama, but it is a very sweet story.
Profile Image for RLL22016_EsmeraldaValerio.
20 reviews1 follower
June 6, 2016
When I first hear about this story I believed it was very interesting and something that would engage me, but once I began to read the story it made it a bit confusing to follow along. The rabbit girl" is a book that touches on two different stories. One of these stories are based in the 1940s and the other is based on the present. These two stories demonstrate two stories that focus on the picture of the rabbit girl and its mystery. Even thought at the end I didn't find it very intriguing, I would recommend this book for those willing to learn about the past in a very different perspective than the norm.
Profile Image for Beth Schencker.
113 reviews4 followers
November 6, 2014
Sorry but I wasn't bowled over by this story. I had a hard time feeling empathetic for the characters. The book follows two story lines that converge at the end (to no surprise). In fact, after the revelation of how everything is connected, another twist is introduced. In my opinion, this last detail needn't have been added.
Rabbit Girl is listed as historical fiction, but I found little detail about this time era to really be useful in portraying the past. This book would be great for fourth or fifth grade readers.
Profile Image for Cristy Carranza.
10 reviews1 follower
June 7, 2016
This book was a really good twist in terms of stories from World War II. Stories like Anne Frank are very personal and detailed, but this book I feel tends more to the newer and younger generation. I think it would be a good book to introduce World War II to maybe a group of 7th graders. The two stories really compare and contrast with the similarity being the picture and the mysterious Mrs. H. Mallie's life is modern yet difficult in its own way. While Tony and Alice's life is difficult in terms of terror and war. Another great book to put things into perspective for young adults.
41 reviews
October 30, 2013
"The Rabbit Girl" is a wonderfully written story that weaves past and present together with a portrait of girl and her rabbit. The characters were extremely well described through events and dialogue. I especially liked the Millie and Jamila's friendship. It seemed very realistic. This book was selected by the Committee of the United States Board on Books for Young People for one of the forty outstanding international books worldwide in 2012.
Profile Image for Jenn Estepp.
2,048 reviews76 followers
January 26, 2016
Although it takes a healthy suspension of disbelief in parts (oh, the conveniences), it's overall a pretty charming read. Telling two parallel stories - one of a contemporary girl in London, one of boy who was evacuated to the Lake District during World War II - I admit that I teared up a little.
Profile Image for Kienie.
447 reviews6 followers
May 8, 2017
It was pretty average until the end, where it got a bit sentimental and precious. And then everything was right in the world for everyone forever. Can't complain too much, since before that it was just meh. The story was ok, but the way it was written made even the more exciting scenes flat.
Profile Image for Deborah Kelty.
Author 1 book9 followers
April 23, 2016
The story was a bit slow at the start, as it involves the boy Tony's past, and it was the already near the end before they meet the lady, with Tony's ending of his part of the story a little abrupt.
Either way, it was a pretty good read, with quite a surprise at the end!
Enjoy!
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews

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