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Rabbit, Fox, Tar
Longlisted for The Center for Fiction 2026 First Novel Prize
"Verrone has an alchemical ability to take parts of the old and the new and transform them into something entirely his own, making the book’s existence a revolution unto itself . . . Its vital messages—such as how a community is only as strong as its stories—are present for all who have the vision to see them. However, its power doesn’t lie in its didacticism, but rather its screaming relevancy to the present state of American affairs." —The New York Times Book Review
A mesmerizing, fable-like debut novel about a mysterious young Black woman whose arrival in an insular neighborhood threatens to shake its foundations
When Baby appears in Original Hill, her name is on everyone's lips. A young Black woman is a rare sight in this part of town, and she sits all day on the Foxes’ garden wall, swinging her bare feet and speaking to no one. That is, until the charismatic Lucius “Lucky” Foote comes along and touches her, sparking their romance. Arm-in-arm with Baby, who seems to exert a seemingly supernatural pull on the other residents, Lucky is confident he will secure the open city council seat away from Baby’s uncle Eugene Fox, the back-from-retirement white incumbent.
With protestors reopening old wounds around the Black neighborhood that was leveled by the nearby highway decades ago and Lucky threatening his position, Fox believes it’s not just a city council seat at stake, but the “soul” of Original Hill.
As Baby is woven further into the unraveling community, she begins to stray from Fox’s strict rules and question everything, from where she came from to who—and what—she truly is.
"Verrone has an alchemical ability to take parts of the old and the new and transform them into something entirely his own, making the book’s existence a revolution unto itself . . . Its vital messages—such as how a community is only as strong as its stories—are present for all who have the vision to see them. However, its power doesn’t lie in its didacticism, but rather its screaming relevancy to the present state of American affairs." —The New York Times Book Review
A mesmerizing, fable-like debut novel about a mysterious young Black woman whose arrival in an insular neighborhood threatens to shake its foundations
When Baby appears in Original Hill, her name is on everyone's lips. A young Black woman is a rare sight in this part of town, and she sits all day on the Foxes’ garden wall, swinging her bare feet and speaking to no one. That is, until the charismatic Lucius “Lucky” Foote comes along and touches her, sparking their romance. Arm-in-arm with Baby, who seems to exert a seemingly supernatural pull on the other residents, Lucky is confident he will secure the open city council seat away from Baby’s uncle Eugene Fox, the back-from-retirement white incumbent.
With protestors reopening old wounds around the Black neighborhood that was leveled by the nearby highway decades ago and Lucky threatening his position, Fox believes it’s not just a city council seat at stake, but the “soul” of Original Hill.
As Baby is woven further into the unraveling community, she begins to stray from Fox’s strict rules and question everything, from where she came from to who—and what—she truly is.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published June 2, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
September 11, 2026
A reworking and recontextualization of the “Tar Baby” folktale, in which a mysterious woman arrives in a seemingly idyllic town, only for every townsperson who encounters her to be irrevocably changed.
P.C. Verrone unfurls his story with a deft hand, balancing fabulism with a disquieting atmosphere that captivated me from beginning to end, while thoughtfully exploring themes of personhood, racial identity, gentrification, and inheritance. A phenomenal debut novel, and I’m excited to see where Verrone’s career goes from here.
My thanks to the public library for lending a free copy in exchange for nothing at all!☺
Blog | Twitter | Instagram | Bluesky
P.C. Verrone unfurls his story with a deft hand, balancing fabulism with a disquieting atmosphere that captivated me from beginning to end, while thoughtfully exploring themes of personhood, racial identity, gentrification, and inheritance. A phenomenal debut novel, and I’m excited to see where Verrone’s career goes from here.
My thanks to the public library for lending a free copy in exchange for nothing at all!☺
Blog | Twitter | Instagram | Bluesky
August 12, 2026
An MFA book: technically well-written but lacking a certain soul (ironically, iykyk). The book’s front and back caps shine, but the mystery in the middle panders to everyone and no one. Really, the fable would have benefitted from less sleuthing and more mysticism, but maybe I’ve just got my head stuck in the speculative sand. Still excited for the author discussion I’m going to. Verrone’s got great ideas but they’re muddled by length and even readability.
July 25, 2026
RABBIT, FOX, TAR by P.C. Verrone [Thanks to @catapult for the gifted copy.]
I didn’t quite know what I was getting into when I started this book. I knew it involved magical realism and I’ve been woefully low on any kind of fantasy reading this year, so decided to give it a try. As it turned out, Rabbit, Fox, Tar felt more like a fable with a lot to say than it did any sort of fantasy.
In brief, this is a story about two neighboring communities, one, Original Hill, almost exclusively white and the other, a once vibrant Black community, is long past its heyday, barely hanging on. It’s the story of two men, one Black, Rabbit, one white, Fox, running for city council and it’s about an ethereal young Black woman, Baby, who shows up seemingly out of nowhere. She’s believed to be the niece of the white candidate.
Throughout the story are themes around gentrification, race, and power, but above it all is the question of belonging. This is most keenly explored through Baby, who everyone loves and who feels tightly connected to Original Hill, but who also doesn’t quite fit. Before I wrap these poorly written thoughts up, I must add that the fantasy / magical realism comes most strongly in Verron’s use of the Uncle Remus fable, Tar-Baby as a jumping off point for Baby.
While I thought this debut was wildly creative and appreciated that the author tried to address so much in just over 300 pages, I never felt fully engaged. Yes, I was curious where his story was going, but I also wasn’t sad to be finished. ⭐️⭐️⭐️
I didn’t quite know what I was getting into when I started this book. I knew it involved magical realism and I’ve been woefully low on any kind of fantasy reading this year, so decided to give it a try. As it turned out, Rabbit, Fox, Tar felt more like a fable with a lot to say than it did any sort of fantasy.
In brief, this is a story about two neighboring communities, one, Original Hill, almost exclusively white and the other, a once vibrant Black community, is long past its heyday, barely hanging on. It’s the story of two men, one Black, Rabbit, one white, Fox, running for city council and it’s about an ethereal young Black woman, Baby, who shows up seemingly out of nowhere. She’s believed to be the niece of the white candidate.
Throughout the story are themes around gentrification, race, and power, but above it all is the question of belonging. This is most keenly explored through Baby, who everyone loves and who feels tightly connected to Original Hill, but who also doesn’t quite fit. Before I wrap these poorly written thoughts up, I must add that the fantasy / magical realism comes most strongly in Verron’s use of the Uncle Remus fable, Tar-Baby as a jumping off point for Baby.
While I thought this debut was wildly creative and appreciated that the author tried to address so much in just over 300 pages, I never felt fully engaged. Yes, I was curious where his story was going, but I also wasn’t sad to be finished. ⭐️⭐️⭐️
June 11, 2026
The premise really drew me in because of themes suggest it’d explore gentrification, politics, and race. However, I found this to be…okay? I think I was hoping for a bit more and for the prose to be tighter. Like, I could see the direction the author was going for but I’m not too sure if it was translated too well for me. There were some things that I do believe could’ve been explored better, but I still found this to be somewhat enjoyable despite its shortcomings.
August 26, 2026
This book was an odd and very strange reading experience, even for a fabulist novel. It did however, make some excellent points, which I hope to highlight here.
Based on the title and the epigraph page, it can immediately be deduced that this is a retelling/reimagining of an Uncle Remus tale, specifically, the Tar-Baby story with Br'er Fox and Br'er Rabbit, only set in the modern world. It's also clear that the symbolism throughout would not be subtle.
I'm a big fan of fabulism. There's so much you can do with it. It's a bendy genre with unlimited possibilities. And it's a great way to deliver a message about a serious topic, like racism, which seems to be the obvious intent here. The residents of the town of "Original Hill" in this story, like to keep diversity at a distance, and they are troubled by the presence of someone new, who they think doesn't belong.
I liked how the author demonstrated the problem that some people have with others who are different from them, people who are simply existing, taking up space where they can be seen. The people who are offended by the interloper in their midst, consider the mere sight of this girl as a "confrontation." That's an excellent insight right there. Also spot-on: the author presents the too common assumption that a person of color in the company of white folks must work for them, not belong among them.
There are many ways in which we can approach the myriad of meanings associated with the word "tar." It can be a trap, a noxious nuisance, even a symbol of eminent domain. Tar can cover up, seal up, hide, etc. It is a very useful metaphor.
No matter how hard people try to erase the history of a place and of its people, the past will seep through, in unexpected ways. The town's growing awareness of their collective guilt underpinning their own prosperity, becomes something they cannot ignore. The more unsettled they feel, the more they see the truth of the place. The people of this town of Original Hill are guilty of original sin: lying not just to God, or other people, but even as unreliable witnesses to themselves. These are the people who sublimate their thoughts and desires, and whose biggest fear is, and always has been, themselves. Nearly all of their expressed fears are simply projection.
Almost the entire first half of the book is taken up by a smidgen of backstory, but mostly with describing how there is something mysterious and powerful about Baby, the newest resident guest in Original Hill.
The story does eventually take off, and begin the process of rapidly filling in the blank spaces from the first half of the book. The tone becomes a touch more philosophical as well: distinguishing the difference between interaction and connection, contact and conjunction, sensation and revelation. There is also a slight shift in the deepening mood: a ghostly sense of the uncanny, of a parallel world where consequences are conjured by unseen forces. There's a building anticipation of something we hope will be akin to the crescendo in RING SHOUT, by P. Djèlí Clark, but we don't get the satisfaction of that level of come-uppance.
This is less a revenge story, in the sense that the ghosts of Oscarville may have visited upon Lake Lanier (look it up, because it's worth it) and more of one of those "careful what you wish for" stories. The rash never consider that it's possible that they only *think* they know what they're asking for.
If a person is unwilling to face the specter of their own past, they are certainly unlikely to endure a reckoning with the collective past; instead, they yearn for idyllic days that never really existed.
It's certainly possible that there is a thin veil between this material world, and another world parallel to ours that some can tune into more easily than others. Perhaps there are frequencies of the natural world some can hear, if they are sincere about wanting to tune into the truth.
But wanting to manipulate the spiritual realm for one's own ends is unwise. It's hubris to think that highly of one's self, let alone underestimating the level of power and control necessary to pull it off. The thing with any conjuring is that they are by definition: ephemeral, mesmerizing, and ravenous. It's funny that we think of the elements as supportive of life, when they are just as likely to destroy life. Nature does not submit to, nor serve the interests of humans, despite this Johnny come lately species' view of world dominion. That's the Western way of seeing things: not being able to perceive duality inhabiting the same space, and betting way too much on ideas like "Manifest Destiny." The natural world has impeccable memory, lasting history, and its very own interests.
This is an interesting take on some older ideas and themes. I was hoping for more fireworks at the end.
Based on the title and the epigraph page, it can immediately be deduced that this is a retelling/reimagining of an Uncle Remus tale, specifically, the Tar-Baby story with Br'er Fox and Br'er Rabbit, only set in the modern world. It's also clear that the symbolism throughout would not be subtle.
I'm a big fan of fabulism. There's so much you can do with it. It's a bendy genre with unlimited possibilities. And it's a great way to deliver a message about a serious topic, like racism, which seems to be the obvious intent here. The residents of the town of "Original Hill" in this story, like to keep diversity at a distance, and they are troubled by the presence of someone new, who they think doesn't belong.
I liked how the author demonstrated the problem that some people have with others who are different from them, people who are simply existing, taking up space where they can be seen. The people who are offended by the interloper in their midst, consider the mere sight of this girl as a "confrontation." That's an excellent insight right there. Also spot-on: the author presents the too common assumption that a person of color in the company of white folks must work for them, not belong among them.
There are many ways in which we can approach the myriad of meanings associated with the word "tar." It can be a trap, a noxious nuisance, even a symbol of eminent domain. Tar can cover up, seal up, hide, etc. It is a very useful metaphor.
No matter how hard people try to erase the history of a place and of its people, the past will seep through, in unexpected ways. The town's growing awareness of their collective guilt underpinning their own prosperity, becomes something they cannot ignore. The more unsettled they feel, the more they see the truth of the place. The people of this town of Original Hill are guilty of original sin: lying not just to God, or other people, but even as unreliable witnesses to themselves. These are the people who sublimate their thoughts and desires, and whose biggest fear is, and always has been, themselves. Nearly all of their expressed fears are simply projection.
Almost the entire first half of the book is taken up by a smidgen of backstory, but mostly with describing how there is something mysterious and powerful about Baby, the newest resident guest in Original Hill.
The story does eventually take off, and begin the process of rapidly filling in the blank spaces from the first half of the book. The tone becomes a touch more philosophical as well: distinguishing the difference between interaction and connection, contact and conjunction, sensation and revelation. There is also a slight shift in the deepening mood: a ghostly sense of the uncanny, of a parallel world where consequences are conjured by unseen forces. There's a building anticipation of something we hope will be akin to the crescendo in RING SHOUT, by P. Djèlí Clark, but we don't get the satisfaction of that level of come-uppance.
This is less a revenge story, in the sense that the ghosts of Oscarville may have visited upon Lake Lanier (look it up, because it's worth it) and more of one of those "careful what you wish for" stories. The rash never consider that it's possible that they only *think* they know what they're asking for.
If a person is unwilling to face the specter of their own past, they are certainly unlikely to endure a reckoning with the collective past; instead, they yearn for idyllic days that never really existed.
It's certainly possible that there is a thin veil between this material world, and another world parallel to ours that some can tune into more easily than others. Perhaps there are frequencies of the natural world some can hear, if they are sincere about wanting to tune into the truth.
But wanting to manipulate the spiritual realm for one's own ends is unwise. It's hubris to think that highly of one's self, let alone underestimating the level of power and control necessary to pull it off. The thing with any conjuring is that they are by definition: ephemeral, mesmerizing, and ravenous. It's funny that we think of the elements as supportive of life, when they are just as likely to destroy life. Nature does not submit to, nor serve the interests of humans, despite this Johnny come lately species' view of world dominion. That's the Western way of seeing things: not being able to perceive duality inhabiting the same space, and betting way too much on ideas like "Manifest Destiny." The natural world has impeccable memory, lasting history, and its very own interests.
This is an interesting take on some older ideas and themes. I was hoping for more fireworks at the end.
August 23, 2026
Heart-Shaped Box by Nirvana, but the mediocre, unnecessarily extended version.
July 2, 2026
Guaooooo. Big fan of the shifting perspectives and writing styles. I found it to be tense, lyrical and mysterious. Reading the second to last chapter was truly captivating, i feel like I could almost hear Morrison. The ending and the beginning were a bit too story book for me but hey you’re gonna get that when you mess with folktales! Genuinely found myself sucked into the story, and I highly recommend!!
June 15, 2026
Interesting read, out of my normal genre comfort zone. Definately a unique novel with much symbolism that evolves with unfolding folklore. Much like the draw to the main character, this story will stick and leave me thinking about it long after it’s gone.
June 28, 2026
3.5 rounded up, i think! recommended by mj 🤍
August 10, 2026
Really unique take on racial themes and gentrification using a brer rabbit tale I remember from childhood that was a little too laborious to read/ follow. I suspect I will continue to think about it.
June 4, 2026
Mix Mexican Gothic, Beloved and Brer Rabbit's Tar Baby. Equal parts folklore and social commentary, the author read all of Toni Morrison while writing this book and it shows. Phenomenal read.
Read
April 16, 2026There were a couple of interesting ideas in here, especially the setup between the rabbit and fox dynamics, and the strange “tar” element had potential. But the execution didn’t land. The dialogue felt flat in places, and I didn’t really believe the emotional moments. Still, I can see what the author was aiming for. It just needed tighter writing and more focus. Not a total miss, but hard to stay engaged.
August 10, 2026
“To be human is to decide that one is human, form and substance be damned. I was wrong about the things you know being unchangeable. You change things by knowing them. You name them anew.”
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC! This book was published in the US by Catapult on June 2, 2026.
Rabbit, Fox, Tar opens with the Original Hill neighborhood ablaze with gossip. A mysterious young Black woman named Baby has appeared on an old man’s garden wall, disrupting the manicured peace of a wealthy, “lily-white” neighborhood. When charismatic Black city councilman Lucky Foote touches her, the world seems to reset its pieces. Their encounter draws Baby into a struggle over Original Hill’s future and the Black community the neighborhood was built to bury.
P.C. Verrone’s lyrical, fable-like prose allows houses, trees, dust, tar, and once-living materials to speak alongside the novel’s human characters. It took me a moment to fall into the rhythm of the storytelling, but once I did, I couldn’t put this down. Original Hill and its inhabitants are rendered vividly through Southern Gothic unease, magical realism, sharp social satire, and imagery that makes the past feel physically alive beneath the present.
Verrone examines how white wealth and suburban respectability depend upon displacement, destruction, and deliberate forgetting. Lucky’s carefully constructed identity reveals racial assimilation as a performance offering conditional access to power, but only while he remains disconnected from his Blackness, his community, and his queer desire. Meanwhile, Baby’s search for personhood interrogates the violence of being created, categorized, desired, and needed by others. Her story asks whether identity belongs to those who name us or whether we can name ourselves anew.
This felt like Toni Morrison meets Shirley Jackson, with a splash of The Virgin Suicides. Through Black folklore, ancestral knowledge, and land-based memory, Verrone exhumes the histories buried beneath highways and whitewashed neighborhoods. Strange, sensual, and politically incisive, Rabbit, Fox, Tar is by far one of the best books I’ve read this year.
📖 Read this if you love: Southern Gothic fiction, haunting fable-like storytelling, sentient landscapes, morally complicated characters, and stories in which buried histories refuse to stay buried.
🔑 Key Themes: Black Identity and Personhood, Racial Assimilation and Respectability Politics, Self-Determination and the Power of Naming, Black Folklore and Ancestral Knowledge, Intergenerational Trauma, Community Resistance and Reparations.
Content / Trigger Warnings: Child Death (severe), Death (moderate), Fire (moderate), Drug Use (moderate), Racism (moderate), Animal Death (minor), Domestic Abuse (minor), Sexual Content (minor), Parent Death (minor), Blood (minor).
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC! This book was published in the US by Catapult on June 2, 2026.
Rabbit, Fox, Tar opens with the Original Hill neighborhood ablaze with gossip. A mysterious young Black woman named Baby has appeared on an old man’s garden wall, disrupting the manicured peace of a wealthy, “lily-white” neighborhood. When charismatic Black city councilman Lucky Foote touches her, the world seems to reset its pieces. Their encounter draws Baby into a struggle over Original Hill’s future and the Black community the neighborhood was built to bury.
P.C. Verrone’s lyrical, fable-like prose allows houses, trees, dust, tar, and once-living materials to speak alongside the novel’s human characters. It took me a moment to fall into the rhythm of the storytelling, but once I did, I couldn’t put this down. Original Hill and its inhabitants are rendered vividly through Southern Gothic unease, magical realism, sharp social satire, and imagery that makes the past feel physically alive beneath the present.
Verrone examines how white wealth and suburban respectability depend upon displacement, destruction, and deliberate forgetting. Lucky’s carefully constructed identity reveals racial assimilation as a performance offering conditional access to power, but only while he remains disconnected from his Blackness, his community, and his queer desire. Meanwhile, Baby’s search for personhood interrogates the violence of being created, categorized, desired, and needed by others. Her story asks whether identity belongs to those who name us or whether we can name ourselves anew.
This felt like Toni Morrison meets Shirley Jackson, with a splash of The Virgin Suicides. Through Black folklore, ancestral knowledge, and land-based memory, Verrone exhumes the histories buried beneath highways and whitewashed neighborhoods. Strange, sensual, and politically incisive, Rabbit, Fox, Tar is by far one of the best books I’ve read this year.
📖 Read this if you love: Southern Gothic fiction, haunting fable-like storytelling, sentient landscapes, morally complicated characters, and stories in which buried histories refuse to stay buried.
🔑 Key Themes: Black Identity and Personhood, Racial Assimilation and Respectability Politics, Self-Determination and the Power of Naming, Black Folklore and Ancestral Knowledge, Intergenerational Trauma, Community Resistance and Reparations.
Content / Trigger Warnings: Child Death (severe), Death (moderate), Fire (moderate), Drug Use (moderate), Racism (moderate), Animal Death (minor), Domestic Abuse (minor), Sexual Content (minor), Parent Death (minor), Blood (minor).
September 4, 2026
This is one of those books where, if you haven't already, please do not read the back of the book or any other short descriptions. I'm so glad I didn't. Literally, one sentence of the back of the book spoils what you don't know until about halfway through.
Because I hate spoilers so much, I'm pretty meticulous about not even looking at reviews until after the fact, so I'm probably wasting my breath there 😅
I might have given this book five stars if I didn't feel like it wandered into irrelevancies that detracted from the overall power of the story. Not that I don't enjoy interesting tidbits on the side of a major plot line. But, it felt to me that they were entire chapters that just weren't that important overall.
I loved all of the character development though. Everything relational in the story is more clever, and much more deep than it seems at first. It builds and builds upon itself, until by the end, I was almost shocked at the profundity it was capable of reaching. It certainly didn't feel like it was building up to be so emotionally rich and epic when I was in chapter 2.
Honestly, I was so bored in chapter 2 and chapter 3 that I almost didn't finish reading it.
It's a good book. But I wouldn't consider it a must read. I doubt I will recommend it to anybody in particular.
One thing that particularly put me off was a shock value bit of gore toward the end of the story. It wasn't described in great detail, but, it's not a pretty picture no matter how you phrase it and I felt like it added nothing to the story. I feel like it was added there just to appease people who seem to think that gore helps the climax be more calmatic. I didn't find it such. I just find it distracting and gross and upsetting. Maybe it's there to help drive the point home for people who are bit slow, but I think people who can't pick up on the nuance aren't likely to get it any better just because some gore happened.
The pacing is good. The writing is good in the way that it just vanishes and you can just immerse yourself in the story without noticing the writing at all. Seems well edited (since I usually notice typos but I did not in this case). The overall story feels very original, while also carrying an almost historic sort of feel to it.
Despite all of this praise, I oddly can't say whether I feel satisfied or pleased about having read it. Which is oddly fitting. I guess you'll know what I mean if you have read it or are going to.
I wonder if the story will stick with me and if I will have more to say if I look back on it a year from now.
Because I hate spoilers so much, I'm pretty meticulous about not even looking at reviews until after the fact, so I'm probably wasting my breath there 😅
I might have given this book five stars if I didn't feel like it wandered into irrelevancies that detracted from the overall power of the story. Not that I don't enjoy interesting tidbits on the side of a major plot line. But, it felt to me that they were entire chapters that just weren't that important overall.
I loved all of the character development though. Everything relational in the story is more clever, and much more deep than it seems at first. It builds and builds upon itself, until by the end, I was almost shocked at the profundity it was capable of reaching. It certainly didn't feel like it was building up to be so emotionally rich and epic when I was in chapter 2.
Honestly, I was so bored in chapter 2 and chapter 3 that I almost didn't finish reading it.
It's a good book. But I wouldn't consider it a must read. I doubt I will recommend it to anybody in particular.
One thing that particularly put me off was a shock value bit of gore toward the end of the story. It wasn't described in great detail, but, it's not a pretty picture no matter how you phrase it and I felt like it added nothing to the story. I feel like it was added there just to appease people who seem to think that gore helps the climax be more calmatic. I didn't find it such. I just find it distracting and gross and upsetting. Maybe it's there to help drive the point home for people who are bit slow, but I think people who can't pick up on the nuance aren't likely to get it any better just because some gore happened.
The pacing is good. The writing is good in the way that it just vanishes and you can just immerse yourself in the story without noticing the writing at all. Seems well edited (since I usually notice typos but I did not in this case). The overall story feels very original, while also carrying an almost historic sort of feel to it.
Despite all of this praise, I oddly can't say whether I feel satisfied or pleased about having read it. Which is oddly fitting. I guess you'll know what I mean if you have read it or are going to.
I wonder if the story will stick with me and if I will have more to say if I look back on it a year from now.
August 15, 2026
𝑹𝑨𝑩𝑩𝑰𝑻, 𝑭𝑶𝑿, 𝑻𝑨𝑹 𝒃𝒚 𝑷.𝑪. 𝑽𝒆𝒓𝒓𝒐𝒏𝒆, a @catapult publication that is available now!
I vaguely remember the story of Briar Rabbit in the children's book form, but as many retellings do, this tale reimagines it in an artfully layered, contemporary way.
Baby appears one day, sitting on the garden wall of Eugene Foxe's home. Many in Original Hill are curious about the Black Woman, but Eugene simply states that she is his niece, and everyone seems placated.
Lucky Foote is the one person she seems to be able to speak to, as the only other Black person in Original Hill. When he touches her, a strong pull emerges and the romance of Baby to the incumbent city councilman seems not to bother Lucky even though Foxe is his competition for the seat and "soul" of the town.
Add in the history of how Original Hill came to be and the continual search of Baby's to find her purpose beyond the needs she feels makes this a fable with depth.
I love how bookclub attendees bring so much insight, perspectives, and even point out the obvious things I miss, like the way all the families had tree/plant names. The discussion was rich and I feel like it helped me understand the ending more.
I'm so glad we were recommended this book by @Watermarkbooksandcafe and I definitely recommend this debut! Check the next slide to see next month's pick!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
I vaguely remember the story of Briar Rabbit in the children's book form, but as many retellings do, this tale reimagines it in an artfully layered, contemporary way.
Baby appears one day, sitting on the garden wall of Eugene Foxe's home. Many in Original Hill are curious about the Black Woman, but Eugene simply states that she is his niece, and everyone seems placated.
Lucky Foote is the one person she seems to be able to speak to, as the only other Black person in Original Hill. When he touches her, a strong pull emerges and the romance of Baby to the incumbent city councilman seems not to bother Lucky even though Foxe is his competition for the seat and "soul" of the town.
Add in the history of how Original Hill came to be and the continual search of Baby's to find her purpose beyond the needs she feels makes this a fable with depth.
I love how bookclub attendees bring so much insight, perspectives, and even point out the obvious things I miss, like the way all the families had tree/plant names. The discussion was rich and I feel like it helped me understand the ending more.
I'm so glad we were recommended this book by @Watermarkbooksandcafe and I definitely recommend this debut! Check the next slide to see next month's pick!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
August 11, 2026
Verrone's novel is a variation on the Brer Rabbit and Tar Baby story - one that Disney made popular in a short that appeared in Song of the South. Song of the South is not coming out of the vault for very good reasons, but you can find the animated shorts various places. Disney's version is based on the tale as it was collected by Joel Chandler Harris, a white man who retold tales he had heard in the enslaved people's quarters. These are better known as a the Uncle Remus stories. You can easily find these online or various free ebook formats. I would, however, recommend reading The Annotated African American Folktales edited by Maria Tatar and Henry Lewis Gates Jr.
Verrone's novel does have some slow points but it works because it is about what makes a person a person as well as politics, holding on to power, and what the rich can do to the poor (along racial and other lines). All the characters are rather well developed and it makes good use of the fable.
Verrone's novel does have some slow points but it works because it is about what makes a person a person as well as politics, holding on to power, and what the rich can do to the poor (along racial and other lines). All the characters are rather well developed and it makes good use of the fable.
August 16, 2026
P. C. Verrone uses inspiration from the story of Br'er Rabbit to tell a story of gentrification, displacement, and political ambition and chicanery.
Our "fox" is Eugene Fox, a retired white former city councilor in Original Hill, the tony, "preservationist" neighborhood of the Midwestern city in which the book is set.
Our "rabbit" is Lucius "Lucky" Foote, who is the young, charming, up-and-coming Black city councilor that Fox is challenging. Despite the lingering controversy following a decision from the city several decades ago to raze a once-thriving Black neighborhood to make way for a highway, including resident organizing for reparations, Lucky makes peace with the city's white establishment and actively courts their support.
And our "tar" is Baby, the beautiful young Black woman with somewhat anachronistic clothing who sits on Fox's wall, is presented as his niece, and immediately enchants Lucky.
As the book unfolds from different perspectives (including Fox's wife and a Black community elder), we learn more about what is actually going on between these three and more about the origins of the mysterious Baby.
Our "fox" is Eugene Fox, a retired white former city councilor in Original Hill, the tony, "preservationist" neighborhood of the Midwestern city in which the book is set.
Our "rabbit" is Lucius "Lucky" Foote, who is the young, charming, up-and-coming Black city councilor that Fox is challenging. Despite the lingering controversy following a decision from the city several decades ago to raze a once-thriving Black neighborhood to make way for a highway, including resident organizing for reparations, Lucky makes peace with the city's white establishment and actively courts their support.
And our "tar" is Baby, the beautiful young Black woman with somewhat anachronistic clothing who sits on Fox's wall, is presented as his niece, and immediately enchants Lucky.
As the book unfolds from different perspectives (including Fox's wife and a Black community elder), we learn more about what is actually going on between these three and more about the origins of the mysterious Baby.
June 7, 2026
What is the soul of a community? What legacies exist in a shifting landscape? Who gets to make these decisions, the predecessors or inheritors?
This book shows us the power of narratives, the stories we tell about ourselves, molding and reinforcing those expectations.
It's well-written in the same technical way any MFA cohort book is, with some lovely passages. That being said, there is a lot of foot talk. Foote is into feet.
I worked out who Baby was fairly early on, so the middle part of the book felt like backfill. The incremental shift in tense was interesting, moving us closer in. I did think the second person got a bit muddled in Auntie Riri's part, going from "you" to using her name between scenes.
The ending was a little too neat, bittersweet though it was. Too individualized, but there are hints of broader changes on the horizon.
I once heard someone say, "New Orleans is Black, and it's queer," and this book reminded me of that.
This book shows us the power of narratives, the stories we tell about ourselves, molding and reinforcing those expectations.
It's well-written in the same technical way any MFA cohort book is, with some lovely passages. That being said, there is a lot of foot talk. Foote is into feet.
I worked out who Baby was fairly early on, so the middle part of the book felt like backfill. The incremental shift in tense was interesting, moving us closer in. I did think the second person got a bit muddled in Auntie Riri's part, going from "you" to using her name between scenes.
The ending was a little too neat, bittersweet though it was. Too individualized, but there are hints of broader changes on the horizon.
I once heard someone say, "New Orleans is Black, and it's queer," and this book reminded me of that.
August 22, 2026
I recieved this from a Goodreads giveaway, thanks Goodreads and P.C. Verrone for the opportunity to read "Rabbit, Fox, Tar"!
3.5/5 ⭐️: Reminiscent of Toni Morrison's "Beloved", I found "Rabbit, Fox, Tar" to be a mysterious, folksy, and literary classic type story. I really enjoyed Verrone's writing, especially when we were given the perspective of Baby. I am also a big fan of the themes at play here (identity, reclaimation). Though I enjoyed the book overall, the last 1/3 of the book is when things really begin to descend into a madness that was just so interesting and I just had to keep reading until the end. And even though it was not super super in your face (as I love queer stories to be), I did enjoy and appreciate the subtle nod to queer representation. My one gripe is that I would've loved for the acknowledgement section to list specific references that Verrone pulled for Sankofa/Original Hill because I would love to learn more about the history he was pulling from.
3.5/5 ⭐️: Reminiscent of Toni Morrison's "Beloved", I found "Rabbit, Fox, Tar" to be a mysterious, folksy, and literary classic type story. I really enjoyed Verrone's writing, especially when we were given the perspective of Baby. I am also a big fan of the themes at play here (identity, reclaimation). Though I enjoyed the book overall, the last 1/3 of the book is when things really begin to descend into a madness that was just so interesting and I just had to keep reading until the end. And even though it was not super super in your face (as I love queer stories to be), I did enjoy and appreciate the subtle nod to queer representation. My one gripe is that I would've loved for the acknowledgement section to list specific references that Verrone pulled for Sankofa/Original Hill because I would love to learn more about the history he was pulling from.
October 8, 2026
OMG new sliding scale for stars!!!
It's good to have a book you can just sit and take in over the course of 3 days despite your entire life bursting into a big ball of fire (in a good way? maybe?) in the background. While I think that Verrone's debut is one obviously crafted with care and respect for the literary giants who have inspired his work, it still struggles to carve out a unique identity and writing style. The prose teeters between being too purple or too plain, struggling to balance the need to "show not tell" but also tell us every single thought every character has at all time. It undermines any sense of mystery or magical realism when everything that should be inexplicable is made so explicit in the text it is hard to find the wonder in it. While he has some absolutely banger lines none of them stuck with me when I finished the book. I look forward to seeing how his work grows in the future.
It's good to have a book you can just sit and take in over the course of 3 days despite your entire life bursting into a big ball of fire (in a good way? maybe?) in the background. While I think that Verrone's debut is one obviously crafted with care and respect for the literary giants who have inspired his work, it still struggles to carve out a unique identity and writing style. The prose teeters between being too purple or too plain, struggling to balance the need to "show not tell" but also tell us every single thought every character has at all time. It undermines any sense of mystery or magical realism when everything that should be inexplicable is made so explicit in the text it is hard to find the wonder in it. While he has some absolutely banger lines none of them stuck with me when I finished the book. I look forward to seeing how his work grows in the future.
September 27, 2026
Curious is the best word to describe my fascination with P.J. Verrone’s debut novel; a fable writ large, a retelling, a reimagining, and one fabulous and distinct title.
What sparked my interest and how I came across this quiet, yet powerful debut is the review written by Mateo Askaripour, in the Book Review, who also wrote one of my favorite satires, Black Buck. His latest novel, Pure Ox, will be out in January, and I suspect it too will become one of my favorites as well.
In his review, Askaripour speaks to the strength of storytelling and Rabbit, Fox, Tar, drew this reader in page by page – “curiouser and curiouser;” not so much as where the story’s going but by virtue of its mysterious nature – I wanted to get “there” fast.
But where is “there?”
The story suspends belief because it must.
Askaripour also states that Verrone makes the book’s existence “a revolution unto itself,” reshaping the fable of Brer Rabbit, Brer Fox, and “Tar Baby,” that ensures its relevance to the present state of American affairs.
“A community is only as strong as its stories.”
And the story of Original Hill has many secrets and many more to unfold.
Namely its connection to Sankofa, a black town that once bordered Original Hill but was bulldozed to make way for a highway.
Lucius “Lucky” Foote is a Black city councilman in the Original Hill neighborhood of a midwestern city although imagined, rivaling that of the Twin Cities. His Brer Fox is Eugene Fox, an aging white man who’s running against Foote to reclaim the spot he lost to Foote in the previous election.
During his neighborhood walks, further cementing his presence as a man of the people, Foote notices a young woman sitting on a wall of his political opponent’s house.
Her name is Baby and she’s the niece of Fox, an alluring and captivating young woman whose power is the ability to captivate all.
And along with Fox’s determination, herein lies the crux of story.
Verrone’s ability to paint a portrait that exposes racial identity, lays bare the lure of political provocation, and eminent domain, while weaving themes of loss and remembrance within a fable that wants you to know it is, left this reader in awe.
I couldn’t put Rabbit, Fox, Tar down.
Very sticky, indeed.
P.C. Verrone’s next novel, The Blond, comes out Fall 2027.
What sparked my interest and how I came across this quiet, yet powerful debut is the review written by Mateo Askaripour, in the Book Review, who also wrote one of my favorite satires, Black Buck. His latest novel, Pure Ox, will be out in January, and I suspect it too will become one of my favorites as well.
In his review, Askaripour speaks to the strength of storytelling and Rabbit, Fox, Tar, drew this reader in page by page – “curiouser and curiouser;” not so much as where the story’s going but by virtue of its mysterious nature – I wanted to get “there” fast.
But where is “there?”
The story suspends belief because it must.
Askaripour also states that Verrone makes the book’s existence “a revolution unto itself,” reshaping the fable of Brer Rabbit, Brer Fox, and “Tar Baby,” that ensures its relevance to the present state of American affairs.
“A community is only as strong as its stories.”
And the story of Original Hill has many secrets and many more to unfold.
Namely its connection to Sankofa, a black town that once bordered Original Hill but was bulldozed to make way for a highway.
Lucius “Lucky” Foote is a Black city councilman in the Original Hill neighborhood of a midwestern city although imagined, rivaling that of the Twin Cities. His Brer Fox is Eugene Fox, an aging white man who’s running against Foote to reclaim the spot he lost to Foote in the previous election.
During his neighborhood walks, further cementing his presence as a man of the people, Foote notices a young woman sitting on a wall of his political opponent’s house.
Her name is Baby and she’s the niece of Fox, an alluring and captivating young woman whose power is the ability to captivate all.
And along with Fox’s determination, herein lies the crux of story.
Verrone’s ability to paint a portrait that exposes racial identity, lays bare the lure of political provocation, and eminent domain, while weaving themes of loss and remembrance within a fable that wants you to know it is, left this reader in awe.
I couldn’t put Rabbit, Fox, Tar down.
Very sticky, indeed.
P.C. Verrone’s next novel, The Blond, comes out Fall 2027.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
One of my first reads of the year but I already know that it will be making it onto my list of 2026 new release recommendations. A creative and compelling take on the ever-evolving and multifaceted work of reparations for the destruction of vibrant Black communities intentionally destabilized, displaced, and demolished by the US interstate highway system. Verrone expertly combines character study and unique narrative styles to weave a poignant social commentary without feeling didactic or sanctimonious. The gradual escalation of preternatural and folk magic elements feels earned and elevates the novel's themes without distracting from them or hindering the quality of the character work.
August 31, 2026
Solid 4 stars, as I’m still reflecting on this. This is meticulously researched and deftly written. The names! Eugene Fox is obvious, and Lucky Foote is pretty clear, too, but clever, much like the folkloric (and eponymous) fox. And Aunt Rhema, a beautiful play on the folklore. If you look up other (lesser) characters names, there is sublets and truth in them. Even though Baby is self-explanatory, there is background(s) to make it more subtle. The settings hit on racism in all of its forms. And Sankofa, if you know history, is the perfect foil to Original Hill (which hint—isn’t so original). I will be thinking about this book for awhile. Ihughly recommend it.
June 17, 2026
This is a marvelous work of fiction--if you like comparisons, then it's "Beloved" crossed with "The Snow Child." If you hate comparisons, then it's a truly exciting new exploration of the Tar Baby fable. I loved that I had no idea where it was going--it's fast, at times funny, at times heartbreaking, and really, really incisive in its insights into love, attachment, urban development, grief, and a whole bunch of other things. Read it!
July 9, 2026
One sentence summary: A woman arrives in a uppity town and all hell breaks loose.
Themes: gentrification; retellings; humanity; racism
Review: I was all in on this book in the first several chapters. But then it lost me. The story went off the rails when the speculative became too literal. I feel like P.C. Verrone had several good ideas but confused them by putting them all in one book. It was inventive so because of that I think this author I'll continue to follow.
Themes: gentrification; retellings; humanity; racism
Review: I was all in on this book in the first several chapters. But then it lost me. The story went off the rails when the speculative became too literal. I feel like P.C. Verrone had several good ideas but confused them by putting them all in one book. It was inventive so because of that I think this author I'll continue to follow.
August 19, 2026
The opening gave me a few reasons to stay hopeful, but those early promises were not rewarded in a satisfying way. I could see the connections between the setup and where the book eventually went, yet the payoff didn’t feel strong enough to justify the expectations created at the beginning. Too much of what initially seemed meaningful lost its weight along the way. I wanted the ending to make the early promise feel worthwhile, but it never quite got there.
June 17, 2026
This is like a bucket of tar, a mess!! I am sure their are some redeeming qualities about race relations, gentrification, classic highway placement social fabric destruction and "the soul" but too much hiding by everyone about most things. The most desired neighborhood turns out to be a fraud and that's the tip of the iceberg. Oh well.
September 18, 2026
This was an interesting book. This book took some interesting twists...I enjoyed the interplay between Rabbit, Fox and Tar. At times I felt that I was not smart enough to get some of the prose from Baby...it read almost like poetry...this was a gread read. I would recommend. The narrator talents of Bahni Turpin once again shines!
July 26, 2026
Very intriguing and interesting read! I didn’t know what to expect because it had just been released.
Historical fiction but magical realism at the same time? I would definitely recommend if you’re looking to read something different.
Historical fiction but magical realism at the same time? I would definitely recommend if you’re looking to read something different.
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