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Rabbit, Fox, Tar
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.
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 - 19 of 19 reviews
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.
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 🤍
June 9, 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.
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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.
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.
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.
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 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!!
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.
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.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
Gorgeously lyrical, supremely interesting, and fantastically well-written. every element of this was quite interesting. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.
Want to Read
June 14, 202606.14.2026: per Sunday NY Times Book Review new book debut recommendation, "This Modern Fable Uses ‘Uncle Remus’ to Reclaim Black History"...; not yet available locally;
June 17, 2026
Tar Baby ... Sula ... and the Weight of Blood all wrapped up into one tight, lyrical package.
Read
July 1, 2026mysterious girl turns out to be made of tar and drives a whole neighborhood insane with desire to touch her.
July 2, 2026
I enjoyed this quite a bit! I liked the reimagining of this classic fable, and the exploration of modern themes. 4.5 for me
July 4, 2026
Wonderful book.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews