The Hare
An astounding, perfectly-paced literary thriller, The Hare considers a woman's inherent sense of obligation - sexual and emotional - to the male hierarchy. Raised to be obedient by a stern grandmother, Rosie Monroe accepts a scholarship to art school in New York City in the 1980s. One afternoon, she meets a worldly man 20 years her senior. Bennett sweeps Rosie away to a swanky estate on the Connecticut Gold Coast, teaches her that "polo" only refers to ponies and tells of his escapades with Hunter S Thompson and Truman Capote. Soon Rosie is pregnant, yet remains unaware of her dwindling options and Bennett's grifting until he abandons her and their infant daughter in an unheated farm house in the wilds of northeastern Vermont. Rosie is forced to care for her child, learning to hunt and forage, and befriending her only neighbor, Billy. Just as her life begins to normalize, Bennett's schemes turn malevolent, and Rosie must at last confront his twisted deceptions. Her actions have far-reaching and perilous consequences.
"A story about the male gaze, about sexual obligation, about how much power we are granted as women. Daring and unputdownable, The Hare is set to be one of the most talked-about books of 2021."
—Jenny Hollander, Marie Claire
The Hare
"A story about the male gaze, about sexual obligation, about how much power we are granted as women. Daring and unputdownable, The Hare is set to be one of the most talked-about books of 2021."
—Jenny Hollander, Marie Claire
"A story about the male gaze, about sexual obligation, about how much power we are granted as women. Daring and unputdownable, The Hare is set to be one of the most talked-about books of 2021."
—Jenny Hollander, Marie Claire
"This thought-provoking literary thriller... brilliantly depicts the effects of patriarchy on women and their sense of duty to please men. This resilient heroine embodies the evolution of feminism in a male-dominant society, making this a poignant story for our time."
—Emily Park, Booklist starred review
"The initial setting in the luxurious boathouse makes you feel as though you are floating through an impressionist painting, giving Finn eager permission to drown you in a world where all the edges have been smoothed over by the easy glaze of wealth... The Hare is a novel that soars whimsically and lands with an unexpected stab in the palm of your hand; like a paper crane with a razor blade folded into its belly."
—Andrea Dreiling, Paperback Paris
"This is the story of Rosie. The one in Massachusetts who was in art school. The story of Rosie who met the wrong man, lived for a while in a fancy estate in Connecticut just long enough for a girl to be born, and was then hustled off to hide in the woods — to lead a rough life with a wood stove for cooking and not much else. She and Miranda were left to fend for themselves while the wrong man traveled “who knows where” in search of “who knows what.” But life went on and is recorded in the pages of this beautifully written literary triumph that you will want to treasure once you’ve dipped inside. It's full of art and female ideas and the kind of perseverance that lifts the spirit. I envy you your discovery."
—Linda Bond, Auntie's Bookstore (Spokane, WA)
"First must-read of 2021! Melanie Finn's The Hare is just the right blend of suspense and literary prowess, and it's perfect for a snowed-in January day. Rosie, Finn's protagonist, who we get to spend time with for thirty-plus years, spends the book haunted by her past. Childhood trauma blends into the sexual, artistic expectation and obligation of early adulthood, into early motherhood survival, into middle-aged motherhood and a reassertion of individualism, and so on. Her evolution is fascinating, her resolve is inspiring, and her journey is both extraordinary and all too common to so many women who experience everyday sexism and sexual trauma throughout their lives. This is an unflinchingly honest portrayal of a woman who was denied the chance to become the woman she imagined in her youth, but thirty years later, is finally ready to try again."
—Margaret Leonard, Dotters Books (Eau Claire, Wisconsin)
"A beautiful and powerful book—literature that reads like a thriller. It follows the arc of a woman's life and how it was shaped for better or worse by the awful men that surrounded her. It tackles big issues in an original way."
—Alana Haley, Schuler Books (Grand Rapids and Okemos, Michigan)
"Rosie Monroe, the protagonist of The Hare, is every woman and Everywoman. She battles her past, classism, sexism and her own pre-conceived notions of what power is. Her story is compelling in and of itself, but it is elevated to literature by Finn’s evocative and sometimes hair-raising prose. Bottom line this is a powerful book and a powerful character, I was cheering for Rosie the whole way."
—Kim Crady-Smith, Green Mountain Books and Prints (Lyndonville, VT)
"With The Hare, Melanie Finn has written a powerful story of female perseverance, strength, and resilience. This book has rare qualities: beautiful writing while being absolutely unputdownable, and I will be pressing it into the hands of every reader I know."
—Claire Fuller, author of Our Endless Numbered Days, Swimming Lessons, Bitter Orange, and Unsettled Ground
"The Hare begins in dread, with a speeding car, and an older man and young naïve woman heading into the darkness. Nothing good can come of this, you think, but Melanie Finn surprises again and again. As harrowing as the novel is, page by page, the prose is luminous as it follows Rosie’s survival in the danger and beauty of the far north. The Hare is a brilliant, unflinching tale of gender, power, and entrapment."
—Maria Hummel, author of Still Lives, Motherland, House and Fire
"The Hare is a bold and authentic novel concerned with the time-consuming, socially defiant, and brutal work of women’s self-actualization."
—Michelle Anne Schingler, Foreword Review
"Finn’s propulsive latest tackles power dynamics shaped by gender, age, and class via the harrowing story of an art school dropout who is seduced by a man who turns out to be a thieving con artist... This lurid tale will keep readers turning the pages."
—Publishers Weekly
"This thought-provoking literary thriller... brilliantly depicts the effects of patriarchy on women and their sense of duty to please men. This resilient heroine embodies the evolution of feminism in a male-dominant society, making this a poignant story for our time."
—Emily Park, Booklist starred review
"The initial setting in the luxurious boathouse makes you feel as though you are floating through an impressionist painting, giving Finn eager permission to drown you in a world where all the edges have been smoothed over by the easy glaze of wealth... The Hare is a novel that soars whimsically and lands with an unexpected stab in the palm of your hand; like a paper crane with a razor blade folded into its belly."
—Andrea Dreiling, Paperback Paris
"The Hare is a bold and authentic novel concerned with the time-consuming, socially defiant, and brutal work of women’s self-actualization."
—Michelle Anne Schingler, Foreword Review
"Finn’s propulsive latest tackles power dynamics shaped by gender, age, and class via the harrowing story of an art school dropout who is seduced by a man who turns out to be a thieving con artist... This lurid tale will keep readers turning the pages."
—Publishers Weekly
"This is the story of Rosie. The one in Massachusetts who was in art school. The story of Rosie who met the wrong man, lived for a while in a fancy estate in Connecticut just long enough for a girl to be born, and was then hustled off to hide in the woods — to lead a rough life with a wood stove for cooking and not much else. She and Miranda were left to fend for themselves while the wrong man traveled “who knows where” in search of “who knows what.” But life went on and is recorded in the pages of this beautifully written literary triumph that you will want to treasure once you’ve dipped inside. It's full of art and female ideas and the kind of perseverance that lifts the spirit. I envy you your discovery."
—Linda Bond, Auntie's Bookstore (Spokane, WA)
"First must-read of 2021! Melanie Finn's The Hare is just the right blend of suspense and literary prowess, and it's perfect for a snowed-in January day. Rosie, Finn's protagonist, who we get to spend time with for thirty-plus years, spends the book haunted by her past. Childhood trauma blends into the sexual, artistic expectation and obligation of early adulthood, into early motherhood survival, into middle-aged motherhood and a reassertion of individualism, and so on. Her evolution is fascinating, her resolve is inspiring, and her journey is both extraordinary and all too common to so many women who experience everyday sexism and sexual trauma throughout their lives. This is an unflinchingly honest portrayal of a woman who was denied the chance to become the woman she imagined in her youth, but thirty years later, is finally ready to try again."
—Margaret Leonard, Dotters Books (Eau Claire, Wisconsin)
"A beautiful and powerful book—literature that reads like a thriller. It follows the arc of a woman's life and how it was shaped for better or worse by the awful men that surrounded her. It tackles big issues in an original way."
—Alana Haley, Schuler Books (Grand Rapids and Okemos, Michigan)
"Rosie Monroe, the protagonist of The Hare, is every woman and Everywoman. She battles her past, classism, sexism and her own pre-conceived notions of what power is. Her story is compelling in and of itself, but it is elevated to literature by Finn’s evocative and sometimes hair-raising prose. Bottom line this is a powerful book and a powerful character, I was cheering for Rosie the whole way."
—Kim Crady-Smith, Green Mountain Books and Prints (Lyndonville, VT)
"With The Hare, Melanie Finn has written a powerful story of female perseverance, strength, and resilience. This book has rare qualities: beautiful writing while being absolutely unputdownable, and I will be pressing it into the hands of every reader I know."
—Claire Fuller, author of Our Endless Numbered Days, Swimming Lessons, Bitter Orange, and Unsettled Ground
"The Hare begins in dread, with a speeding car, and an older man and young naïve woman heading into the darkness. Nothing good can come of this, you think, but Melanie Finn surprises again and again. As harrowing as the novel is, page by page, the prose is luminous as it follows Rosie’s survival in the danger and beauty of the far north. The Hare is a brilliant, unflinching tale of gender, power, and entrapment."
—Maria Hummel, author of Still Lives, Motherland, House and Fire