Richard Francis

The best sort of magic realism

His rebellious hero is uprooted to the country — and is entranced by folklore surrounding the appearance of a white hare

issue 25 March 2017

Michael Fishwick’s new novel tells the story of a young man called Robbie, who has been uprooted from his London home after his mother’s death. He finds himself in rural Dorset, where he inhabits a capacious present that has ample room for the intrusions of the mythic past.

Struggling with his loss, Robbie has taken to using arson to express his rage — which is why his father, having rapidly acquired a new partner and a couple of stepdaughters, has moved the family to...

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