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Catch the Rabbit

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About this listen

'Two young women plunging into post-war Bosnia like two Alices into Wonderland . . . smart, energetic, passionate, announcing a major talent.' – Aleksandar Hemon

Sara hasn't seen or heard from her childhood best-friend, Lejla, in years. She's comfortable with her life in Dublin, with her partner, their avocado plant, and their naturist neighbour. But when Lejla calls and demands she come home to Bosnia, Sara finds that she can't say no.

What begins as a road trip becomes a journey through the past, as the two women set off to find Armin, Lejla's brother who disappeared towards the end of the Bosnian War. Presumed dead by everyone else, only Lejla and Sara believed Armin was still alive.

Confronted with the limits of memory, Sara is forced to reconsider the things she thought she understood as a girl: the best friend she loved, the first experiences they shared, but also the social and religious lines that separated them, that brought them such different lives.

Translated into English by Lana Bastašic, Catch the Rabbit tells the story of how we place the ones we love on pedestals, and then wait for them to fall off, how loss marks us indelibly, and how the traumas of war echo down the years.

 Fiction Friendship Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Women's Fiction World Literature War

Critic reviews

Lana Bastašic’s novel of two young women plunging into post-war Bosnia like two Alices into Wonderland is smart, energetic, passionate, announcing a major talent. (Aleksandar Hemon)
A confident, carefully-drawn portrait of female friendship in the fall-out of war. Bastašic has an eye for telling details which capture characters and readers alike. (Olivia Sudjic)
Lewis Carroll meets Elena Ferrante in a Balkanized Wonderland. (Jasmina Vrbavac)
Lana Bastašic . . . possesses a truly authentic narrative voice. Her storytelling is both mature and energetic, and she has set a very high literary standard with this first novel. (Dubravka Ugrešic)
Lana Bastašic's novel Catch the Rabbit is perhaps the first major book to express some important truths about post-war Bosnia. This on-the-road story about two friends who set out in search of answers to the most important questions from their past will be a classic. (Semezdin Mehmedinovic)
Stunning . . . built on themes of rediscovering the past, memories, women’s friendships, language, and identity. This unforgettable tour de force surprises at every turn.
Translated from Serbo–Croatian, this novel is often lyrical and arresting. Many descriptions are distinctive and sparkle as delivered in Cubric's graceful tone.
All stars
Most relevant
This is a truly amazing audiobook. The narration is gripping. The end isn't predictable. well paced

great narration

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Beautifully written. I was drawn to this author because of her support for a ceasefire in Gaza. Unfortunately although I cared about her characters and thought they were well developed, the plot was lacking for me and I struggled to grasp the ending and it’s relevance.

Beautifully written but the plot is lacking

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