Rabbit, Fox, Tar

Debutiful, A Most Anticipated Book of the Year

“Verrone’s sparkling reworking of American folklore’s tar baby tale compels, haunts and delights all at once—a remarkable debut!” —Claire Messud, author of This Strange Eventful History

“P.C. Verrone’s debut novel Rabbit, Fox, Tar is as haunting as it is enchanting. Innovative in its play on one of America’s best known folktales, adroit in its exploration of themes ranging from gentrification, political campaigning and racial dispossession to the complexities of race, desire and selfhood, and written with incomparable lyricism and verve, Rabbit, Fox, Tar offers a striking new take on a quintessential American story.” —John Keene, author of Punks

“Rabbit, Fox, Tar is a reminder that history clings to us, and we can never completely escape its grip. Verrone demonstrates a true tenet of Sankofa, going back into the past to retrieve what is important and bringing it forward to assist with the troubles of today and prepare for the future. Inspired by Black American folklore and rooted in West African principles, this is magical realism that is relevant, timely, and haunting.” —Eden Royce, author of Hollow Tongue

“Rabbit, Fox, Tar moves like a story that knows where it comes from and reads like a conversation between folks who understand Black life not as spectacle or lesson, but as a gift and an inheritance.” —Natashia Deón, author of Grace and The Perishing