Rabbit, Fox, Tar - by P C Verrone (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

Longlisted for The Center for Fiction 2026 First Novel Prize

"Verrone has an alchemical ability to take parts of the old and the new and transform them into something entirely his own, making the book's existence a revolution unto itself . . . Its vital messages--such as how a community is only as strong as its stories--are present for all who have the vision to see them. However, its power doesn't lie in its didacticism, but rather its screaming relevancy to the present state of American affairs." --The New York Times Book Review

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.

Review Quotes

Longlisted for The Center for Fiction 2026 First Novel Prize
Our Culture, A Most Anticipated Book of Summer
Literary Hub, A Summer Must-Read
Debutiful, A Most Anticipated Book of the Year

"There's a certain type of novel I always enjoy: one that feels like you're in someone's living room, hearing a story from a wise person with firsthand experience, and all you have to do is sit, listen and enjoy. From its inviting first sentence--'The streets of Original Hill were alive with talk of the old man's niece'--it's clear that P.C. Verrone's debut fits this description . . . Verrone has an alchemical ability to take parts of the old and the new and transform them into something entirely his own, making the book's existence a revolution unto itself . . . Its vital messages--such as how a community is only as strong as its stories--are present for all who have the vision to see them. However, its power doesn't lie in its didacticism, but rather its screaming relevancy to the present state of American affairs." --Mateo Askaripour, The New York Times Book Review

"P.C. Verrone's debut novel, Rabbit, Fox, Tar, is beguiling in the way it approaches storytelling: by not offering definitive answers but rather the possibility of new futures. Verrone's observations are blisteringly accurate, as evidenced by his ability to create characters that reflect the dark, beating heart of our all-too-human nature while adeptly moving his players through richly crafted, multisensory settings." --Poets & Writers

"Verrone will bewitch you with this debut novel that feels unlike any book I've ever read . . . This book truly came alive." --Adam Vitcavage, Debutiful

"A novel that does it all . . . It works on a sentence level and a structural level and a political level. It works as a fable and as a grounded, human story . . . It's an outstanding, singular novel that kept me under its spell until the very end." --McKayla Coyle, Literary Hub

"Through tantalizing and enthralling prose, Verrone deconstructs politics, bringing aspects of it into the everyday world and making spaces come alive in more ways than one. A worthy look into contemporary racial politics and dispossession, Rabbit, Fox, Tar is suitable for readers unafraid of the unknown." --Booklist

"A novel that breathes new life into a classic folktale . . . [Verrone's] pacing is excellent, keeping the reader in suspense to the startling end . . . This reimagining is quite good; Verrone seems to have a boundless imagination, which bodes very well for his literary future. A strong and inventive debut." --Kirkus Reviews

"Verrone grounds the story with references to the very real history of Black Americans' displacement in Minnesota and develops Baby's character with fascinating bits of folklore and magical realism. There's a lot to enjoy in this ambitious tale." --Publishers Weekly

"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

About the Author

P.C. VERRONE's work has appeared in FIYAH, PodCastle, Nightmare, and numerous anthologies. He has been a Tin House Resident, a Playwrights' Center Fellow, and a WNDB Black Creatives Revisions Workshop winner. He graduated from Harvard College and holds an MFA in creative writing from Rutgers University-Newark. He lives in Dallas with his husband, a historian.