Title: Rabbit, Fox, Tar
Author: P.C. Verrone
Pages: 304
Release: June 2, 2026

A reworking and recontextualization of the “Tar Baby” folktale, in which a mysterious woman arrives in a seemingly idyllic town, only for every townsperson who encounters her to be irrevocably changed.

P.C. Verrone unfurls his story with a deft hand, balancing fabulism with a disquieting atmosphere that captivated me from beginning to end, while thoughtfully exploring themes of personhood, racial identity, gentrification, and inheritance. A phenomenal debut novel, and I’m excited to see where Verrone’s career goes from here.

★★★★½

My thanks to the public library for lending a free copy in exchange for nothing at all! ☺