Library Journal
★ 05/01/2015
Just when it seemed nothing new could be written about the Battle of Waterloo, this delightful fable appears: Waterloo, or rather the critical battle for Hougoumont, as refracted through the memories—smells and sounds as much as sight—of countless generations of rabbits and narrated by one white rabbit, William, whose ancestor may have lived there. Hougoumont proves the importance of the real estate agent's motto: "location, location, location." Napoleon needed to take the farmhouse, and quickly, in order to break Wellington's troops before reinforcements arrived, but the battle waged for hours and over 6,000 men were killed. At the end, Napoleon won the farm but lost his war. He barely had time to rally forces for a final assault, when the Germans under Blucher arrived; all was lost for the diminutive Corsican. Gentle and poetic, William's narrative is an eloquent reflection on the nature and cost of war. VERDICT History looks different seen from the ground up. Everything in this little book is perfect. As the 200th anniversary of Waterloo draws near, this debut novel will be satisfy lovers of both history and fiction.—David Keymer, Modesto, CA