Basajaun by Rosemary Van Deuren follows a young girl named Cora that befriends a rabbit and discovers a whole new world full of adventure and danger.

Basajaun is the debut novel of author Rosemary Van Deuren. The titular character is a rabbit who is befriended by a human girl named Cora. When Cora realizes that she can talk to Basajaun — and he can talk back — they form a friendship stronger than anything else the girl has ever experienced.

But her town is not safe for Basajaun. A pastor has arrived to rid the townspeople of their biggest problem — an overabundance of rabbits. While Cora wishes to do everything in her power to stop the pastor, even if that won’t amount to much, she must stay quiet for fear of attracting his attention and endangering herself.

But Pastor Harding is more than he seems. His vendetta against the rabbits seems to go deeper than just helping the townsfolk, and his determination to wipe the vermin off the face of the planet borders on manic.

Cora must keep Basajaun safe and help the rabbits of the warren to stop the pastor from killing each and every one of them. With no other human there to help her, she must use every ounce of wit and courage she possesses in order to stop the pastor once and for all.

Review: ‘Basajaun’

Basajaun by Rosemary Van Deuren is one of those novels that is richly detailed and layered with more meaning than what you just find on the surface. Cora and Basajaun have much in common despite their obvious differences, and it is this pair of heroes that drives the story forward through the terrifying and dangerous mission that is bestowed upon them.

Death and nature play a prominent role in this book, and although our heroine is nothing more than a child, Van Deuren does not hesitate to remind us at every turn just what could happen to our main characters should they happen to fail.

Basajaun may be a tale about a girl and her rabbit, but beneath the beautiful prose it is a book about the acceptance of death, the importance of all creatures, and the endurance of nature. With themes of genocide and what it means to be a parent, this is a book that both children and adults will appreciate.

Basajaun by Rosemary Van Deuren is available on Amazon. Be sure to also add it to your Goodreads list!