Mary Toft; or, The Rabbit Queen

Book cover of Mary Toft; or, The Rabbit Queen

Book description

'Palmer spins a cracking tale that, despite its disconcerting subject, is piquantly cheerful and compassionate . . . With empathy and imagination, Palmer explores the master/apprentice relationship, first love and first rivalry, spite and kindness: conjuring a world to raise a wry smile' New York Times

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A stunning, powerfully…

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Why read it?

1 author picked Mary Toft; or, The Rabbit Queen as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Nora Fussner

Author

Another book based on true events, Palmer’s Mary Toft is about an 18th century woman who gave birth to a dead rabbit—and then quite a few more. Is it a hoax? Or some kind of strange miracle?

Doctors are confounded, and a sort of cult forms around Toft, as onlookers stand outside her window awaiting her next delivery. I love this book in part for its glimpse into 18th century “science”—the belief that dreaming about a rabbit would cause a woman to give birth to one, for instance.

I read Mary Toft in the spring of 2020, when the world…

From Nora's list on female protagonists who have magical powers.