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The Crucible meets The Virgin Suicides in this haunting debut about five sisters in a small village in eighteenth century England whose neighbors are convinced they're turning into dogs.
Even before the rumors about the Mansfield girls begin, Little Nettlebed is a village steeped in the uncanny, from strange creatures that wash up on the riverbank to portentous ravens gathering on the roofs of people about to die. But when the villagers start to hear barking, and one claims to see the Mansfield sisters transform before his very eyes, the allegations spark fascination and fear like nothing has before.
The truth is that though the inhabitants of Little Nettlebed have never much liked the Mansfield girls―a little odd, think some; a little high on themselves, perhaps―they've always had plenty to say about them. As the rotating perspectives of five villagers quickly make clear, now is no exception. Even if local belief in witchcraft is waning, an aversion to difference is as widespread as ever, and these conflicting narratives all point to the same ultimate conclusion: something isn't right in Little Nettlebed, and the sisters will be the ones to pay for it.
A richly atmospheric parable of the pleasures and perils of female defiance, The Hounding considers whether in any age it might be safer to be a dog than an unusual young girl.
"The story alludes to modern-day paranoia and scapegoating without offering significant surprises or memorable insights, but it sustains an eerie vibe, and Purvis depicts the disturbing sisters and bucolic setting in sensual prose. Neo-gothic diehards will find enough to enjoy." —Publishers Weekly
"Purvis is a skillful writer, creating a story that is part historical fiction, part feminist cautionary tale, and wholly engaging. Recommended for fans of Ottessa Moshfegh and Rachel Yoder." —Library Journal
"You had me at 'The Crucible meets The Virgin Suicides.' Add, perhaps, 'meets Nightbitch,' considering the main complaint that the residents of Little Nettlebed have about the Mansfield sisters is that they are maybe, probably, definitely turning into dogs. I'm game." ―LitHub
"The Hounding is a debut novel bound to be a cult classic. It's a tale set centuries ago that throbs with a bloody, living heart. It's a jewel dug from the depths of Xenobe Purvis's imagination. It's exquisite." ―Julia Phillips, author of Bear
Rated 
of 5
by
labmom55
Well done debut
I’ll admit to picking The Hounding purely for that beautiful cover. The story is a reminder how too many people hate anything or one that smacks of being different. And how easy it is to blame those that are different when things go awry. How easy for mass hysteria to take root. And how hard it is to stand up against it.
The village of Little Nettlebed is one such place. And they have a particular dislike for the Mansfield granddaughters. Too free, too full of themselves. The town is dealing with a drought, so when weird things start happening, the village is looking for someone to blame. And then one man says he’s seen the girls transform into dogs.
Purvis does a great job of setting the scene in 18th Century English countryside. Two scenes in particular brought home the small mindedness and ugliness - the tradition of forcing pregnant women to carry the coffin of a woman who died in childbirth and men baiting a trapped badger.
The story veers between five perspectives. Ferryman Pete is a specially noxious man, one of those always looking to make himself look more important. Interestingly, none of the storylines are that of the sisters themselves. This isn’t a long book but it packs a lot into it. It’s a thought provoking book. I found the ending especially surprisingly.
I listened to this and Olivia Vinall did a strong job as the narrator.
Xenobe Purvis was born in Tokyo in 1990. She studied English Literature at the University of Oxford, has an MA in creative writing from Royal Holloway, and was part of the London Library's Emerging Writers Programme. She is a writer and literary researcher, with essays published in the Times Literary Supplement, the London Magazine, and elsewhere.
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