The Hounding by Xenobe Purvis

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 riverbed 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.

As relevant today as any time before, The Hounding celebrates the wild breaks from convention we’re all sometimes pulled toward, and wonders if, in a world like this one, it isn’t safer to be a dog than an unusual young girl.

 

Once in a while, I take a break from horror to read historical fiction. The Hounding seemed like it might present the best of both worlds.

The setting is a small village in eighteenth-century England. Rumors swirl around the orphaned Mansfield girls. Even before one man's tale of seeing them change into dogs, people thought they were off. They didn't look like they should, or act like they should. Why are they out at night when men dictate it is unseemly for girls not to be at home? Why do they not smile demurely and speak when spoken to? How dare they not subjugate themselves to men?

As for whether or not they actually turn into dogs, you will have to read to find out.

Although there are some tense and suspenseful scenes, the plot moved slowly. I would recommend this more to fans of historical fiction than I would to anyone looking for a spooky read. I expected something more along the lines of The Witch, but this puts me more in mind of Nightbitch.

3 out of 5 stars.

My thanks to Henry Holt and Co. for the invitation to read an e-ARC through Edelweiss. 

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