The Hounding is the story of five sisters living in a post plague British village who find themselves at the centre of rumours that they can turn in to dogs.
In the manner of witch hunts and witch trials from prior decades we see the drunken accusations of one man catch like wildfire and lead to mass Hysteria and eventually murder.

The book is split perspective between several villagers and the girls grandfather. By about the second chapter from Peter Darling I already hated him. It says something about an author when you have strong feelings about their characters.
Purvis manages to seamlessly weave together themes of sexism, toxic masculinity, and patriarchal expectations of women that are as poignant and relatable today as they are applicable to the 18th century setting of her characters.

Although we never actually hear from the Mansfield sisters, I do not think the story is lacking for it. In fact adding the sisters perspectives would take away from the atmosphere of tension and the narrative built between the other villagers- some sympathetic but most not. Purvis engenders a sense of sympathy for the girls without ever having them defend themselves. A post script from one of them, set years after initial events, could have been fun but the story is complete without that.
The ending I think is really the only satisfying way to have brought things to a close and I find myself thinking about this book days after finishing it. This is a masterful debut and I look forward to reading more from Xenobe Purvis.

Really was not a fan of this, sadly... I think this style of writing, a kind of misty abstraction that makes everything feel at best half colored-in, just doesn't work for me. And I don't really think the central idea is all that strong -- it's a fairly simple metaphor that the novel labors to turn into a book-length story. A shame, because historical fiction is my favorite! But I wouldn't really recommend this to general readers, let alone historical fiction fans.

The Hounding by Xenobe Purvis is a masterfully atmospheric, haunting debut—imagine The Crucible meets The Virgin Suicides, but with a modern, feminist edge that lingers long after the final page.

Set in the blistering heat of an 18th-century English summer, the novel centers on the five Mansfield sisters, eccentric young women who quickly become the target of small-town hysteria when rumors swirl that they are transforming into dogs. Told through the perspectives of townspeople—an unreliable drunk, the blind grandfather, barmaids, young boys hired for harvest, and others—Purvis creates a chilling tale that explores toxic masculinity, mob mentality, and society’s enduring fear of women who refuse to conform.

What makes The Hounding exceptional is Purvis’s deliberate, lyrical prose. Every word feels purposeful, immersing the reader in the oppressive village of Little Nettlebed, where suspicion festers alongside the drought. Though set centuries ago, the novel resonates with timely themes: male entitlement, the silencing of women, and the consequences of unchecked gossip and prejudice. Characters like Pete—a bitter, entitled man who spirals into delusion after feeling “disrespected” by the sisters—serve as disturbing reminders of how fragile egos and societal norms can turn dangerous.

Purvis masterfully layers the story through multiple viewpoints, never giving us the sisters’ direct voices, which deepens their mystery and amplifies the sense of dread. The ending lands with a devastating, thought-provoking question: Is it safer to be a woman or a dog?

Perfect for fans of Shirley Jackson’s The Lottery, Nightbitch by Rachel Yoder, and stories that expose humanity’s darkest impulses, The Hounding is a must-read: immersive, unsettling, and utterly unforgettable.


Thank you, NetGalley, Xenobe Purvis, and Henry Holt & Company, for the ARC.

WOW.
I love a novel with a consistent unreliability. Wondering what the truth actually is from one page to the next. I was sucked into this almost instantly. The writing style is so eloquent, and I became so immersed in the Mansfield sisters odd lives. I love multiple POV’s so that was also a plus. I feel as if I need to talk to someone about this novel. I am beyond intrigued.

What a glorious first outing for this author. This is a weird little book that did indeed give me Virgin Suicides vibes, with fabulous characters and a dreamy story that doesn't try too hard to separate fact from fiction.

If you're looking for a tidy fairy tale, this probably isn't the book for you. It's never really clear if these five sisters are changing into dogs or not. (The fact that one of our narrators is nearly blind further complicates matters.)

At times I though this was an allegory for witchcraft. And in some ways it reads this way. It's the IDEA that they're dogs, and how that rumor spreads, that puts them in danger. There's also a nice underlying message about faith and feeling like one has been divinely chosen to see the "truth." Perhaps the sisters' biggest sin within the village is that they're free.

My only quibble is that the book ends quickly and with little resolution. After being deeply drawn into the story, that felt unsatisfying for me personally. But again, perhaps that was intentional.

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for granting me the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.

This is one of the best atmospheric reads that I can recall in recent times. We're set in a small village called, Little Nettlebed during the 18th century. There is a strenuous drought and the villagers are on edge. Suspicions are soon turned to a family that has 5 daughters that are eventually accused of turning into raging dogs. Throughout the story we hear from multiple view points and I had hopes that by the end we'd get the view points of one of the sisters, but unfortunately that never happens. It doesn't take away from the story and the author clearly wants to leave the ending open to interpretation, though a little closure would have been nice.

Thank you NetGalley for early access!

Well written debut novel. The premise is captivating but the results are lacking. Purvis' take on The Virgin Suicides fits well in the building canon of femcel literature, but there is something inescapably hollow about The Hounding that keeps it from being quite as compelling as other "weird women" titles out there.

Told through the perspectives of multiple characters from varying degrees of inside/outside the Mansfield house, the accused were-dog girls are only viewed (and therefore judged) by those around them. Some prove loyal, loving to the girls while others are filled with vitriol for the Mansfield ladies. Certain character P.O.V.s seem to exist only to drive the plot and yet we still steer far from the main story into unfinished territory--Temperance, the village Woman, feels completely under utilized as the only non-male perspective in the book. In an effort to conceal all that she can about the girls, Purvis presents the readers a short-lived It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World hysteria that does not deliver anything totally meaningful outside of "the girls are hated/loved because they are girls."

The Hounding is a mixed bag, but one can see the writing prowess Purvis possesses. This debut, while not totally delivering on its own, does welcome its author for future work.

Thank you to Henry Holt & Company for providing this ARC for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

The Hounding by Xenobe Purvis is a short but masterfully crafted story of five sisters in a sleepy English village who are rumored to be transforming into dogs. The book, in its description has been likened to both The Crucible and The Virgin Suicides. I would say that the comparison to The Virgin Suicides is particularly apt; the story is very much centered around five enchanting but strange sisters, but is told from the point of view of the others, particularly the men in the community.

I think what sets this story apart, in the witch hunt cannon, is that the motivations of the people in town, especially that of Pete Darling are not for the reader to surmise on their own. The messaging is a little more heavy handed. There is hatred, revulsion, and a sense of fear of these girls. While they are often admittedly scared of these girls, many of them find themselves attracted to them nonetheless.

I thought that the author did a very good job of using language, that while not antiquated or time-specific, didn’t feel anachronistic. The daughters, even the ‘wild’ ones, weren’t so outside of the realm of possibilities. I thought that despite the undercurrent of magic and the spiritual that the world has a feeling of firm grounding in reality.

Not exactly the same as multiple narrators, the story does shift its attention between several characters with different attitudes and degrees of separation from the girls. I think that this was a very masterful way of achieving the feeling of the disconnected messaging around the girls and how the perceptions of them differed.

In all, I think that this is a great piece of literary fiction with elements referencing other very strong works. It is brief, but well worth reading. 4/5 stars!

Xenobe Purvis' The Hounding is an interesting allegorical exploration of male violence and the plight of women in a patriarchal society. That said, it feels very familiar. It feels very like other books centered on witch hunts of all kinds and, like the other reviewers, I do agree that it takes much from the Virgin Suicides. The plot, broadly, concerns five sisters in mourning--just slightly wild in behavior--who are accused of transforming into dogs and, over the course of the narratives, of doing increasingly violent things in that guise. The accusation spreads like wildfire, growing and changing with each retelling. I liked the misty, atmospheric narrative (which switches voices throughout), but I feel that the single point of resolution might not have been enough to end the story. This was odd and I recognize the quality of the writing, but I didn't love it. I would still recommend it, though.

This was such a fantastic book!!! I love how feminist this book is. It is so good, it mixes serious topics with humor, satire, etc. I love the authors writing style and the way the characters are written. I think this may have been one of the best books I have read this year! I love the similarity to the Salem witch trials

Thank you to NetGalley, to the author, and to the publisher for this complementary ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!

“the crucible meets the virgin suicides” was the absolute most perfect descriptor. i found it interesting that the story entirely revolves around these 5 sisters yet we get none of their points of view, which was honestly a really good tactic if the author’s intention was to make the reader skeptical of the narrators. there were definitely times where i felt like i was being gas lit by the characters, especially the antagonist. i kept going back and forth with myself on the belief that they were actually turning into dogs, and even now that i’ve finished the book i still do not know. my favorite pov was their grandfathers, as through his eyes we got the more demystified and playful parts of the sisters we don’t get as much from the other povs. “he’d rather they were dogs than damaged girls” was a quote from their grandfather that the author circled back to in the end, i half believe he got his wish but i can’t be sure with such a vague ending to the book. I did really like the open ending, it definitely gave the story room to linger. overall, i loved the writing and i thought the story was good, anyone that is a lover of weird girl literature will def enjoy this book! thank you so much to netgalley and the publishers for the arc!

Very competently written, but something was lacking here. I think my biggest complaints would be that it felt too derivative of Virgin Suicides and that the ending was too abrupt. I enjoyed the dreamy, magical realism of this book, but at many points, things felt like they were left too sketchy and vague. Ultimately, this book could've done with at least 50 more pages to explore some of the characters a little more.

A quaint, short, delightful read exploring the interesting concept of women as dogs. This read was exactly what I needed as a purveyor of strange literary fiction. I will be recommending this as a title for my library to purchase.

I don't know how I would describe The Hounding by Xenobe Purvis but I do know that I enjoyed my time reading this. It's so unique and different from anything else I've read. Someone said that it remind them of a Sofia Coppola film and I couldn't agree more. It's so well done and definitely makes you think about things. After I finished reading this, I couldn't stop thinking about it. I still find myself thinking about it. It's a book that will definitely leave an impression on you. The characters were written so well, I truly felt for them all. The writing is lyrical and captures the unsettling atmosphere of the time. I truly think this is one of the best books I've read lately and I cannot wait for others to read it so I can discuss it with them.

Purvis has a writing style that I instantly loved and clicked with. I loved the way the world and characters were described and the imagery in the scenes. It was a great read and I could read anything from them now because of how much I loved the writing style. The pacing is slow at times and the book can feel like it is not moving at times, but the writing style was so beautiful that I didn't care and still enjoyed the book greatly.

Thank you, Netgalley, for this ARC! I was entranced the entire time. I loved the authors prose, I felt like I was reading a classic. This story is so original, and I’m genuinely pumped for it to hit the shelves next August. I feel so lucky I was able to read it so early!

"He searched within his soul and saw a terrible truth: that he'd rather they were dogs than damaged girls."

Written in a classical style the author's background as a literary researcher has given her an edge. No doubt all the revising she's done in her studies has prepared her well to write such a stunning debut novel. One of the best debuts, if not the best, I've ever read. Purvis establishes the setting and tone of the novel within a few pages and fully immerses readers in the small village of Little Nettlebed during a drought summer in the 18th Century. While perfectly evoking the period the author has a clear message for the 21st century as well.

The hot dry weather eats away at the villagers livelihoods, moods and good sense. One family is unfortunate to stick out and the villagers don't need much urging to believe the worst. The 5 Mansfield sisters lead a idyllic, if slightly isolated, life in the countryside, tending their farm and recently mourning the loss of their grandmother. Now with only their grandfather, who is quickly losing his sight, the sisters gain a reputation for eccentricity for their 'wild' ways. One man, Pete, takes an interest in them and when his interest isn't met with the response he sought, decides that it's up to him to punish the sisters.

The novel is told from various points of view, though never from the sisters themselves. This helps with the air of mystery surrounding the sisters, and their supposed ability to turn into dogs. Who are we to believe? The town drunk who is well known to lie, or reason and common sense? This also helps the author center a narrative exposing toxic masculinity and the ways young men and boys are introduced and acclimated to violence. To view violent acts as regular and abuse against anyone who doesn't conform, especially against women who do not submit, as normal, expected, behavior.

For readers who are looking for thought-provoking, but quick reads, with feminist messages. Similar to Shirley Jackson, Nightbitch by Rachel Yoder, and The Empusium by Olga Tokarczuk.

The Hounding by Xenobe Purvis has often been described as The Crucible meets The Virgin Suicides, and while that comparison is fitting, Purvis adds a modern twist that makes it feel both timely and chilling. Set in the early 18th century, the novel strays from historical vernacular, opting for more accessible language, which makes it an enjoyable and immersive read.

The story unfolds through the perspectives of several townspeople, each adding layers to the growing hysteria that the five Mansfield sisters have transformed into hounds, wreaking havoc on the town. For many women, this story will hit close to home—there’s always a “Pete.” He’s the archetypal incel: bitter, entitled, and convinced of his own superiority, especially over women. Though he sees himself as holier than the rest of the town, he’s really a drunk, a loser, and someone with a fragile ego who can’t bear being “disrespected” by women. After being “snubbed” by the Mansfield sisters, Pete embarks on a destructive mission to ruin their lives, and his obsessive crusade spirals into madness.

Though not explicitly stated, I believe the story subtly suggests that Pete assaults two of the sisters, which marks the beginning of his descent into delusion and violence. In an era where mass hysteria and witch hunts were a reality, the story's events might seem outlandish, but unfortunately, in today’s world—where rumors and false accusations still hold power—The Hounding feels all too believable. Pete’s ability to convince an entire town that five innocent girls are possessed and transforming into vicious creatures is as unsettling as it is unnervingly plausible.

I loved the ending. While I would have liked more closure for some of the other characters, I’m satisfied with the resolution for one key individual, which brought a sense of justice to the otherwise harrowing narrative.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Henry Holt & Company for providing an advanced eARC.

I could not put this book down! While I had a hard time connecting to the characters, I loved this story. Hearing the story from different characters, was disjointed, helps the reader understand the different players involved in the culminating event. The ending was artfully done, leaving plenty of room for the reader’s interpretation.

Xenobe Purvis's debut novel, "The Hounding," is a stunningly haunting tale interweaving the uncanny with the deeply human. Set in the eerie village of Little Nettlebed, the story follows the enigmatic Mansfield sisters, who find themselves at the center of supernatural rumors claiming they are transforming into dogs. Purvis's prose is both lyrical and chilling, perfectly capturing the unsettling atmosphere of eighteenth-century England.

What makes this novel truly compelling is its multitude of perspectives based on gossip, jealousy, and lies, thus revealing the villagers' fears and prejudices. The initial rumor begins with a man who feels hatred for the oldest Mansfield sister, Anne after being "disrespected" by her simply because she did not speak to him. He imagined he deserved complete control over all women, and Anne was not one to give up her control.

Each villager's or character's viewpoint adds layers to the narrative of the sisters' ability to turn into raging mad dogs, showcasing how suspicion and fear of the unknown can lead to tragic consequences. The sisters, portrayed as misunderstood and odd, evoke empathy from a few and hatred from many who say they are from the devil as the girls navigate the perilous waters of societal judgment, isolation, and the need for doctors and the village vicar to cast the evil away.

Themes of conformity and the fear of difference resonate powerfully in today’s world, making the story feel timeless and relevant. Their sweet (almost blind) grandfather tries everything to get the girls to submit to village norms and expectations and considers moving the family to a new village that doesn't know them. But Anne refuses to run away from their problems, explaining that they shouldn't have to conform to others and leave their livelihoods and family lands behind. Purvis showcases in such a clever way the darkness of human nature and the fear that women (and girls) must endure daily. We, as women, are not made to add comfort to men; we are not made to provide them a sense of control or superiority, and we should feel safe to walk through our villages (neighborhoods) whenever we please. The author expertly blends these harsh realities with folklore, creating a riveting, thought-provoking, and unsettling tale.

"The Hounding" is a masterful exploration of how society often punishes those who dare deviate from the norm (there were several very interesting relationships and characters to read more about), the fine line between conformity and individuality, and the true freedom of women. This book is a must-read for anyone who appreciates beautifully crafted narratives that probe the depths of human nature. Five stars!

** Also - This cover is gorgeous!

Thank you, #NetGalley, #XenobePurvis, and #HenryHolt&Company, for the ARC in exchange for my honest review of #TheHounding.