{"product_id":"the-hounding","title":"The Hounding","description":"\n\u003ctable align=\"center\" border=\"0\" cellpadding=\"2\" cellspacing=\"0\" width=\"100%\"\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"productDetailSmallElements\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBiographical Note\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eXenobe Purvis\u003c\/b\u003e 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 \n\u003ci\u003eTimes Literary Supplement\u003c\/i\u003e, the \n\u003ci\u003e London Magazine\u003c\/i\u003e, and elsewhere.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eNominated for the 2026 Libby Award for Best Historical Fiction\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eA \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e Editor's Choice Pick\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eNominated for the Goodreads Choice Awards in Historical Fiction\u003cbr\u003eAn Indie Next Pick\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eOne of the \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eLos Angeles Times\u003c\/i\u003e'\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cb\u003eMust-Read Books of Summer 2025\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eOne of \u003ci\u003eHarper\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e's Bazaar\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e's \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003eBest Beach Reads to Keep You Occupied All Summer Long\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eOne of \u003ci\u003eShelf Awareness\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e' and\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e Book Riot\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e's Best Books of the Year\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"Outstanding . . . Purvis is adept at conjuring a mounting sense of dread, and it is a pleasure to linger in her imagination.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e--Joumana Khatib, \u003ci\u003eThe New York Times Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"Tense and absorbing . . . [ \n\u003ci\u003eThe Hounding\u003c\/i\u003e] transcends its antecedents, evolving into something more ambiguous and unexpected.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e--Marin Cogan, \u003ci\u003eThe Washington Post\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"Purvis writes with a kind of lush violence that makes the sisters; experiences feel immediate and fresh . . . [ \n\u003ci\u003eThe Hounding \u003c\/i\u003ereveals that] the old story is new in every fresh life that it touches, that understanding a trope is not the same as being protected from it, and that persecution feels like a startling new invention when it comes for you--whether you're a fish, a dog, or a girl.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e--Talya Zax, \u003ci\u003eThe Atlantic\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"What takes this novel past conceit to commentary lies in its exploration of interiority among all of the characters, not simply the suspected women, but those who observe, accuse and fear. When a community cannot explain misfortune, who suffers? Purvis makes a clever but careful case for combining the Gothic with the paranormal.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e--\u003ci\u003eLos Angeles Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"[Purvis] is excellent at evoking the fear of the unknown and the lure of the mob.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e--Sam Sacks, \u003ci\u003eThe Wall Street Journal\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"A beguiling tale . . . \n\u003ci\u003eThe Hounding\u003c\/i\u003e serves as an unsettling reminder of who is made to pay when 'all sorts of ordinary things' go wrong.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e--Chloe Hadavas, \u003ci\u003eForeign Policy\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"An exciting debut with great atmospheric detail, a very visual style, and a story that puts a modern twist on female hysteria.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e--Melanie Fleishman, Buyer at the Center for Fiction Bookstore\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"Just as with the white-hot internet theories of today, some people are more resistant than others to fantasies. A taut, tense tale, impeccably told.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e--\u003ci\u003eFinancial Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"This is an extraordinary debut, clever, strange and beautifully written.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e--\u003ci\u003eThe Times \u003c\/i\u003e(London)\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\" \n\u003ci\u003eThe Hounding \u003c\/i\u003eis a vivid exploration of the darkness of human nature and the danger women face every day.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e--Apple Books\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"Eerie . . . If you're looking for a novel that addresses the unfairness of being a girl and how being a wild animal is almost preferable . . . this is the book for you.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e--\u003ci\u003eThe Minnesota Star Tribune\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"A wonderfully unsettling gothic debut that lingers like a half-remembered bad dream--perfect for fans of historical fiction with a sharp, feminist edge.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e--Shari Stauch, \u003ci\u003eThe Summerville Journal Scene\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"A master class in paranoia and strategic ambiguity. Like Shirley Jackson's \"The Lottery,\" it shows that the horrors lurking beneath small-town life are timelessly unsettling. Purvis' suspenseful and sure-footed debut breathes vivid life into its arresting concept.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e--\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e (starred review)\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"A memorable and eerie read . . . Purvis' depiction of the bleak village ravaged by drought is unsettling and creates an uncertainty sure to envelope readers' thoughts throughout the entirety of this curiously written and hauntingly engrossing story.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e--Kristen Shaw, \u003ci\u003eBooklist\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"You had me at ' \n\u003ci\u003eThe Crucible \u003c\/i\u003emeets \n\u003ci\u003eThe Virgin Suicides\u003c\/i\u003e.' Add, perhaps, 'meets \n\u003ci\u003eNightbitch\u003c\/i\u003e, ' 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.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e--\u003ci\u003eLitHub\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"In short chapters that burst open, five villagers share their perspectives on the gossip around the Mansfield girls, creating a kaleidoscope of viewpoints and beliefs. The prose is vibrant, and each chapter leaves you with questions about what came before and what will come next.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e--Freya Sachs, \u003ci\u003eBookPage\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"Eerie [and] atmospheric.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e--\"All the Books,\" \u003ci\u003eBook Riot\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"With hints of superstition akin to Shirley Jackson's \"The Lottery\" and the puritanical overtones of Nathaniel Hawthorne's \n\u003ci\u003eThe Scarlet Letter\u003c\/i\u003e, Purvis's \n\u003ci\u003eThe Hounding\u003c\/i\u003e taps into universal themes of fear, violence, lust, and also empathy.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e--\u003ci\u003eShelf Awareness\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\" \n\u003ci\u003eThe Hounding \u003c\/i\u003eis 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.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e--Julia Phillips, author of \u003ci\u003eBear\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"Five unusual sisters set a village on edge in this haunting tale of a bewitching madness set in 1700 England. Are the girls a true danger to their neighbors? Will rumor alone put them on the path to destruction? This chilling story can be read as a parable of female empowerment or as a tale of feverish bedevilment overtaking an entire town. Xenobe Purvis has written a book so masterful, you will not be able to look away.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e--Laurie Lico Albanese, author of \u003ci\u003eHester\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\" \n\u003ci\u003eThe Hounding\u003c\/i\u003e is a lush and atmospheric warning of the dangers of individuality for girls indifferent to the gaze of others. Every word in this spare, sharp novel cuts and implicates the small-minded townsfolk who chase rumors like wild dogs chase prey. A virtuosic debut from a brilliantly keen mind and eye. Certainly, Xenobe Purvis shares a bloodline with Shirley Jackson.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e--Diane Cook, author of \u003ci\u003eThe New Wilderness\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"A gorgeous, lush landscape of a book--and a haunting tale of the strangeness of girlhood. Our view of the Mansfield sisters flickers like sunlight through trees, always partially obscured, always brilliant. This novel is tender, witty, and terrifying, and I loved it.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e--Clare Beams, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Garden \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBrief Description\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"The Crucible meets The Virgin Suicides in this haunting debut about five sisters in a small village in 18th 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 when 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 the inhabitants of Little Nettlebed have never much liked the Mansfield girls-a little odd, think some; a little high on themselves, perhaps-but they've always had plenty to say about them and, as the rotating perspectives of five of the villagers quickly make clear, now is no exception. Belief in witchcraft is waning but 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\"--\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublisher Marketing\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eNational Bestseller - A \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e \u003ci\u003eBook Review \u003c\/i\u003eBook Club Pick - \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003eA \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e Notable Book - Indies Choice Awards Finalist \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e- \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003eNamed a Best Book of the Year by NPR, \u003ci\u003eTIME \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e - \u003ci\u003eThe Crucible \u003c\/i\u003emeets \u003ci\u003eThe Virgin\u003c\/i\u003e \u003ci\u003eSuicides\u003c\/i\u003e in this haunting debut about five sisters in a small village in eighteenth-century England whose neighbors are convinced they're turning into dogs.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eONE OF \u003ci\u003ePEOPLE\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e'\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eS, APPLE BOOKS\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e'\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e, AND AMAZON\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e'\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eS BEST BOOKS OF AUGUST 2025\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e\"A wildly inventive riff on the Gothic form, with enough suspense and mounting dread to rival Shirley Jackson's 'The Lottery.'\"\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e--\u003ci\u003eThe New York Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eEven 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 \n\u003ci\u003esee\u003c\/i\u003e the Mansfield sisters transform before his very eyes, the allegations spark fascination and fear like nothing has before. \n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThe 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. \n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eA richly atmospheric parable of the pleasures and perils of female defiance, \n\u003ci\u003e The Hounding\u003c\/i\u003e considers whether in any age it might be safer to be a dog than an unusual young girl. \n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Citations:\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"italic\"\u003eLibrary Journal\u003c\/span\u003e 03\/01\/2025 pg. 96 (EAN 9781250366382, Hardcover)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"italic\"\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/span\u003e 06\/09\/2025 (EAN 9781250366382, Hardcover)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"italic\"\u003eBooklist\u003c\/span\u003e 08\/01\/2025 (EAN 9781250366382, Hardcover)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"italic\"\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/span\u003e 09\/01\/2025 (EAN 9781250366382, Hardcover) - *Starred Review\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"italic\"\u003eShelf Awareness\u003c\/span\u003e 12\/04\/2025 (EAN 9781250366382, Hardcover)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eContributor Bio:\u003c\/strong\u003ePurvis, Xenobe\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eXenobe Purvis\u003c\/b\u003e 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 \n\u003ci\u003eTimes Literary Supplement\u003c\/i\u003e, the \n\u003ci\u003e London Magazine\u003c\/i\u003e, and elsewhere.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n","brand":"Henry Holt \u0026 Company","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51496117698838,"sku":"9781250366382","price":32.39,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0857\/9910\/8886\/files\/9781250366382.jpg?v=1783053436","url":"https:\/\/lusper.myshopify.com\/products\/the-hounding","provider":"Lusperbooks","version":"1.0","type":"link"}