National Bestseller • A New York Times Editor’s Choice Pick • A New York Times Notable Book • Named a Best Book of the Year by NPR, TIME and Kirkus Reviews • 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. ONE OF PEOPLE ’ S, APPLE BOOKS ’ , AND AMAZON ’ S BEST BOOKS OF AUGUST 2025 “A wildly inventive riff on the Gothic form, with enough suspense and mounting dread to rival Shirley Jackson’s ‘The Lottery.’” ― The New York Times Book Review 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. Nominated for the Goodreads Choice Awards in Historical Fiction An Indie Next Pick One of the Los Angeles Times Must-Read Books of Summer 2025 One of Harper ’s Bazaar ’s “ Best Beach Reads to Keep You Occupied All Summer Long ” One of Shelf Awareness ’ and Book Riot ’s Best Books of the Year “Outstanding . . . Purvis is adept at conjuring a mounting sense of dread, and it is a pleasure to linger in her imagination.” ―Joumana Khatib, The New York Times Book Review “Tense and absorbing . . . [ The Hounding ] transcends its antecedents, evolving into something more ambiguous and unexpected.” ―Marin Cogan, The Washington Post “Purvis writes with a kind of lush violence that makes the sisters; experiences feel immediate and fresh . . . [ The Hounding reveals 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.” ―Talya Zax, The Atlantic “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.” ― Los Angeles Times “[Purvis] is excellent at evoking the fear of the unknown and the lure of the mob.” ―Sam Sacks, The Wall Street Journal “A beguiling tale . . . The Hounding serves as an unsettling reminder of who is made to pay when ‘all sorts of ordinary things’ go wrong.” ―Chloe Hadavas, Foreign Policy “An exciting debut with great atmospheric detail, a very visual style, and a story that puts a modern twist on female hysteria.” ―Melanie Fleishman, Buyer at the Center for Fiction Bookstore “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.” ― Financial Times “This is an extraordinary debut, clever, strange and beautifully written.” ― The Times (London) “ The Hounding is a vivid exploration of the darkness of human nature and the danger women face every day.” ―Apple Books “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.” ― The Minnesota Star Tribune “A wonderfully unsettling gothic debut that lingers like a half-remembered bad dream―perfect for fans of historical fiction with a sharp, feminist edge.” ―Shari Stauch, The Summerville Journal Scene “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.” ― Kirkus Reviews (starred review) “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 o