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Et cetera What We're Reading: The Hounding

By Vinton Public Library · June 16, 2026, 11:14 pm

“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.” — Goodreads (3.65 rating)

'The Hounding' by Xenobe Purvis was such a fun audiobook to listen to over the weekend through the Libby app. It checked all the boxes for me: historical fiction, five young sisters orphaned and raised by their blind grandfather in a tiny English village, and a mysterious question hanging over the entire story — are the girls actually turning into dogs?

This is now the second novel I’ve read through Libby featuring girls/women turning into dogs, so apparently this is a theme I enjoy! Dark, strange, atmospheric, and perfect for fans of eerie historical fiction. Check it out on Libby and happy reading, friends. ~Heather

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