Follow Me To Ground

by Sue Rainsford

'A tangled, gnarled, wonderfully original, strange, beautiful beast of a book'
DAISY JOHNSON, author of Everything Under

'Beautiful and terrifying' SUNDAY TIMES

'Seethingly assured debut fuses magical realism with critical and feminist theory' GUARDIAN

In house in a wood, Ada and her father live peacefully, tending to their garden and the wildlife in it. They are not human though. Ada was made by her father from the Ground, a unique patch of earth with birthing and healing properties. Though perhaps he didn’t get her quite right. They spend their days healing the local human folk – named Cures - who visit them, suspiciously, with their ailments.

When Ada embarks on a relationship with a local Cure named Samson, and is forced to choose between her old life with her father, and a new one with her human lover. Her decision will uproot the town – and the Ground itself – for ever.

A poised and simmering tour-de-force, FOLLOW ME TO GROUND is a sinister vision of desire and freewill, voiced in earthy prose and eviscerating detail by an astoundingly original new writer.

'Equal parts beauty and horror, and unlike anything you will read this year’ TEA OBREHT

'Fierce, palpable, hynoptic. A dazzling, troubling dream' COLIN BARRETT

'A writer to watch' METRO

'An astonishing debut heralding the career of an exciting new writer. Strange, lyrical, and arresting, this novel will draw readers into its extraordinary spell.' KIRKUS starred review

LONGLISTED FOR THE DESMOND ELLIOT PRIZE 2019

• ISBN10: 0857526774
• ISBN13: 9780857526779
• Publish Date: 8 August 2019 (first published 31 May 2018)
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 11 March 2021
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: Transworld Publishers Ltd
• Imprint: Doubleday
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 208
• Language: English

Reviews

[Whitney @ First Impressions Reviews]

First Impressions

Sue Rainsford's debut novel is dark and twisted and reminiscent of a fairy tale before Disney got their hands on it. Think Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs but without Prince Charming.

Story Impressions

Follow Me to Ground was creepy, like Joey Tribbiani putting The Shining in the freezer creepy. After I finished listening to the book I needed to decompress, clear my head, take a cold shower, and then I listened to it again. I am still pondering as to why I liked the book so much, the characters are all flawed and unlikeable, the plot is manic, but somehow it works. 

I was weirdly intriguing with Ada and her father, beings curing fellow villagers. However, I felt they did more harm than good, putting a little strangeness back with the diseased lung or womb. Also, while the writing is elegant and descriptive, Follow Me to Ground is not for the faint of heart. The curing procedures are in vivid detail with the author giving no notice to cover one's eyes.

I felt Samson, despite being human was the most inhuman character in the whole novel. He gave me the heebie-jeebies and my skin began to crawl when I thought about his perverted nature and his desire for Ada. Like the novel Room, where we are shown the story through the eyes of a naive child, we must read between the lines to get the full story. 

Audio Impressions

As for the audio, I loved that it was a multi-cast production with each curing getting its distinct voice. It added dimension to an already diverse story.

Overall Impression

I don't think this is a book for everyone as it is a bit peculiar and left just as many questions as answers. Although, I like that it made me think and mull over everything I had just absorbed. Follow Me to Ground is unique and unlike anything I have read before. Like the curing ground, it is a plot that needs to be churned over before coming back up for air. 


This review was originally posted on First Impressions Reviews

[Quirky Cat]

I received a copy of Follow Me To Ground through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Follow Me To Ground is the debut novel of Sue Rainsford, and it is getting quite a bit of ink thanks to the dark and disturbing elements it carries. If this first novel is anything to go by, Rainsford is already an author worth keeping an eye on.
This is a haunting and chilling read – perfect for those that love the subtleties that can come with otherworldly horror.
Ada is not human, has never been human. She and her father are something else. They’re tolerated by the townspeople thanks to their ability to heal – even if their methods are somewhat alarming.
You see, they put people in the ground to heal them. It’s counter-intuitive to us humans but is truly second nature for beings such as Ada and her father. Or so it seems. Unfortunately, this is a lonely life, and Ada craves something more. But what would the cost be, should Ada dare to reach out?

“There is something Cures don't know about their curing.
Their sickness isn't gone.
It just goes elsewhere.”

Warnings: Follow Me To Ground is as beautifully descriptive as it is unique. But that means that sometimes the details can be overwhelming and alarming. Be aware that there are graphic descriptions of bodies and injuries in this novel.

Follow Me To Ground has to be one of the most delightfully rich and hauntingly written novels I’ve read in quite some time. There’s something so beautiful in Sun Rainsford’s writing, it’s impossible to look away.
Ada’s tale is both innately human and yet fiercely other at the same time. I love that dichotomy, even as I watched her walk down a path that no human could follow. It was a fascinating read, through and through.
Part of me can’t quite get over all of the details and implications in this novel. There were so many details and layers to this book that I’m not even certain that one read-through would be enough to spot them. I do know that I was enchanted, and was sad to see it end.
The unique storytelling methods used in this novel is what really brought it to a whole new level. Having so many people get a say in what and who Ada was…that was an interesting choice. It increased the intrigue, of that there is no doubt.
The healing shown in this novel was so different and creative. I would have happily read another hundred pages on that alone, given half the chance. There’s something organic yet distressing about the method. It was the perfect foundation for Ada’s plight.
I’m honestly a little bit blown away by Rainsford here. I’m absolutely going to have to keep an eye out for any and all novels that come from this author!

For more reviews check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks