Grey Dog

Gish debuts with an atmospheric historical horror in the gothic tradition that descends into truly terrifying places. In 1901, Ada Byrd takes a teaching position in the small town of Lowry Bridge, looking for distance from a scandal that cost her her last teaching job. She dutifully interacts with her young students, engages in church and social activities, and even makes friends. However, in the woods lives a creature Ada calls “the grey dog,” an entity that torments Ada with terrifying yet enticing visions. These visions lead Ada out into the dark woods where the grey dog awaits. Told through journal entries and gorgeous prose, Gish’s novel evokes other gothic stories of fractured minds, even as it tackles more issues like sexual assault and repressed LGBTQIA+ identity. Some, however, might argue that Ada’s dizzying and disturbing transformation is not a descent into delusions but a step toward embracing freedom and independent thought. Thanks to Natalie Naudus’s brilliant voicework, readers will hear (and perhaps even feel) Ada losing her grip on reality as the visions worsen, her resolve crumbles, and society’s restraints are ripped away.