Follow Me To Ground: A Novel

Written by Sue Rainsford

Narrated by Adam Sims, Francine Brody, Kate Handford and 3 more

One of Literary Hub’s Favorite Books of the Year

“Seethingly assured…like all the best horror, [Follow Me to Ground] is an impressive balancing act between judicious withholding and unnerving reveals.” —The Guardian

A “legitimately frightening” (The New York Times Book Review) debut novel about an otherworldly young woman, her father, and her lover that culminates in a shocking moment of betrayal.

“You’ve never encountered a father-daughter story like Rainsford’s slim debut” (Entertainment Weekly). Ada and her father, touched by the power to heal illness, live on the edge of a village where they help sick locals—or “Cures”—by cracking open their damaged bodies or temporarily burying them in the reviving, dangerous Ground nearby. Ada, a being both more and less than human, is mostly uninterested in the Cures, until she meets a man named Samson—and they quickly strike up an affair. Soon, Ada is torn between her old way of life and new possibilities with her lover, and eventually she comes to a decision that will forever change Samson, the town, and the Ground itself.

“Visceral in its descriptions…this unworldly story is a well-crafted and eerie exploration of desire…beautifully intoxicating” (Shelf Awareness). In Ada, award-winning author Sue Rainsford has created an utterly bewitching heroine, one who challenges conventional ideas of womanhood and the secrets of the body. “A triumph of imagination and myth-bending…equal parts beauty and horror [Follow Me to Ground is] unlike anything you will read this year” (Téa Obreht).

• Language: English
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
• Release date: Jan 21, 2020
• ISBN: 9781797104843

Sue Rainsford

Sue Rainsford is a fiction and arts writer based in Dublin. A graduate of Trinity College, she completed her MFA in writing and literature at Bennington College, Vermont. She is a recipient of the VAI/DCC Critical Writing Award, the Arts Council Literature Bursary Award, and a MacDowell Colony Fellowship. When it was first published, Follow Me to Ground won the Kate O’Brien Award and was longlisted for the Desmond Elliott Prize and the Republic of Consciousness Award.  

Reviews for Follow Me To Ground

[sashastorylover · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Very strong debut novel. I love the concept and the setting. It has plenty horror-esque moments. The strongest aspect of this novel is lack of “good” characters, every one is out after their own desires and they don’t care about the consequences. The main character Ada is not a human and she doesn’t abide human laws or right, morality and goodness. Fascinating read.

[Morgan · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was creepy and fascinating, like watching a big spider crawl slowly across your ceiling.

[Kimberly · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This might be my new favorite book. I called the end twist just before the half way mark and thought "no way, they wouldn't go there" and they did

[Ayana V · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Great story, lots of twists and turns. Very original story line, easy to listen to.

[AkiraReign · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Called the Ending not even halfway in lol. It's not too long and a little disturbing but not the darkest thing I've read. Good to pass some time.

[Discendos · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Southern gothic tales at it's finest! Fans of T. Kingfischer should look to
Sue Rainsford for more eerie goodness. The narrations were wonderful!

[allyson Enciso · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

beautifully written book. wonderful audiobook production. this was a great read.

[Olivia White · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I feel like I need to read this three more times because what the heck

[Chauncey Mabe · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I would gave given five stars but for the ending

[Jay · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

What an awesome surreal story! Very reminiscent of Practical Magic.

[Rian K · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

What a strange and bizarre book. I’m not sure what I listened to entirely but I like it.

[Ventura Dennis · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

What?????? A artsy waste if time, pick something else to read

[ShaTonya Wooley · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It was an intriguing read. All I can say is I really liked it.

[Rachel Stacy · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The readers were fantastic but the story was kinda choppy and the ending was unsatisfactory. Kinda just stopped