[Book Review] Water Shall Refuse Them

McKnight Hardy’s debut novel is a literary folk horror set in Wales during the summer heatwave of 1976 detailing the breakdown of a family in the aftermath of personal tragedy. Rituals and cruelty play a part in the teenage daughter’s coming of age.

The family is made up of four members: the protagonist, sixteen-year-old Nif, and her mum, dad and kid brother. The story opens with them en route to a remote village in Wales. We soon learn that there was a third child, Nif’s younger sister Petra, who died recently and the reason for the trip is to get away from the everyday routine and have space to process their grief.

Upon arrival in the village, as the family settle into their temporary home, Nif meets some local girls who are distinctly unwelcoming towards her. She also makes the acquaintance of Mally, the teenage boy who lives next door. Mally and his mother, Janet, are the outcasts of the village, seemingly staying only to provoke the insular nature of the other inhabitants. They see Janet as some kind of wanton harlot with her alcohol consumption and proclivity for strutting around her garden in a bikini. There is even talk of her being a witch. 

After her sister’s death Nif starts following a way of self-devised thinking.. Inspired by her church-going youth and the rituals and symbolism of the Catholic religion, she creates various prescribed processes she must follow and collects a handful of special items that she believes possess great meaning and power. In Nif one can see shades of Merricat from Shirley Jackson’s We Have Always Lived in the Castle and Frank from Iain Banks’ The Wasp Factory, two outstanding pieces of dark, literary fiction featuring atypical teenage protagonists.

Nif and Mally’s relationship quickly blossoms as they confess details about themselves to each other and they find they share some similar personality traits and hobbies. They feed off each other and their unorthodox beliefs are strengthened. One of Mally’s favourite spots in the area that he takes Nif to is high up on a hill where they can look down at the miniature houses and people below which mirrors their distance and detachment from reality.

Meanwhile, the other characters have their own issues to deal with. Father is obsessed with sculpting a bust of his wife while trying to ignore the allure of neighbour Janet. Once a religious devotee, mother is having a crisis of faith and spends her days absentmindedly chain-smoking. Little Lorry is too young to really know what is going on and is neglected by those who should be caring for him. The hope for the family to come together and heal during their time away seems like a futile notion as all they do is move further apart. Can they really ever escape the family tragedy and its ramifications? 

The idea of power, whether perceived or otherwise, is a significant theme within this novel. The death of Petra has created a sense of powerlessness amongst the family. For Nif, she is trying to establish power and identity as she comes of age amidst the instability of the household. Janet uses her distinctly feminine power in different ways such as antagonising the other villagers and flirting with Nif’s father while at the same time befriending Nif’s mother. 

The story is a slow-burn with a creeping sense of dread as relationships break down and Nif’s estrangement grows stronger. The location plays a large role, the rural environment and its parched landscape being as much a part of the story as the characters. The heatwave and isolated setting are used to great effect, creating a stifling atmosphere with no escape. It’s hazy and sweaty and altogether overbearing. Water Shall Refuse Them is a convincing and troubling coming-of-age story with strong folk horror and witchcraft elements that nails a dark and unnerving tone throughout.

Content warning for scenes of child abuse, animal cruelty and animal death, some of which contain particularly unflinching detail.

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