Review: 'The Bass Rock' by Evie Wyld

The Bass Rock created a major buzz when it was first released. Reading around I realized I wasn't quite ready yet in September. I needed a little bit more time after moving, I needed to make sure I was settled before I read something I suspected would be unsettling. I was correct, for once. The Bass Rock is a shattering, brilliant book. Thanks to Pantheon and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Pub. Date: 9/1/2020
Publisher: Pantheon; Knopf Doubleday

The lives of three women weave together across centuries in this dazzling new novel.
 
Sarah, accused of being a witch, is fleeing for her life.
 
Ruth, in the aftermath of World War II, is navigating a new marriage and the strange waters of the local community.
 
Six decades later, Viv, still mourning the death of her father, is cataloging Ruth’s belongings in Ruth’s now-empty house.
 
As each woman’s story unfolds, it becomes increasingly clear that their choices are circumscribed, in ways big and small, by the men who seek to control them. But in sisterhood there is also the possibility of survival and a new way of life. Intricately crafted and compulsively readable, The Bass Rock burns bright with love and fury—a devastating indictment of violence against women and an empowering portrait of their resilience through the ages.

 It doesn't happen often that I have as strong a visceral reaction after finishing a book as I did when I finished The Bass Rock. I sat with the tension and I could feel it racing through my body. With the danger of entering TMI territory, I ended up throwing up. I had read the final third of the book in one, almost frantic go, propelled forward by the story until the final sentence. I may have entered TMI territory but I intend to stay far away from spoiler territory. However, that final chapter was a gut punch. Throughout the narratives of Wyld's main three women, we get the stories of anonymous women throughout time, running, cowering, trusting, fighting. Almost like punctuation, they relentlessly enforce and emphasize Wyld's themes. Violence against women permeates this novel and although for some readers it could be too much, it is a testament to Wyld's writing and intent that it never feels sensational or purposeless. 

The Bass Rock is divided into four sections, one dedicated to each of the three main characters, Sarah, Ruth and Viv, and one to the unnamed women of the past. These stories intertwine here or there, ghostly touches that connect one woman to the next. All three women are haunted, all three women are struggling with issues unique to their time-period and timeless issues. Whereas Ruth and Viv's narratives are from their points of view, we're slightly more distant from Sarah as her story is told to us through a boy. It was an interesting choice to put us at a remove from her, since her time period is already so distant to most. What it does is draw a different response from the reader, make them look at her sideways. Viv is something of a "messy" character, often self-sabotaging yet good at heart. Through her we also meet her sister, mother and a stranger, Maggie. The latter is a revelation. She is definitely, maybe, probably a witch. Her wildness allows Wyld to make her anger, frustration and despair palpable and audible and there was on specific speech of hers I had to sit with for an hour or so to let it sink in. Ruth is very controlled and on edge when we first meet her. By the end she is no less on edge but some of her control has slipped. She reacts more, emotes more, tries to build connections to the women and the world around her. As The Bass Rock crescendos towards it conclusion, the tension in all three narratives ramps up. You will hope for the best for all these women, while understanding that "the best" is hard to define.

Evie Wyld writes brilliantly. Whether it is Maggie's frantic, heavy speeches or the quiet yet stormy sea, Wyld is able to write it all. This book will suck you in and it will hold you in suspense throughout. Mixing a Gothic atmosphere with historical fiction and contemporary drama, Wyld finds a great balance. The Bass Rock is not an easy book and it will prove tough to some readers, but God is it rewarding. Whether it is recognizing the urge to break something or feeling the fear of a threatening text, The Bass Rock will resonate with you. All of Wyld's women deal with loss, sadness, anger and hope. They all desire to do better, to make a difference, to wake up good , to be free and safe. Reading this book felt like a high-stake situation, it felt like I was on the edge of something. As a reader you have to be aware of this tension and you have to guide yourself through it, take a breath whenever you can. But you will never be able to resist going back to The Bass Rock. Like the rock in its title, this novel has a magic pull, an elemental charisma, which has catapulted Evie Wyld to the top of my list of authors.

I give this book...

5 Universes!

The Bass Rock is a book that will shake you. It won't allow you to be comfortable or safe at any point during its 368 pages. Approach it carefully, but approach it nonetheless. The Bass Rock is immensely rewarding.