The Bass Rock tells the stories of three women who have a connection to this place. In the 1700s, Sarah is on the run, fleeing from villagers who accuse her of witchcraft. Her tale is narrated by a young man who, with his father, is helping Sarah escape.
Shortly after WWII, Ruth has just married Peter, a widower with two young sons. He has bought a large house for Ruth to reside in, with a view of the Bass Rock. Ruth loves Peter's sons, but dreams of having a child of her own to complete their family. But Peter has other plans, as he ships the boys off to boarding school and returns to his work in London, leaving Ruth alone for long periods in this isolated place.
Viviane lives in the present day. She is approaching 40, but lives the ramshackle life of someone twenty years younger. Grieving the death of her father (Peter's son Michael), Viv heads to North Berwick to housesit her grandmother Ruth's home while it is being sold.
While the story of these three women is told in alternating chapters, there are plenty of other intriguing women who make an impact in the story. Betty, Ruth's house keeper, who is a keen observer of what is happening in the town. Maggie, who befriends Viv and stays with her at Ruth's house. Viv's sister Katherine, who is leaving her partner and has a love-hate relationship with her sibling.
The undercurrent in all these women's stories is male violence - built up over centuries. This violence takes many forms - coercive control, gaslighting, physical harm, addiction, predatory behaviour, denial of affection, threats, intergenerational trauma, institutionalisation - but is often normalised and down-played by the men who were just 'tickling' or 'playing' or performing gender roles. The men in this novel are not necessarily menacing, although they can swiftly turn to become so. Instead they and their behaviours are so normalised and commonplace that it is unseen.
Pitched as a gothic novel, the atmosphere created by Wyld from the rugged landscape, Ruth's house and the ghostly elements within, draw the reader in and build the intrigue. Wyld's ability to describe the landscape - the screeching of the seabirds, the biting wind that rattles the windowpanes, the looming shadow of the Rock - bring the setting to life.
Despite this dark subject matter, the book does not feel oppressive. I really enjoyed The Bass Rock and would highly recommend it. My only quibble is that I could have done without Sarah's story - keeping the tale more contemporary with just Ruth and Viviane - as it seemed to serve little purpose and was not as well considered as the other two.