The Bass Rock, by Evie Wyld

A strange small Scottish town, dominated by the landmark of the Bass Rock, has seen hundreds of years of men’s violence against each other, against children and, overwhelmingly, against women. The story moves back and forth in time, mainly between Ruth and her step-granddaughter Viv, who demonstrate the generational and personal trauma inflicted by this violence. Their stories are punctuated by others; some named, some anonymous, all victims of the patriarchy, which is reinforced by the structures of class and society. It makes for grim reading and should probably come with trigger warnings. Wyld sounds some notes of hope with her depiction of a few gentle men, who are not defined by the violence done to them, and by the women who foster resilience through their support of each other despite their differences. But the town is not unique; it represents the state of the world. Through all the Bass Rock endures, as do women, but erosion is inexorable and inevitable.