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The Bass Rock

Winner of the 2021 Stella Prize
3.69 goodreads logo

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( 10,138 ratings, 1,345 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The Bass Rock by Evie Wyld weaves together the lives of three women living across different eras, all connected by the haunting presence of Scotland's Bass Rock. Through themes of violence and resilience, the narrative delves into their interconnected experiences of motherhood, loss, and survival. The novel echoes the enduring impact of trauma and the strength found in the natural world and relationships.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you appreciate haunting narratives that weave together the lives of multiple women across generations, exploring themes of violence, resilience, and the eerie beauty of the Scottish coast. It's perfect for readers who love richly atmospheric stories that delve into the complexities of human experience and family ties.

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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

The lives of three women weave together across four centuries in this dazzling book from Evie Wyld, winner of the Miles Franklin Award and the Stella Prize.

Surging out of the sea, the Bass Rock has for centuries watched over the lives that pass under its shadow on the Scottish mainland. And across the centuries, the fates of three women are linked to this place and to each other.

In the early 1700s, Sarah, accused of being a witch, flees for her life.

In the aftermath of the Second World War, Ruth navigates a new house, a new husband, and the strange waters of the local community.

Six decades later, the house stands empty. Viv, mourning the death of her father, catalogues Ruth's belongings and discovers her place in the pastβ€”and perhaps a way forward.

Each woman's choices are circumscribed, in ways big and small, by the men in their lives. But in sisterhood, there is the hope of survival and new life. Intricately crafted and compulsively readable, The Bass Rock burns bright with anger and love.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

The Bass Rock by Evie Wyld has been praised for its haunting narrative and intricate exploration of themes such as trauma and interconnectedness across generations. Critics have highlighted the novel's atmospheric setting and the way it seamlessly weaves together the lives of women from different eras. Readers appreciate Wyld's evocative prose and her ability to craft a compelling story that resonates on emotional and psychological levels.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781761045301

Publisher: Penguin Random House Australia

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 22 April 2021

Country: Australia

Imprint: Penguin Random House Australia

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 33.0mm

Width: 130.0mm

Height: 197.0mm

Weight: 340g

Pages: 368

About the Author

Evie Wyld grew up in Australia and the UK. She is part owner of Review, a small independent bookshop in London. Her first novel, After the Fire, A Still Small Voice, won the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize and a Betty Trask Award. In 2011 she was listed as one of the Culture Show's Best New British Novelists. She was also shortlisted for the Orange Prize for New Writers, the Commonwealth Writers' Prize and the International Dublin Literary Award. In 2013 she was listed as one of Granta's Best of Young British Novelists. Evie's second novel, All the Birds, Singing, was published in 2013. It won the 2014 Miles Franklin Award, the Encore Award and the Jerwood Fiction Uncovered Prize, and was longlisted for the 2014 Stella Prize and the Baileys Women's Prize for Fiction, and shortlisted for the Costa Novel Prize and the James Tait Black Memorial Prize. Her third novel, The Bass Rock, won the 2021 Stella Prize. Her graphic novel with illustrator Joe Sumner, Everything Is Teeth, was published in 2015.

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