This is a good book to judge by its cover: twining, botanical, a little spooky. I liked the setting and the way the stories folded together. A solid read

What a fabulous debut by author, Amilia Hart! Weyward is told from the viewpoints of three women from different generations of the Weyward family. The Weyward women face horrendous obstacles in their lives and persevere due to their inner strength and a little bit of magic.

Weyward is well-written with storylines which draw you in from the start and will keep you reading until the very end. Have I mentioned how wonderful the cover looks?

I look forward to reading more from this author!

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press, for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed above are my own.

I absolutely loved this!! Usually I find multiple POVs hard to read as the each story is so removed from each other in the beginning that I find myself asking, “Okay? What’s the point? Where are you going with this?” And most of the time, one story is always more interesting than the others… not with ‘Weyward’. I found myself riveted to each story, each one getting better and better as the story moved.

Not only was each story page-turning, but the writing was beautiful and atmospheric, it was like watching a movie - the beech tree on the hill, the buzz of the bees and the brush of mayflies wings, the stalking crows and whispering deep woods. Beautiful. Well done, Ms Hart, we’ll done.

Stunning debut.

Emilia Hart expertly intertwines the stories of three women in three timelines living very different lives with a thread that ties them all together. As another reviewer stated, this is no easy feat, but I was equally invested in each of the stories and felt I could identify with each of the women. Altha, 21, accused of being a murderous witch in the year 1619, writes her story, in fear that she soon won't be around to tell it. Violet, a 16-year-old girl in 1942 with an interest in insects and nature, lives an isolated life at her family's estate until her cousin Frederick comes to visit and sparks in her a renewed curiosity about her long-deceased mother. And Kate, aged 29, inherits a cottage from a great-aunt she has never met, an opportunity to flee her abusive relationship.

There should be trigger warnings for sexual assault and physical and emotional abuse. My personal opinion as a survivor of both is that the book handled these subjects with care, but there are at least two quite vivid scenes that may be traumatic.

I could go on about all the times this book amazed me throughout, but I'll just say go and read it for yourself. I have preordered Weyward, as it's a book I know I will read over and over again and feel something every time. It will be an absolutely treasured addition to my personal library for years to come.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for providing me with an eARC.

I’m not gonna lie – “Weyward” and I got off on the wrong foot.

Overall, Emilia Hart’s debut novel is, however, a solid read. It’s an engrossing tale of three women of the Weyward family, as they come into their own power, centuries apart. And it has all that I love in a novel: magic and witchcraft, nature, and feminism.

So why the rough start? Because Hart’s writing is a little light. And by this I mean, light on characterization and depth. After reading the premise of “Weyward,” I had envisioned more of a weighty, literary read, and what I instead received was a novel that more or less just skims the surface without ever developing the characters and story to the fullest. The storyline of Kate, in particular, is the perfect example of this. I hate to say it, but her chapters have no more than the requisite depth of a thriller.

Despite the above criticisms, though, by the halfway point of “Weyward” I was completely hooked. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough, as I was dying to know how all three storylines concluded. The pacing of the novel is excellent, and Hart does a fantastic job of slowly building tension as the reader progresses through the three individual stories. Bonus points to the author, too, for an epilogue that actually works. So many epilogues are superfluous, but Hart has written one that is vital to the interconnectedness of the three Weyward women.

I greatly look forward to Hart’s next book. No doubt she has a stellar writing career ahead of her.


My sincerest appreciation to Emilia Hart, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for the Advance Review Copy. All opinions included herein are my own.

Sublime - a beautiful exploration of three women and their deep connection to the natural world and to each other.

This is a story of strong, unconventional women who discover their feminine power waging their same-but-different battles against the patriarchy (different centuries, same old shit). There are beautiful elements of magic here for those who like that, but they won't be' off-putting for those who don't (these are green witches, not Halloween witches - there are no spells, cauldrons, or black hats). The author beautifully captured the magic of the natural world, and the way it heals, sustains, and gives life.

I was surprised to learn that this is the author's debut - the story is so layered and nuanced, and written with a confident hand. The book is well-crafted, with beautiful writing, intricate characters, vivid imagery and symbolism, lovely pacing, and three equally-compelling storylines that unfold and interweave seamlessly. Their discoveries of their individual and shared gifts is well done, and each woman's behavior and choices are logical and appropriate for her time, place, and historical context. A triple narrative and triple timeline can be tricky as one character's story is generally more interesting or more thoroughly developed than the others, but there is no weak link here - all three characters and storylines equally compelling.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Maritn's Press for this ARC.

I absolutely loved this book. It is told from three different women's point of view, and each of the three women's stories were powerful and at times hard to read. They all three went through so much. The author does a great job of weaving the three stories together and the ending was very well done. I loved all the magic that was part of the story, it is a perfect read for October.

Very enjoyable read about three generations of Weyward women and the MEAN BAD men they encounter in their lives. While not necessarily unique/fresh, I still enjoyed this story of witchy ladies who are sick of being pushed around - in three different eras!

3.5 stars

I enjoyed the multiple POVs and timelines (1600s, 1900s, and present day) and found each one well developed and strong female leads who are bound together by a shared experience. The story has a similar feel to "Practical Magic" by Alice Hoffman.

I liked the premise of this book, the character development of the women and the three different eras, but the book fell short for me. I liked the three timelines but the chapters were so short I was getting confused as we went back and forth in time. I would have liked to see the longer chapters because the shortness of them did not allow me to sink into the specific story for that time period.

*Spoiler Alert*
.
.
.
⚠️ WARNING⚠️
This book contains themes of domestic abuse and assault.
The Weyward women were interesting to learn about. Altha, tried as a witch in 1619 for the death of her former best friend’s husband; Violet in 1942, with an abusive father whom refuses to speak about her deceased mother; and Kate in 2019, Violet's great niece, who is in an abusive relationship with Simon who knows her every move. The story shows how the men in each of their lives molded them into the women that they became. This story was thrilling to read, and I highly recommend it. Emilia Hart’s writing was nothing short of poetic and I could not put the book down during my free time.

This was just what I needed at this point in my life. The three points of view and separate story threads come together beautifully without the characters directly interacting, which allows each of them to stand on their own, with Kate (the modern point of view) being a key focal point. This is a truly well-crafted book with a compelling narrative and a strong feminist thread tying everything together. Difficult subjects are tackled with honesty and grace, and each character's perspective feels equally satisfying, with only a few shaky pacing moments.

Three women. Five hundred years. One big secret.

In the year 2019, Kate flees and abusive relationship and goes home to Weyward cottage, inherited from her eccentric great aunt Violet. Passed from the women in the family for centuries.
In the year 1942, Violet Weyward grapples with her abusive controlling father.
In the year 1619, Altha Weyward is put on trial for witchcraft.
Weyward weaves a masterful web of intergenerational trauma, power dynamics and these women's witchcraft and inherent connection to nature.
Wonderfully handled exploration of breaking the cycle and the good and the bad we carry in our bones from our ancestors.

Witch, it’s what they often call you when you don’t quite fit the mold of what they consider normal and acceptable. From the witch trials on we have seen people called, and persecuted for being, a witch. This book encompasses the stories of three women and their stories and struggles, as well as their shared gift that helps save them.

Well written with characters you find yourself drawn to and rooting for. With some topics that can be hard, the author handled them so well that I couldn’t put it down. This is the best book of 2023 I have read so far! Definitely put this one on your list of must read books for the year!

Nature. Women. Witches.
To follow those three women, with similar fates despite the years between them, was gut-wrenching. But it also spoke of resilience, of sorority beyond the years, and of the power one can find inside even when everything gets dark. I loved it, despite some moments where the cruelty of men made me want to throw my tablet at the wall and disappear forever. Now I have a few months before I can pick up a finished copy, and I can't wait (can we talk about that cover ???).

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“ I like the thought of that: a long line of Weyward women stretching after me. For the first child born to a Weyward is always female, my mother told me. That is why she only had me, just as her mother only had her. There are enough men in the world already, she used to say.”

Weyward by Emilia Hart was a wondrous surprise. Ms. Hart uses three narrators, Altha from 1619, Violet from 1942, and Kate from 2019. These three females are from a long line of Weyward women, with each character having a fantastic storyline. The ladies overcame grave difficulties by finding their strength and home in a small town surrounded by nature. All of these women use the term healer, but what they are also women who have magical powers or witches. Altha, specifically, starts the story during her trial as a witch, but there was not a weak part of this book...the stories are entertaining, exciting, and a perfect read for mystery lovers who love a zest of female empowerment. I thought the writing was outstanding, the story is compelling, and I was sad about ending it. This might be one of my favorite books of the year. I hope you will purchase this book when published in March 2023. The book cover reminds us of three women, five centuries, and one secret. Don’t worry; I’ll remind you when it is available for purchase. #women #abuse #strength #powerful #familybond #magic #nature #spells #witch #healer #crows #Weyward #EmiliaHart #netgalley #beautifulCover #strong #strength #StMartinsPress @stmartinspress @netgalley @emiliahwriter
🪶

I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and the author for the opportunity to read this book. Pub Date: March, 2023.

#bookaddict #booksofinstagram #bookstagram #bookstagramer #bookshelf #booksbooksbooks #readersofinstagram #reader #booklove #bookreader

Absolutely stunning bit of historical fiction with a supernatural bent. Definite trigger warnings for domestic violence and sexual assault. This novel beautifully weaves nature and the supernatural. There's a small cast of characters, but all are memorable. A perfect read for a cool, rainy day with lots of witchy candles.

A witchy- historical fiction novel with three separate timelines. This story follows the women of the Weyward family, all of which are born with a special gift that gives them the ability to connect with nature and animals. Because of these gifts, Altha (in the 1600s) was tried as a witch, Violet (early 1900s) was always considered strange and eventually was disinherited, and Kate was finally able to learn about her ancestors and use her gift to become free from her abusive ex boyfriend.

I liked that the author switched between timelines throughout the story and we were able to see all of the similarities the Weyward women had and how they dealt with the difficult, unfair situations that they were dealt.

Weyward is a book about how understanding & knowing the past can truly help & empower the future.

I’m going to be honest, the first 33% of this book dragged and I almost shelved it but gave it one last reading session, at which point I couldn’t put it down. Between the bonds of family, the empowerment of women, and the connection women share to those that came before them, Weyward was truly a tale that showed how unbreakable females can truly be, especially when they have the support of others.

I was a little weary about how the author would be able to connect 3 distinctly different timeframes without confusion, but Hart managed to seamlessly do this. The connection between the timeframes was clear, distinct & extremely well written. I’m glad I made the decision to keep reading & find out how everything tied together & how amazing these women truly were.

**Thank you #NetGalley & #StMartinsPress for providing me with an arc for my honest review.

This story of 3 different women and 3 different times. This book is an incredibly beautiful novel. The lives of three women are masterfully intertwined with each other and all three women have a hard fate. Altha, Violet and Kate. In the title, there is a reference to Shakespeare and his play Macbeth, which is intriguing from the very beginning. This book brings all three of these women together and makes them understand that they are not alone in this world. I think this is a great idea, a great idea that the author perfectly managed to bring to life. I want to warn you that this book has trigger themes: physical and psychological abuse, loss of a child.
This book is not about dark magic which is typical for fantasy books, this book is about magic that can heal and help. Magic of nature. This book connects women and nature shows the feminine. How much attention is paid to nature and communication with it; a slight premonition that nature can create wonders. This book reminded me of Ray Bradbury's book Dandelion Wine. All this time I was trying to find connections between all the characters to understand their similarities. It was a very entertaining read. I am very happy that I read it and I highly recommend this book to everyone.

Also, I can't keep silent about the fact that the cover of the book is simply magical.