Three women, five centuries, and secrets that bind them all.

This was a powerful story about women, mothers, daughters and the bond that connects us all. There was some light magic to it, but it didn’t overpower the story and it still seemed realistic. There were three storylines going on, but I enjoyed each one. I love how they tied together at the end.

“They do not frighten me. After all, I am a Weyward, and wild inside.”

Weyward comes out 3/7.

Thank you for the opportunity to review this new novel.

This is a situation of "this is me, not the book"... I had a hard time with some of the triggers here and honestly I thought that I could stomach it but I had to put it down. Like I said, I'm sure the book is great if I look at all the other reviews but I'm a sensitive person.

Weyward is the debut novel by Emilia Hart. And it's remarkable debut! Atmospheric, with a triple timeline, triple POV mix of historical and women's fiction with magical realism.

In 2019, Kate escapes an abusive relationship and heads for Weyward Cottage, inherited from her great Aunt Violet, an eccentric entomologist. She will uncover a secret about the women in her family there. A secret dating back to 1619, when local authorities tried her ancestor Altha Weyward was tried for witchcraft.

Well-written and gripping, each timeline stands on its own yet weaves together its parallel themes. Difficult topics are not shied away from as a stark look is taken at a few issues, including the mistreatment of women across the centuries. I rooted for each woman as she found strength and power, particularly her magical power and connection to nature. The characters are likable and well-developed, the imagery is vivid, and the setting is stunning. And I am in love with the cover of this one!
I was impressed with this debut and look forward to what Hart writes next!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to review this ARC. I enjoyed it!

This is an excellent read, weaving the stories of three generations of women into a heartfelt, empowering tale. The three women, Altha (1600s), Violet (1940s) and Kate (2019) are all women dominated and controlled by men, but who find their strength both within themselves and through the power of female relationships. Each woman deals with similar situations (trigger warning of abuse in all three timelines) and the parallels are done very well. I enjoyed the magical realism elements and the focus on the connections and power in the natural world in each plotline and how they were tied together. I also liked the inclusion of the witch trials of the 1600s in the novel - these trials were used as a way in which to disempower and isolate women.

The story is told in Altha’s, Violet’s and Kate’s viewpoint and all are equally compelling. The novel starts off very strong with Altha on trial for witchcraft and continues on just as strongly throughout in Violet’s and Kate’s timelines. The characters are all likeable and the writing is very descriptive without detracting from the flow of the story. I really enjoyed this one and highly recommend it!

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for this complimentary copy of this novel. All opinions are my own.

I happened to be painting my son’s room a dark, lush, forest green, as I listened to Weyward. It felt immersive in the weirdest way. Weyward follows three women in three different timelines, Althea during the witch trials, Violet during WWII, and Kate during present day. Each woman faces unthinkable heaviness and betrayal in their lives. These women are viewed as odd by the world around them due to unique gifts, and each have been at the mercy of men who prey on their circumstances to attempt to tamper them. Each woman is of the Weyward family line. As their stories converge, this becomes a book about magic, the power of your family line, and female strength. Each of these characters had full backstories and I was immersed in all of them. This book is the perfect novel if you love witches, but be warned this is less fantasy magic, and more natural/healing magic.

I simply loved everything about it and could not stop listening or turn the pages of my e-reader faster.

Loved this book - I always enjoy books with multiple story lines intertwined between past and present. From Altha, on trial for witchcraft, to Violet, struggling to learn the truth about her mother and their connection to the Weyward women, and finally to Kate, hiding away from an abusive boyfriend. As we follow each woman's discovery of her powerful connection with nature and magic and the world around her, we also see their discovery of the Weyward legacy and what it means to each of them. Fantastic.

In Weyward we follow three generations of women from the same family line. I loved the way all three timelines and generations of women were all connected. Each POV was entirely separate and compelling in its own right. It is beautifully written and completely sucked me in from the first page. All three women were real, and flawed, and did what they felt was needed to survive the situations they found themselves in.

Thank you to Emelia Hart, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for a digital copy of Weyward.

Weyward is a beautifully written story of generations of women from the Weyward line and their magic. It focuses on 3 women, from 1619, 1942 and 2019. The journey through the different points of view from each character in their time period as we see them struggle with their relationships, losses and learning of their own magic is spellbinding. I began taking notes because I was afraid I would forget who was who and details in each century, but I did not need them. The author was able to weave the stories in a way that flowed so easily and it wasn't overcomplex with secondary characters. I found myself thinking about these characters when I was doing other things. You really get drawn into the book and care for each woman and the obstacles in front of them.

I highly recommend this book. The Stories are beautiful, the history is interesting and the authors ability to write in first person point of view is incredible.

Slow start, but the book is so good. I love books with multiple timelines and this one is perfect.. I would definitely recommend this book to a friend!

A multigenerational story that skips generations and spans hundreds of years connecting one family of women as they fight to survive the multitude injustices committed against them by men, and learn to claim the gift they are born with. Set in the English countryside in the 1600s 1940s and 2019 I could feel like I was there in each time. Unfortunately the things that happen to them still happen to women everywhere in different ways and as women we still have to stand up and save our sisters from these fates.

Thank you so much for the chance to read Weyward as an ARC! I was initially drawn to this title by the absolutely STUNNING cover, and was pleasantly surprised by my enjoyment of the storyline. Weyward follows the stories of three women, all from the same lineage, at different points in time. Their stories are interconnected in a way, going back through the history of the Weyward women. Each of them have an affinity for the natural world (some would call it 'witchcraft'). This book is so well written and so raw, but still quite haunting.

I enjoyed the plot and felt really invested into each character arc. That being said. I think this book is not for everyone, due to the dark and sometimes graphic nature of the story. Some themes to be aware of include intimate partner violence/abuse, intentional miscarriage/abortion, death, suicidal ideation, and other traumatic events.

Weyward releases on March 7th and is a meaningful exploration of strength, family, healing, and authenticity. I'm giving this a 3.5/5 rating, as I enjoyed the storyline, but it is unlike books I typically read, and I would have to be in a particular mood to re-read. Thank you again for this ARC!

The ending of this book gave me the chills. STUNNING. Weyward is the story of three women across several generations and time periods, each with a connection to the natural world. The book moves between each point of view, weaving the stories of the women and the violence they each suffered, illustrating how times change, but violence against women has remained for centuries. The author did an excellent job weaving each perspective. I never felt dragged out of the story by perspective shifts. The protagonists in the story were beautifully written characters that you will root for the entire time.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction, stories about witches, or feminist theory.

Note: This book was not an easy read. Trigger warnings for physical and sexual abuse, violence, misogyny, and rape.

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, for the review copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really wanted to like this more than I did. I'm not a grey person. I tend to like my characters a bit larger than life. with strong morals and conscience. So I had difficulties with the heroines. Each used their power for their own benefit with negative consequences. Not that they didn't have a compelling reasons to do so. Still it made them very flawed characters - victims too.

That being said, the writing was very compelling as was the storytelling, I appreciate that the author's plotting kept me guessing. .

Overall, a compelling story, if a bit darker than what I was expecting.

A 3.5 rounded to 4 because the characters and time & family lines are difficult to follow. Seems to skip a generation in stories. Why doesn't mother have a story? If you like a little fantasy and mother nature type with craft then you will enjoy this book. I liked it, I didn't love it and I do not believe the author was man bashing, it just the way some men and familied were in the time line she is engaging and abusive ones are in the present. Read it at face value for the fairy tale like story it is with maybe a touch of 'lady power'-don't allow another person to control or change you. you. In that sense its sorta of a fun book.
I was provided an advanced reader copy of the book at my request but was under no obligation to provide a review. The opinions expressed are my own. Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book.

Weyward
By Emilia Hart


We are told that the first born Weyward child is always a girl. This is a story of three generations of women connected by blood and a special affinity to nature. In 2019, Kate somehow finds the courage to flee from an emotionally and physically abusive husband. She runs away to Weyward Cottage, a place she inherited from an aunt she barely remembers. It’s the first time she truly feels at home. Violet, 1942, trusting and innocent, is taken advantage of by a handsome cousin but has no words to explain what has happened to her. Violet’s father believes the worst of her and bans her from the family estate only to ensconce her at the cottage to hide the family’s shame. Altha, lives in 1619, a time when unconventional women who are too independent and call themselves healers are accused of witchcraft. Weyward is a compelling story of three generations of women connected by blood and a special affinity to nature. It is a tale of claiming one’s power, and finding that you are truly never alone when you draw strength from the natural world and the women you are bound to by blood.

Weyward will appeal to readers who seek stories where women hold each other up and long for a bit of magic in their lives. Emilia Hart’s debut novel is perfect for fans of Alice Hoffman.

My thanks to the author @EmiliaHart, @NetGalley and @StMartinsPress for the opportunity to read this advanced digital copy.

I enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would. The premise intrigued me, and I received both an ebook and an audiobook from the publisher. I started on audio, and once each of the three timelines were established, I thought, “Okay, I know what this book is and what we’re doing.” I worried I’d lose interest and feel like I’ve read this book before. But I didn’t lose interest; I was captivated. Each of the women whose stories the book portrays felt like real people. I loved their strength through struggle and their journey of making hard choices in order to thrive. There’s a touch of fantasy that surprised me, but it was beautifully executed and subtle.
I read the last half on my kindle app, because I didn’t want to wait for an opportunity to get back to my audiobook. The story follows three women, all related through the Weyward line, a family heritage of slightly mystical and nature-bound women, who find themselves victims of cruel men and prejudiced society. They each find some help from friendship, but mostly from their heritage and inner strength. I loved being on their journey and reading their stories. Thanks so much to the publisher for the advance copies!

Unpopular opinion, but I did not love this. I love strong women, I love books about strong women, but this one was just too polarizing for me. All women are not amazing and all men are not terrible, yet that was the overarching message in this book. There are amazing women, and terrible women, amazing men and terrible men and I so wish they were all portrayed. I also found the book to be very repetitive which made it slow and difficult to read at times. Overall, this book just didn't do it for me.

Thank you netgalley for my advanced reader copy.

Told in three parts and 3 seperate POVs there are lots of layers to this beautifully written book. A mixture of historical fiction and magical realism, I truly felt transported to a different place.
Some moving themes were examined, such as relationship violence and sexual assualt but done so in a way to give emphasis to female empowerment and strenghth. I also appreciated the author's creation of such complicated and rich characters.

Thank you so much to St. Martin's Press for my review copy.

4.5⭐

In 2019, twenty-nine-year-old Kate Ayres flees London to escape an abusive relationship and finds sanctuary in Weyward Cottage, Crows Beck, Cumbria – a property left for her by her late Aunt Violet. As she embarks on rebuilding her life, her curiosity about the property prompts her to research her family history. As she learns more about her incredible legacy and the women who came before her, not only does Kate begin to see herself in a new light but also understands that she too possesses the power to take control of her life just like her ancestors.

In 1942, sixteen-year-old Violet Ayres leads a suffocating life in her home at Orton Hall where lives with her father and younger brother. She does not know much about her late mother except for what she overhears in hushed conversations among the household staff. She dreams of becoming a scientist, studying animals and traveling the world. But an unfortunate turn of events finds her cast out of her home, fending for herself alone in a cottage that once belonged to her mother.

In 1619, twenty-one-year-old Altha Weyward, a healer with a deep connection to nature just like her late mother Jennet is on trial after the death of a man in her village. Accused of witchcraft and imprisoned in a dark cell, she waits for the verdict which will seal her fate.

Combining elements of women’s fiction, historical fiction and magical realism author Emilia Hart expertly weaves the three different threads of this story into a compelling narrative. The narrative is shared through multiple perspectives. We follow Kate’s story in the present day with separate chapters detailing Violet‘s and Altha’s stories interspersed throughout the novel. Superb characterizations, vivid imagery, atmospheric settings and simple yet elegant writing make for an immersive reading experience. The narrative has strong feminine overtones and though several (not all) of the male characters are unlikeable, the author does not indulge in verbose male-bashing or farfetched revenge drama but instead weaves a narrative highlighting the personal growth and resilience of these women and the comfort and strength they harness from their deep connection to nature, that sees them through the adversity they face in their lives. It is sad that despite living centuries apart each of these women had to endure instances of neglect, abuse and oppression. The symbolism of Weyward cottage and how it continues to be a safe haven and a source of strength for the Weyward women through the centuries is particularly significant. This is a story about family, legacy and courage. Emilia Hart’s Weyward is an impressive debut that I would not hesitate to recommend. I also must mention that the cover art for this novel is absolutely stunning.

Many thanks to author Emilia Hart, St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the much-appreciated digital review copy. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. This novel is due to be released on March 07, 2023.

Wonderful! "Weyward" by Emilia Hart was an interesting, women-empowering, bonded-to-nature novel, spanning over 5 centuries. I really enjoyed the magic. Thank you NetGalley, the author and publisher for the early review copy. All opinions are my own.