Weyward is a magnificent debut and work of historical fiction that will capture your heart as you go on a journey of endurance, strength, hidden power, and resilience. It is the tale of when magic meets female empowerment, and you will find yourself bewitched as you read.

What appealed to you the most in this story?

I loved how from the very first chapter I was fully immersed in the story and lives of the three main characters. As I read, I could feel the hearts and souls of these women even as they were living centuries apart.

How did you handle three separate timelines?

The three timelines in this story were separated by centuries but the underlining theme of discovering one’s strength during dire circumstances kept me captivated as the three timelines continued to become woven even tighter together through magic. Honestly, I was blow away by how Hart was able to intertwine their lives and hardships together into a seamless and riveting story. I’m still speechless!

How was the pace?

The story holds a steady pace, but it is one you will absolutely fly through as you find yourself completely imbedded in the lives of the characters through tension, suspense, magic, and atmosphere.

Do you recommend this book?

Yes! This a story for all and it will sink its magical claws into you too! Truly an atmospheric, gripping and magical story you won’t want to put down. Saying that this is an absorbing work of brilliance is an understatement!

I received this eARC from NetGalley and the publisher in return for an honest review.

Weyward introduces us to three women: 17th century Altha, 20th century Violet, and contemporary Kate. Each leads relatively isolated lives for being weyward/weird, largely dictated by men in different ways. Altha’s story is told in the first person and provides inspiration for the women who follow. Violet's, told in the third person,, helps Kate. Altha gains strength by leaning on what she learned from her mother, and Violet and Kate both gain strength as they put together the puzzle of what happened to the women who came before them.

Altha was a healer who had a strong connection with the natural world, but that was perverted into witchcraft by the village she lived in. Violet and Kate also shared a strong connection with nature, being able to communicate with nature, in particular birds and bugs. Their “wildness”, as Violet was perceived, was one of the most interesting parts of this story. The story focuses on the interior lives of each woman and was well constructed and written, but ultimately it fell flat for me. It needed something more, whether it was relationships, action happening in the moment rather than flashbacks or maybe just for the ending to not fit together so perfectly, There was no messiness left at the end and that rang untrue to me.

Debut novel and I fell in love with it. A beautiful story of how 3 related women all from different times learn from the natural world. Some say they are witches, but they don't actually cast spells they learn from the natural products that grow in the woods and around homes.

The story is well written and pulled me into the worlds of Altha, Violet, and Kate. Each woman discovers their relation to each other and discovers hidden secrets. The author did an excellent job keeping the story interesting. I truly loved it!

The characters were complex and the one that captured my interest the most was Altha. I guess because she was branded a witch without any proof. Just because she was different and knowledgeable in the herbs/flowers to help heal sickness. I always found that the women from the 1600's had to hide if they were smarter than the men doctors for fear of their lives. Even though everyone knew they could rely on said women.

Highly recommend if you love historical fiction and magical realism.

Weyward is defined as “weird” or rather uncanny or unusual from the norm. Originally mentioned in the first writing of MacBeth, it referred to the three witches of the story. This also aptly describes Althea, Violet, and Kate who are all three unforgettable and formidable women. Althea, a healer in the 1600s, was tried for witchcraft. Violet, thought to be odd who loved nature and was distained by her father lived during the time of WWII. Kate, an abused wife thought to be a chattel to her husband and thus fled London in modern times. Bonded together, they are all Weyward women, destined to rise above the constraints of their times and be true to themselves, to be one with nature and not bound by any man or restrictions. The story bounces between the stories of each of these women so the reader can see their connections through time. Suspenseful at times, you hope for each of them to triumph over the ugliness and evil in their lives bestowed upon them by either spouse, parents, or society. Their connection with nature, with birds, insects, and animals give them power as healers yet they strive to suppress it to survive until they realize that it really is their strength. Men in this story are portrayed as evil, except for a few (Emily’s husband and Violet’s brother Graham) which lends to the theme of women empowerment. Graham’s character however, does give you a glimpse that there is some redemption for men as being able to be good. I enjoyed the magical realism, celebrated the strength of these women, but was sad that they felt they could never feel love or joy between a man and a woman. Weyward women felt men were only good to propagate the next prodigy. The book was compelling to read and grabs you right away. This is a book that you want to curl up and read in one sitting. I enjoyed it a lot.

Many thanks to #netgalley #weyward # st.martinspress for the opportunity to read and review this book.

3.5/5 stars, rounded down.

"Weyward" is a unique blend of historical fiction and magical realism, told across 3 different women's perspectives across different time periods. In 2019 London, Kate Ayers makes a harrowing escape from her abusive boyfriend Simon, fleeing to Weyward Cottage - a property she inherited from her great aunt Violet after her passing. Her recent discovery that she's pregnant has spurred her into action, and she's determined to raise her future child on her own terms. In Weyward Cottage, Kate begins to uncover the truth behind her family and the lineage of women she's apart of...

In 1942, Violet Ayres has grown up under the controlling hand of her father, with only her younger brother Graham and the staff in Orton Hall around her. She has only a few memories of her mother Elizabeth, who she believes died in childbirth, but she's forced to confront the truth of her family and ultimately makes a decision that will change the course of her and her brother's life in the future.

The third and final perspective is in 1619, where Altha Weyward is on trial for witchcraft, accused with the murder of the husband of Grace Metcalfe, a former childhood friend. Altha has grown up with the understanding that she and her mother have always been different; as a midwife and healer, Altha's mother Jennet has long been ostracized and looked down upon, but Altha struggles to keep the promise she made to her mother on her deathbed.

I think the overall premise of the novel is praiseworthy, noting how unfairly and and oppressively women have been treated over the course of history, even in the present day. I found Kate's storyline to be the most compelling and the one that drew me in the most - her situation and her desperation to regain control of her life was incredibly well-done and makes her the character any reader would root for. Ultimately, all three of these women are forced to make difficult decisions because of the selfishness and brutality of men, and manage to become stronger in the process. What I struggled with, however, was the mixed pacing across each of these perspectives, especially when it came to Violet's; there were a lot of extraneous events that I felt didn't contribute to her storyline and she felt like a passive, one-note character for most of the the novel. I think Hart's characterizations of the majority of male characters as villains can be detrimental as well, as it's too broad an umbrella to apply to one gender.

Weyward was a wonderful read! 3 centuries, 3 similar stories, 3 women connected to each other and the natural world. Ultimately this story is one of finding personal power and learning embrace who you are, you're unique ability. Each story line unfolded nicely. The first half of the book was defeintely a slower burn but the last half of the book I flew through.

This book is part historical fiction, part women's fiction with some magical realism mixed in! Some of the subject matter (Sexual/physical assault, rape) is hard but it really shows the times and illustrates the hardships women have had to face and still face today.

This debut, by Emilia Hart, is well done and I look forward to seeing more of what she writes! Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin's Press and Emilia Hart for this ARC.

This story as a whole was very good, I loved how it follows three different era’s but had intersecting paths with all of them. At times it did feel a little slow, but I enjoyed the book and found myself really rooting for each of the weyward women throughout.

Weyward is not for the faint of heart. It is a story of brutality against women spanning across hundreds of years and affecting Weyward women. I’ve no doubt that Weyward is a play on words, for these women do not follow convention, thus making them wayward in the eyes of society. They are much more than that and everything they’re seen as simultaneously. The book is horrific and hypnotizing, the prose melodious, and the characters unique. It will, if readers can stand to muddle through the heartbreak of it, will leave an indelible mark.

I feel like Weyward is very similar to Practical Magic in that it tells of several generations of witches and their struggles, with a place to tie them all together and help them come into their power. They suffer trauma and violence at the hands of men, and use their innate magic and knowledge of the natural world to rid themselves of or torment their abusers. Weyward diverges from Practical Magic, however, in many things. If you come to this book expecting the sparkly, romcom, happy ever after of the latter, you will be disappointed. There is a dark cloud over the narrative. Each page builds a sense of foreboding and unease. It is not a comfortable novel to read.

Kate, Violet, and Altha all share a bloodline that comes with gifts that connect them to each other, the people they love, and the natural world surrounding them. Altha, in the 17th century, suffers abuse at the hands of the courts during a witch trial accusing her of bewitching cows that trampled a village man. Violet, a complete innocent must endure the apathy and disinterest of her father who seeks to marry her of to a horrible man. Kate, in the 21st century, must escape the prison of a relationship the may prove too harrowing for some readers. These women all converge on Weyward cottage, where they find their freedom and the strength to endure and pass their magic to the next generation.

I didn’t know what to expect from Weyward. I picked it up because the cover was beautiful and the synopsis cryptic and enticing. I did not expect to be enthralled by the storytelling despite the subject matter. The book deals very heavily with the abuse women suffer at the hands of terrible men, and in times when there was no legal support for them when they did. The violent encounters are very vividly described, and though I don’t usually issue content warnings, I will for this book. It may be disturbing for some. Read with discretion and caution.

I only had one drawback for this book. I feel Violet, as a sixteen-year-old in the 1940’s during World War II, would have been a bit more mature. Here, she’s written as though she were a small child. Her point of view read quite a bit like Faulkner’s The Sound and the Fury.

I’ve been privileged to be reading some great books lately and Weyward is one of those books. In the story there are three timelines featuring women from the same family line. Set in England, the main part of the story takes place in a small village that is home to a grand family estate called Orton Hall and Weyward cottage, a small home nearby.

In 2019, Kate flees an abusive husband and finds refuge in Weyward cottage, a home that she inherited from her aunt Violet, whom she barely knew. Luckily Kate was wise enough to keep the inheritance from her husband, so he has no idea where she has gone.

In 1942, Violet is living in the family estate of Orton Hall, with a domineering father and a household staff that is secretive about her late mother. Violet is let to believe she died in childbirth, but no one will talk about her mother, which arouses Violet’s curiosity even more.

In 1619, Altha, a young woman with the gift of healing is put on trial for witchcraft. Altha keeps a record of her life and her healing methods and these records have been handed down through the generations of Weyward women.

When a tragedy occurs and Violet is cast out of Orton Hall, she is send to live at Weyward cottage. She soon learns to love the cottage and it is there that she discovers the history of her mother and the generations of women that came before her.

Like Violet, Kate makes some discoveries as well. As the story builds, Kate faces her greatest fear and proves how strong the bloodline of the Wayward line of women has become.

I really enjoyed reading this. It was one book I looked forward to reading each day. Highly recommend for historical fiction readers, those who love witchy stories and those with a penchant for family history.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read an advance review copy. I am happy to recommend this to readers and give my honest review.

People have always looked at the Weyward women askance. It might be because of their independence. It might be because they have an affinity for creepy crawlies. Whatever the reason, the Weyward women have had to be very careful to keep their freedom from men who want to possess them…or burn them as witches. Weyward, by Emilia Hart, shows us the lives of three women from this curious family as, centuries apart, find themselves fighting for their lives.

The earliest Weyward woman we meet is Altha who, in the chilly winter of 1619, finds herself on trial for witchcraft. When her old friend’s husband dies an apparently unnatural death, she is snatched from her home in Crows Beck and taken to Lancaster Castle. While her trial progresses, she thinks back to her mother and their efforts to heal the injured, the sick, and the laboring—as well as to her friendship with the girl (later woman) who asks her for help dealing with an abusive husband. Three hundred years later, we find Violet Ayres, the daughter of a Weyward woman who made a bad marriage to a local lordling before dying in somewhat mysterious circumstances. Violet fears her father and his efforts to mold her into a perfect (and mostly silent) young lady. At the age of 16, her father decides to matchmake for her, with disastrous results.

Another eighty-odd years after Violet, we see Kate Ayres as she flees an abusive boyfriend to the possibly safe harbor of her great-aunt Violet’s cottage in Crows Beck. Most of Weyward is told from Kate’s perspective as she settles into Weyward House, investigates her family’s past, and tries to come to terms with how that terrible boyfriend manipulated and beat her into his idea of a perfect woman. Plus, there’s the fact that Kate is pregnant. Kate is perhaps the most damaged of the Weyward women we meet. Unlike her ancestor, Altha, Kate doesn’t know what abilities she can draw on and lacks the knowledge the family had gathered. She doesn’t even have the social status or money of her great-aunt. Thankfully, she finds a well of inner strength that kick-starts her healing.

There are few good men in Weyward. Readers should be prepared to encounter a lot of belligerent, arrogant, and misogynistic men here. And much of Violet and Kate’s stories cover what happens after being hurt by men, which can be very hard to read. If readers can stomach this, they’ll find three stories with a unique spin on witchiness and independence.

Spellbinding novel of generational connections and female empowerment. Weyward brings us the stories of three women touched by an uncanny pull to the natural and a fierce longing for independence. Each journey is fraught with pain and hardship that over time brings growth and happiness, even where it’s least expected. Beautifully written and flawlessly executed, this novel is a testament to the true power of womanhood when it is celebrated and nurtured.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my free copy. These opinions are my own.

Spanning over 70 years, this story tells of three different women who have once inhabited Weyward Cottage. And all of them have a unique magical ability, that spans centuries.

This story combines history with magical realism. It also boasts femininity at its core. Each women has their own unique tale that weaves into the story as a whole. I loved the whole tale on witches and magic. I also loved the take on herbalism used… because let’s be honest, herbs are used for medicine and healing, and I loved the portrayal. It made the story more magical for me, because I also joke that if I could be a witch it be one of nature.

All in all, if you love multiple perspectives of strong women, with a touch o magic, than this story is for you.

4.5

“We never thought of ourselves as witches, my mother and I. For this was a word invented by men, a word that brings power to those who speak it, not those it describes. A word that builds gallows and pyres, turns breathing women into corpses.”

Ideas on witchcraft and patriarchal expectations often go hand-in-hand, and I love when novels explore different aspects of these concepts and their impacts on society. Weyward does so by weaving together the stories of three generations of women in a beautiful and heartbreaking and hopeful tapestry. This book dives into female resilience, the power of the natural world, familial bonds, and the passing of family stories.

There are many dark moments (I’ll list some of the trigger warnings at the end of this), but I found that there was also much hope and beauty throughout. I definitely see myself picking this book up again in the future, and as far as witchy books go, I may go as far as to say it ranks up there with the Practical Magic series (which is one of my favorites)!

TW: domestic abuse, sexual assault, suicidal ideation, termination of pregnancy

I will be thinking about Altha, Violet and Kate for a while. Emilia Hart has penned a compelling, thought-provoking, and magical story of women supporting women, embracing their power, and bringing the men who harmed them to justice.

When I tell you I was gripped by these stories, it is no exaggeration. I could not put this book down and needed to know their fates. I was so invested in each of the women’s stories and their collective fight against the men who wanted to shackle and bind them into submission, control them with fear, and extinguish their magic.

Sometimes with multiple POVs I feel like there might be one that isn’t as impactful as the others, but that was not the case here. I found all three of these women’s stories so compelling. And I liked how as the end drew nearer, the chapters became shorter which propelled the story forward.

Hart brought the three storylines together beautifully and seamlessly, and I loved how these women, much like the natural world and the creatures around them, ultimately embraced their wildness within and transformed.

This was such a good read! It follows 3 generations of Weyward women, who all have a unique relationship with nature/animals. I really enjoyed the emphasis on the power of and importance of connection between women. The book did contain descriptions of sexual and physical assault, which I was not anticipating! After reading this, I would definitely pick up another book by this author. (ARC of this book provided by Netgalley)

I am rounding up from a 3.5 on this book. It was good, I was invested in the characters, and towards the end I didn't want to put it down, but I found myself dissatisfied when I finished it.
This is the story of the Weyward women, who have for centuries lived as "wise women" in a small cottage in the remote English countryside. The prologue of the book hinted at a connection with Macbeth/Shakespeare/ancient magic that was widely known to those in Elizabethan England and our titular women, so I kept waiting for this tantalizing hint to be addressed. But it never was. The book went in a completely different direction--these women who seem to have a preternatural connection to nature live in fear of being discovered or "seen" by those they see as a threat. And the biggest group of people that they seem to see as a threat is men. So Altha, who lives in the 1600s and is on trial for witchcraft, must endure the accusations of those who seem to resent her and feel threatened by her. Violet, living in a manor house during WWII, is 16, loves to climb trees and laze about the small beck near her home, and longs to be allowed to study science, or even visit the nearby village! And Kate is living in the present day, on the run from her physically and mentally abusive boyfriend. The reader comes to realize that each of these women is connected, and the book unfolds to detail how each of them--through challenges, heartbreak, and tragedy--comes into their full understanding of their womanhood and their power as Wayward women.
The reason I am giving this book 3.5 stars instead of 4 is that, as I stated, there were a few things that gave me a nagging feeling of unfulfillment or wanting more. The first is that the book was a bit slow in the beginning and, aside from Violet's storyline, it really took a while for anything to HAPPEN. Altha just seemed to relate the facts of her trial. It could have been powerful and given some poignancy to what women in similar situations went through during that time. But I just had a hard time connecting with Altha. And it seemed like Kate just sat around a hovel of a cottage and jumped every time a bird flapped its wings (I kept having to remind myself that Kate had survived some terrible traumas and was coming out of a horrific situation, because her attitude kept getting on my nerves). The other issue I had with the book was the almost dogmatic view of Altha's mother--which she passed on to her daughter and seemingly all her descendants--that all men are power-hungry, dangerous, ignorant, and useless (except for procreation). There certainly are some terrible men in this book, but there are also some very gentle and understanding men who help the Weyward women quite a bit. It would have felt like a more complete story if Altha had been more appreciative of the man who helped her on the jury, or the man who brought her food and supplies. If Violet had come to the understanding that her brother was pivotal in her survival and helping her through her trauma, her story would have been much more powerful, especially seeing how that led straight to Kate's journey. There were a few loose ends that I wondered about, like what was going on with the crow. And the question of were these women REALLY magical, or did they just believe that they might be could be addressed a bit more. I mean, other than making worms wiggle around and not being stung by bees, there was no real EVIDENCE of anything truly magical occurring because of them. And finally at the end when Kate's story really picked up in tension and action, her decisions seemed REALLY dumb. I got annoyed at her.
As I said, this was a good book. But I am giving it 3.5 stars because it wasn't a great book. I had some issues with it, but if you enjoy magical realism this may be the book for you. I will probably read another book by this author because for the most part I did enjoy reading this story.

Thank you to NetGalley & St. Martin’s Press for the ARC of Weyward

I LOVED this novel. This story presents three women’s, perspectives, trials, and tribulations through different eras. The three Weyward women will eventually find out how their lives are connected to each other. Beautifully written and evocative, which had me reading long into the night to find out what will happen.

I enjoyed the “witch” connection, which can sometimes be a hard sell for me to feel connected to. Though this story was delivered so well, I felt connected to Kate, Violet and Altha equally. Pick this one up, it is well done. I will be sure to read any new novels of Emilia Hart. A true magical gem, hands down 5 stars.

A beautifulmulti generational story of the women in the Weyward line. Told in three POVs, is speaks to the strength you can find in yourself no matter the brutal circumstances. Definitely reminded me of books in the Practical Magic series. The writing was lovely even if the story was heartbreaking at points.

Honestly I love anything this author puts out! I had such a good time reading this. Super spooky and great vibes. It’s perfectly paced and I would highly
Recommend it to anyone :)

Three generations of women who can commune with nature and make mystical,things occur.
I didn’t quite grasp the gist of the crow since I feel it was a bit obscured, especially on Kate’s story.
I liked the herbal knowledge of the 17th century. I wasn’t as captivated with either Violet or Kate’s story.