Weyward by Emilia Hart is a beautifully written, mesmerizing tale about 3 women who are part of the same historical lineage. Their stories span 5 centuries, and their lives interconnect in fascinating ways, with the common theme of these women learning their strengths in spite of hardship, drawing fortitude from the natural world around them.
The stories unfold in 3 timelines and from 3 POV. Altha Weyward in 1619 is accused of witchcraft. Violet, her descendant, in 1942 is frustrated by the constraints of her era and upbringing in English society. Kate, Violet’s great niece, in 2019 is fleeing her abusive, controlling boyfriend, Simon. The ways their lives intersect across time are nicely woven together and the common place for all this to occur is the ancestral Weyward cottage in the remote village of Crow’s Beck, Cumbria, England. The alternating voices from chapter to chapter keep each woman’s story fresh, and the plot moving forward to a satisfying conclusion.
Altha, Violet and Kate are likeable—strong, thoughtful and courageous. The challenges they face are realistic for each era.
The writing is so beautifully descriptive and skillful, I was amazed to learn that this is Ms. Hart’s debut novel!
This is captivating historical fiction about women tapping into their inner resources and ingenuity, with a touch of magic, too. Readers of Hoffman’s Practical Magic series and Albanese’s Hester will find much to like in this story. I highly recommend this wonderful debut novel and look forward to more works by this impressive young author!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC. This is my honest review.

This book was enjoyable but a little confusing with the the characters and different story lines taking place during different periods of times. I enjoyed the story as a whole but the story didn't flow well with the back and forth. I also felt the book missed an opportunity to give more information on other generations of weyward woman and I would have liked to see a family tree in order to keep track of who's who. I would rate this book a 3½ out of 5 stars. Thank you Netgalley & Emilia Hart for allowing me to read and review this advanced copy of Weyward.

Thank you netgalley for the eArc.

Weyward is a beautifully written Historical Speculative Fiction book that follows 3 generations of women through their struggles and trials with terrible men. In this fiercely feminist story of women finding their voice, and taking care and putting themselves first.

I started and finished this book in a matter of days. Wanting to better understand our 3 main characters: Altha, Violet, and Kate and see how the three storylines intersect.

The world building is vivid and the transitions between the 3 points of view is done so well. I highly recommend this book. The writing of this book was beautiful without being lyrical and purple. I feel the setting of the Weyward cottage was almost the fourth main character in this series.

Highly recommend

Trigger Warnings: rape, incest, domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, car accident, Sexual Abuse

Amazing story following three generations of women throughout time. The author really pulls you into their world, and you find yourself rooting for each of them to overcome their tribulations. I would recommend this one to other readers and I look forward to what Emilia Hart writes nexts!

Side note : I really love the cover of this story, the cover and title is what initially drew me in. After reading this one, I am pleasantly surprised by how much I liked it.

The nitty-gritty: A multi-generational story of the ties that bind a family of women together, with a bit of magic thrown in for good measure.

This was a beautifully written debut with a touch of magical realism, a story that focuses on three different women from the Weyward family, gifted with an affinity for the natural world. If you love generational stories of women fighting the odds in a male dominated world, you will probably love this too. It reminded me a bit of Louisa Morgan’s books, and I thought the author did a great job constructing her rather complex tale, which alternates among three different time periods.

In 1619, we meet Altha, a young girl who has been arrested for suspected murder and is currently awaiting trial in prison. Altha tells her story through a journal, which gradually reveals the hardships she’s gone through. Although there’s barely any evidence, Altha was present when John Milford was trampled to death by a herd of cows, and witnesses suggest she used her powers to make that happen. Through her journal, we learn that all the women in the Weyward family have an ability to interact with nature and animals, but her mother urges her to keep her talents to herself, lest she be accused of witchcraft. 

Jumping to 2019, we meet Kate, a thirty-something woman in an abusive marriage who is looking for a way out. Kate recently inherited an old cottage in Crows Beck from her great aunt Violet, and it’s the perfect place to escape to, especially since she’s been keeping it a secret from her husband Simon. Leaving everything behind, Kate arrives at Weyward Cottage, terrified that Simon will find her. She’s even more distraught when she discovers she’s pregnant, despite all her best efforts to avoid it. Settling into her new home, Kate discovers some old letters and a journal that will help her piece together her family history.

Finally, in 1942 we meet Violet, a sixteen-year-old who lives a life of seclusion at her family manor, Orton Hall. Violet loves insects and wants to be a biologist someday, but her father has other plans for her, namely to find a husband. When Violet is raped by her cousin Frederick and becomes pregnant, her father banishes her to an old cottage where she will stay during her pregnancy to avoid scandel, and later marry Frederick. But Violet doesn’t want a husband or a baby, and so she takes steps to change her fate. When she discovers information about her dead mother in the form of letters and a crow’s feather, she realizes she’s part of a family legacy of strong women and she can control what happens to her.

I became fully invested in all three stories equally. Normally when I read books like this, there’s always a character that isn’t quite as compelling as the others, but here, Kate, Altha and Violet are tied together in so many ways, it was hard not to love all three. And all of their lives parallel each other: they are all abused by men in one way or another, and they all discover they have the ability to interact with nature in a very special way. I absolutely loved all the connections among Kate, Violet and Altha, and the author reveals these connections slowly through alternating chapters. Kate and Violet in particular are filled with curiosity about the word “Weyward,” an old family name that seems to have disappeared from official records, and they go out of their way to discover the truth of the name. Hart uses objects in her story such as an old necklace and a bee brooch to entice the reader and draw out her mystery. I loved the way these pieces of jewelry show up in all three timelines, like family heirlooms that hide secrets.

The magic in the story is subtle and revolves around nature. For example, Violet can draw insects to her, and we later find out she uses this ability to exact revenge on one of the men in her life. Crows are also a recurring theme, as each woman has a special encounter with one. Altha’s timeline was heartbreaking, because she and her mother are both rumored to be witches, even though they are only trying to help heal people. Each time magic is used, it’s done for a specific reason, to avenge a wrong done by a man. In this story, the “magic” acts more as a way for the women to discover their strength and stand up for themselves. Even Kate gets help from the natural world, when Simon inevitably tracks her down and confronts her. 

I loved the driving arc of the story, which is Kate’s pregnancy. Although she’s not happy about it at first, she eventually decides to have the baby, especially after she finds out it’s a girl, another link in the Weyward family chain of women. Even though Kate is basically in hiding, she does let her mother know she’s pregnant, and her mother turns out to be a wonderful source of comfort and strength for her.

There’s plenty of tension as well. I was on pins and needles, hoping that Simon wouldn’t discover Kate’s location. And during Altha’s trial, I was appalled by the way she was treated in court and worried that she was going to be found guilty of murder and hanged. All of the mysteries and connections between the women are drawn out slowly, and some of the important scenes are told from two different points of view, so the reader can see what actually happened.

Hart includes an epilogue that circles back to a tragedy in Kate’s past and establishes a close connection between Kate and Violet, and I thought it was a great way to end the story. Overall, I was mesmerized by Weyward, brought to life by Emilia Hart’s vivid prose and imagination. This is one debut worth checking out, and I can’t wait to read her next book.

Big thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy

Weyward is a nice, easy novel to read, taking place between three separate time periods: 1619, the 40s, and the present day. It follows three women who are blood relatives, with a mysterious connection to nature. I really enjoyed the ease in which the reader is transported between time periods, however I found the story lacking depth...

The men, for example, were all portrayed as horrible abusers. I understand the intent behind this similarity across all 3 time periods, but my god... The author REALLY wanted to drive the point home that men are despicable. It fell a bit flat for me.

I haven't actually finished the book since It's been a while since I picked up my kindle, but more than half way through the book I realized that the stories of these females are very empowering.

All women go through different battles and this book tells those stories, which is where we can learn about them and be more mindful around everyone.

This magical realism/historical fantasy has three timelines. I liked some more than others (the one from the 1600s was my least favorite.)

I liked how it leaned into the grittiness and nature of witches. They weren't all about flowers and nice things, they used bugs, birds and gross stuff. I also loved Violet's brother Graham and how he eventually learned to step up and care for his sister in her darkest hour of need. That was such a sweet scene.

I don't read a lot of books in this genre, especially historical, so I don't know how to compare exactly. There were a lot of triggers and it was a bit slow.

I think abortion, rape, and all the other heavy things in the book are important topics and should be written about, but this novel just had too many. By the end, there were so many terrible things happening and the narrative couldn't support them all. I was ready to be done.

“The connections between and among women are the most feared, the most problematic, and the most potentially transforming force on the planet.” Adrienne Rich

What a powerful and thought provoking story. I am shocked this is a debut as this multigenerational, multi-timeline story is woven beautifully with such captivating characters! There is mystery and magic, exploration of our connection to nature, and female empowerment that made me so invested in Kate, Altha, and Violet. There are deeper topics explored so definitely check the trigger warnings, but I had such strong feelings of hope and resiliency while reading about the Weyward women.

I can’t wait to read more from Emilia Hart.

“Sight is a funny thing. Sometimes it shows us what is before our eyes. But sometimes it shows us what has already happened, or will yet come to pass.”

4.5 stars

Grab your copy out 3/7!

Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the early copy

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Weyward is the story of 3 women who are all related but living in different eras. It’s the story of Kate, Violet and Altha Weyward. It depicts how women have been misunderstood and mistreated by men all through the years and because of this have grown to be strong and resilient. Kate’s story takes place in the present. Once she learns of her pregnancy, she knows she must run from her abusive, controlling husband not only for her own safety but for the safety of her unborn child. She heads to Crows Beck to a small cottage she has inherited from her great Aunt Violet. It’s there that she learns about the past lives of both Violet and Altha and how they had such a strong connection to nature and the healing properties from the elements surrounding them. It tells of Altha being accused of witchcraft and how she is condemned because her healing procedures didn’t always have positive results. And there’s Violet who was thought to be a little different all because she wanted for things that weren’t considered the norm back then. It’s a story of historical fiction with just a touch of magical realism included. I’d like to thank St. Martin’s Press for accepting my request and NetGalley for the arc of Weyward to read and review. I enjoyed reading this debut novel by Emilia Hart and I’m giving it a 4 star rating and look forward to reading more by her in the future.

“After all, I am a Weyward, and wild inside.”

Three generations of Weyward women separated by decades and different situations. They have all been blessed with the same mystical gifts, but they have also all endured the same kinds of pain and misery inflicted by the men in their lives.

We have Altha who is on trial and being accused of being a witch; Violet, who is merely 16 years old and is being forced to conform to society’s ideals of how women should behave; and Katie, a young woman trying to escape her abusive boyfriend. All three are related, and all three are magical whether they know it or not.

This story has three alternating POVs that spans over generations. This was an often sad, triggering, compelling, and ultimately powerful story of feminist rage and the power of magic and familial bonds. As a woman, I was furious for much of this book. As a reader, I was captivated.

This story was atmospheric, was a love letter to nature, and reminded me of the tv show Charmed and the book The Change by Kirsten Miller. It was dark, had a gothic feel to it, and had a female driven narrative. This book broke my heart, but by the end it was soaring.

I also listened to a bit of this on audio, and it was beautifully done. Three different narrators for all the POVs was a perfect touch and made this such an engaging and thrilling listen. I highly recommend this one on audio, but you can’t go wrong either way.

Thank you so much to the author, NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Libro FM for providing me with the advanced reader’s copy, and the advanced listener’s copy in exchange for my honest opinions. This publishes on March 7, 2023!

𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰

▫️Weyward by Emilia Hart
▫️A huge thank you to @stmartinspress & @netgalley for this amazing ARC

▫️ 𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬: This story is told from 3 different points of view, taking place in varying eras. All three women are related but have never met. However, they share the magic running in their blood and have all suffered at the hands of men. Having never met, or even lived in the same era, a magical cottage lends itself to each of these women helping each other find their strength and survive.

▫️From the very first chapter, this story had me completely captivated. I love how Hart managed to tie such deep, dark and heartbreaking issues into one beautiful story about witches. Magic and the suppression of women, who knew these two subjects could come together to inspire.

The story alternates between 3 points of view and there really wasn’t one character I enjoyed more than others. They were equally enthralling and I was rooting for each one. It was also so unbelievably atmospheric, I could visualize the beauty.

▫️Highly recommend you read this especially if:
* You like Salem witch trial vibes
* You love female leads finding their voices and using them
* Your ready for a heavier read

❕A few trigger warnings. Physical & emotional abuse are strong themes in this book. As well as loss of child and abortion.

I really enjoyed the three perspectives in this book. I liked the women's abilities and their relation to the natural world. The story kept me interested.

I received an advance copy via NetGalley.

I read a description of this book in one of the publishing emails I receive, and I was thrilled to then find the book on NetGalley and be approved to read it. <i>Weyward</i> sounded like my kind of book, and it is: a sprawling work of feminism mixed with magic. Trigger warning straight up: rape and abuse are very much present in this work, along with the repercussions of such acts, but it is NOT depicted through the male viewpoint, and is handled with sensitivity. Weyward women are nothing is not resilient.

The book follows three women across the centuries: Kate, a contemporary woman escaping an abuse man by fleeing to the Cumbrian countryside and the remote cottage she inherited from a great-aunt she hardly knew. Violet, a teenager during World War II, sheltered from the outside world and her own truth by a viscount father, at odds with her younger brother, and wanting nothing more than to study the insects that she loves. And then there's Altha in the 1600s, a village healer on trial for witchcraft. The tales are twined together, tension kept high through all three narratives. The book was an incredibly fast read for me, and a hard one at times because of the things they had to endure.

I love stories that follow multiple generations of women through time who share a special gift. Weyward is a beautifully written tale of three strong, capable women who take advantage of their gift of connection to nature to take control of their own lives from the men who attempt to thwart them. In novels with this structure, I typically enjoy one story line more than the others, but that was not the case with this novel as I was fully invested in each woman’s tale. Highly recommend.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I love a well-done generational story and Emilia Hart certainly delivers that with Weyward.

At times the various timelines were a bit confusing, but overall, the way the stories are weaved together adds complexity to the story that leaves the reader realizing just how similar the past and present can be at times.

Weyward is a tale of sorrow, love, and survival. The accusations of witchcraft are just one aspect of the story and each of the three women have their own strengths and weakness of they strive to make the most out of the life they find themselves living.

Wonderful women's fiction.

I absolutely loved this book. I would go so far as to mention that I got snippy when my family would bother me with mindless wants while I tried to devour this in one sitting! I didn't finish it in one sitting but it wasn't because I didn't want to! I loved the historical writing, the details, the stories of these three women of the same lineage throughout incredibly different times and the similarities of their struggles. The empowering Violet, the fearless Altha, and the strength of Kate were sewn together flawlessly, yet really highlighted how the world changed. I look so forward to reading more from Emilia Hart! I will be purchasing this March 7th as a gidt for a friend and to have on hand to come back again to. I would say this gave me the same feels as the Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner*

Five Stars! I can’t brag on this book enough. It was my favorite read of the last six months, and right near the top of my list of all time enjoyable stories!

Emilia Hart did a wonderful job interweaving the stories of the three women and timelines, and I loved the themes of feminine strength and love of nature, plus I love a good witch story (and this one certainly delivered)! In fact, I found that I couldn’t leave this book alone, and kept picking it up every chance I got, even while on vacation with lots of other things to do and see.

I am looking forward to reading more work by Emilia Hart in the future. She has certainly proven herself very capable of telling a captivating and worthwhile story!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for a free digital copy in exchange for an unbiased review.

I will put this review on Amazon.com and Amazon.ca when they are accepting reviews. :)

3 mysterious women over the course of 5 centuries. 3 stories with very similar paths.

Weyward is a beautiful combination of historical and woman's fiction. The Weyward women are more bonded to the natural world than most. They can feel it in their bodies, their bones, & their blood. They feel like like one feels sorrow or rage.

Kate struggles with an abusive husband.

Violet looks for answers regarding her deceased mother.

Altha has been accused of witchcraft.

I absolutely loved the way Emilia wrote each character. How each woman struggled with very different but similar issues, and found each other. It doesn't take much for me to fall in love with a witchy read. But, this one I think has become one of my favorites. Its right on par with "The Once and Future Witches". Brilliant. Great Job, Emilia.

This is a story about three different women in the Weyward family, Altha from the early 1600's, Violet from the 1900's, and Kate from 2019. Altha is on trial for witchcraft and her written account is interspersed through the book with Violet and Kate's stories. The author has done a wonderful job of tying the storylines together and making you want to keep reading to find out what happens for all three women.

I received a free copy of this book to review through NetGalley.