Where do I start? How do I even begin my review in this beautiful haunting prose of three different lives across space and times only known to three women interwoven by some mysterious magical gifts?
I love the fact three different women (related) through the space of four hundred years, have given their voices of their troubled pasts and what they did about it. All three young women all have different personalities but I love them all because they were all strong, emotionally, mentally and physically. They chose not to be victims and chose to embrace their magical powers with and without fear. I really enjoyed watching them grow into incredible, profound, wise beautiful women.
The cover…, man, it just simply gorgeous and everything on the cover is related to the story which is incredible! I love it! I’m planning on purchasing a hard book for my book shelves so I can continue to enjoy it down the road.. I’m giving it a four and half stars. I would love to read more of Emelia Hart’s future novels. She is one of the truly gifted storytellers of her time. Thank you so much Netgalley and The Borough Press (part of HarperCollins UK) for the chance to read this beautiful novel.

This was a hard book to read and I find it hard to review as well. This book explores three different generations of women from the same family, who all experienced both a connection with nature as well as a connection to an abusive man. I found it hard to get through the parts where the women experienced trauma at the hands of men, but I also liked that these women were brought together through history because of that. Kate finds strength through her connection to Altha and Violet to make a final stand against her abuser.

I also liked the atmosphere of the book, which was a little eerie, and actually wished the author had leaned a bit further into that unsettling feeling.

Even though I felt myself flinch through a good portion of this book, I feel like I'll be thinking about it often as it sits with me longer.

I am obsessed with books about witches and have time jumps. There's a lot of trauma dealt with in this book. Definitely check out the content warnings before reading.

This is a good debut. It is a three person POV from 3 different generations of women. Altha in the 1610's, Violet in the 1940's and Kate in the 2010's. These three are the MC's, but there are a few men that take center stage, also.

There are triggers in this book as it deals with abuses from men. Though there are good men in the book, there are a few men that are just A holes. We see how each woman came into their own facing difficult situations that a man caused.

This is in a way a feminist book, but it doesn't harp on feminist things. It just shows women that no matter what, you can overcome and are worth something.

TRIGGERS: Abuse, Rape, Abortion

Published on March 7, 2023


Thanks to Netgalley and St Martin's Press for the E-ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

#netgalley
#stmartinspress
#emiliahart

😊 Happy Reading 😊

This is everything I hoped The Lost Apothecary would be, but wasn't.

Magic. Feminism. Power.

Weyward explores the trauma and fate of women while also giving the reader strength and hope. The character growth was amazing, and I loved each character completely. Hart gives each women different traits while imbuing them all with the same spirit.

Definitely one of my favorite books of the year.

Weyward tells the tales of three women, from different generations, as they grow into their true selves, each finding strength and power from the women who came before them in their family as well as from being in tune with nature and listening to their instincts. It is a beautifully written story, richly describing the different timelines and circumstances, as readers realize the more history has progressed, we still have so far to go when honoring women's choices, health, and well-being.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Emilia Hart, and Netgalley for an advance digital copy. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Emilia Hart's novel Weyward, follows the story of three young women, one living in the 1600s and the other two living in the 1900s. Altha Weyward, a healer like her mother, is accused of witchcraft in 1619 and is awaiting trial. Violet Ayres is a tomboy during WWII, who loves to be outside, climb trees, and wants to be an entomologist despite pressure from her father that she behave like a lady. In the present, Kate Ayres, having run away from her abusive boyfriend, has found a safe haven at her great aunt's cottage and is trying to build a new life for herself.

Weyward was one of my top picks for spring. It's a beautifully written story, with realistic characters, vivid imagery, and well developed themes. The fact that Hart has written a triple narrative/timeline where all the storylines equally compelling is especially impressive for a debut. The pace may feel a bit slow to some, but it isn't that it's slow, it just isn't hurried. Hart takes her time laying everything out, so the puzzle pieces fit perfectly into place.

Weyward was different than I imagined. I expected magic and witches, and while we're given that, to an extent, it isn't in the form we're usually used to. There aren't any spells, curses, black hats, or flying broomsticks. Nature is the magic here, with its power of new beginnings, rebirth, and hope. It was also deeper than I expected. It addresses themes of female empowerment, fighting back against male power, societal rules and convention, and the beauty and wonder found in nature.

From reading other reviews, I know some people have found a lot of things that happened in this book upsetting, but I didn't find anything out of the ordinary. It helped me understand what persecuted women have gone through and felt.

Trigger Warnings: Domestic abuse, Rape, Abortion, Alcohol/Drugs, Violence, Death, Grief

4 stars

Recommended for lovers of:
Historical Fiction, Women's Fiction, Magical Realism, Literary Fiction, Mystery, General Fiction, Fantasy, Nature, History

WEYWARD is a stunning tale about three women’s journey to self-discovery spanning five centuries. Hart takes her readers in and out of the past as she delves into the lives of Kate, Violet, and Altha. Each combatting personal adversities and being pushed to realize the power they hold within.

To say that I loved this book would be an understatement. The eloquence and masterful storytelling by the author brought the characters to life. There was emotion and realness behind the situations our leading ladies find themselves in that captures the reader. And then you have the hint of magic passed down from generation to generation, which only makes the story that much better.

WEYWARD is a perfect combination of family lore, female fortitude, and historical fiction. From beginning to end, Hart delivered a truly special book.

I have already read this book three times since receiving it as a ARC. I find new reasons to love it every time I read it. Lavishly written, deep and dark enough to make you think.

it was a nice read. Rather interesting to follow multiple generations of women who had 'special. talents' that were pass on tother first borns who were always girls. Sadly, beyond having special talents in common, these women also had in common choosing 'bad' men to marry,

4 stars

This was an interesting and layered book with just enough witch stuff and birds and insects to keep me going. I don't think it says anything particularly new as the thesis seems to be "men are bad we should be single badass witches instead" including the first born child of the Weyward women always being a girl to keep the witching going, but I had a good time reading it anyway.

The thing keeping it from being a 5 star read is I had issues with a few of the narrative choices like the witch trial in the 1600s seeming way too modern. I'm pretty sure trials weren't like that at all but I wasn't there so what do I know.

Anyway, solid entry into the women's witch fiction genre!

I absolutely loved this book. It’s a coming-into-strength story, a rediscovery of yourself and your own power, a love letter to women finding themselves and their strength even when the world is set up to take it away from them. There are hard moments in it (trigger warnings for abuse and rape) but it serves a purpose in showing how the characters overcome it all.

The switching between points of view and timelines was expertly done and had a great flow to it. I enjoyed all three characters equally, I can’t even pick a favorite. It was really interesting how the author could make each of the women distinct but also draw familiar, similar lines between them all regardless of the hundreds of years between them. If you’re not a big fantasy person, don’t worry about it. The magic is very light, very nature-based, and really is more a vehicle for the character’s development than anything else.

I received a free audio (and ebook) version of the book (which I absolutely recommend as the narration was stellar and gave the whole story even more character) but I enjoyed it so much that I plan to buy myself a physical copy of it. I don’t know of a more ringing endorsement than spending my own money!

I would recommend this book wholeheartedly. It’s a great story that you won’t want to put down and you’ll fall in love with these characters as they find themselves.


Note: I received a free electronic edition of this book via NetGalley in exchange for the honest review above. I would like to thank them, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to do so.

I can’t get over how much I truly loved reading this book. I liked the 3 view points of different generations and how they all connected. I really connected with this book because I am very sentimental and love family heirlooms. I also named my daughter after my great grandmother. This was a fantastic debut novel! Im really looking forward to reading more of her books.

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

In the village of Crows Beck, the Weyward women have been the subject of whispers, rumors, and tales for many centuries. They are known as healers, suspected for witchcraft, thought to be different and strange, kept at an arms’ length, misunderstood. They have a wildness that cannot be tamed and a deep connection to nature, with plants that bloom under their fingertips and creatures that draw near to them.

This novel shares the stories of three Weyward women; Altha, a young healer living in the 1600s, who stands trial for witchcraft; Violet, a teenager living in the 1940s, who knows nothing about her heritage and is kept contained within her father’s estate; and Kate, who flees an abusive relationship in London to seek shelter in her great-aunt’s cottage at Crows Beck in the present day.

Alternating throughout these three perspectives and timelines, the reader learns of the deep history and connection that the Weyward women have both to the natural world and to the women around them, using their gifts to heal, protect, and empower, despite the brutality and violence they encounter at the hands of men who seek to stifle and control them.

The writing in this novel is exquisite and draws the reader in to feel the pull of nature as the Weyward women do. The tales of the women are heartbreaking, as they encounter graphic situations that are honestly very hard to read. I do love that each Weyward woman finds her strength and learns to embrace who she is throughout the novel. However, most of the male characters are portrayed as brutal antagonists in the narrative, with the exception of a few men whose kindness is briefly described towards the end. This is a women’s fiction novel, but I do wish that there was a little more balance in that regard. There are many heavy content warnings to be aware of, as well.

CW/TW: domestic violence, rape, assault, miscarriage, abortion, thoughts of suicide, death of a loved one

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this advanced copy, in exchange for my honest review.

Rating: 3.5/5

The Weyward women have unique powers that in the seventeenth and twentieth centuries result in ostracism. In 1619, Altha is accused of witchcraft, yet some continue to seek her healing abilities. In 1942, Violet wonders what really happened to her mother and why her father seems to hate her. When her father disowns both Violet and her brother, Graham, but embraces their cousin, Violet and Graham find refuge in the cottage their mother owned prior to her marriage.

Still later, in 2019, Graham’s granddaughter, Kate, escapes an abusive marriage, hiding in the cottage she inherited from Violet. Eager to keep her unborn daughter safe from her evil ex, she learns to harvest the power she inherited from her Weyward forebears. This lovely, absorbing novel reminds the reader of the many injustices suffered by women in the past, but reminds us that women often ultimately triumph. #Weyward #NetGalley

My late Grandma, Mary, used to proclaim that our family descended from “a long line of Lancashire witches”. It is thanks to her I have had a lifelong interest in the supernatural and otherworldly, but have always been keenly aware that my daughter and I are preceded by centuries of female oppression. So it is no surprise that Emilia Hart’s wonderful debut, Wayward, a story of three generations of witches, resonated with me.

In 1619, we find Altha awaiting trial, accused of using witchcraft to kill her friend’s husband. In 1942, Violet mourns the death of her mother, and becomes curious about her past after finding the word “weyward” scratched on her bedroom wall. And in the present day, Kate is fleeing from an abusive partner, to a run-down cottage left to her by her great aunt.

Each of the aforementioned women suffer at the hands of men, but circumstances lead them to discover their inner power, and harness nature to their advantage. The links between Violet, Kate, and Altha are beautifully revealed, but as individual characters the Weyward women are incredibly strong.

I love Weyward; it’s a fantastic novel. It is so incredibly depressing that women are generally still regarded as “lesser” in society, and the huge strides taken by those who came before us amount to fairy steps in the grand scheme of things. But while Hart’s characters are assisted in their liberation by supernatural means, it is the support of other women that ensure that they remain liberated.

I highly recommend Weyward to lovers of powerful, feminist fiction. The story is incredibly engaging and relevant. And the gorgeous ending made me cry.

“Witch. The word slithers from the mouth like a serpent, drips from the tongue as thick and black as tar. 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.
No. It was not a word we ever used.

These words are from the narrative of Altha, the earliest of the Weyward women we meet in this historical fiction from Emilia Hart. We meet her in 1619 and learn of suspicions held by many against her, and her mother before her. We meet Kate next, in London in2019, a woman in a toxic relationship wondering about her future. Lastly, we are introduced to Violet, whose story as we meet her begins in 1942 in Orton Hall in Cumbria. All three stories ultimately center in Cumbria, near the small village of Crows Beck and an old, old cottage named Weyward.

This is a story of women who are different, who have ties to the natural world that seem different, far fetched, unnatural. They have been healers in our past but also misunderstood and feared. And some, growing up without guidance, misunderstood themselves. This story shows the lives of three of the Weyward women, their trials, their success and joy in nature,and discovery of their own selves. This is done through alternating narratives in which each slowly reveals or discovers their self.

I really enjoyed this book and each woman’s story. Each reader will have to decide what they think about the magical elements that occur. For me, they worked beautifully. Recommended.

A copy of this book was provided by the author and publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Weyward by Emilia Hart is truly a written tapestry. Three beautifully written, often heart-breaking stories that are told nearly separately but woven together with expert fingers.

This novel is historical fiction + fantasy underlined with feminist commentary. The way that Hart blends together common themes from different periods in time and interlaces these stories together is absolutely beautiful, and quite surprising, at times, in its effect. These stories are somehow both expected but unique. It takes a talented writer to takes something standard and make it new again.

The only caution (though, not critique) I offer is that this novel was a heavy read for me. The stories themselves did not provide a lot of joy, per se. This novel is one of those that will stay with you and effect your heart in many ways, but I’m not sure happiness will be one of them.

For the talent that crafted this novel alone, I’d highly recommend it! It is often a somber journey, but the story is exquisite.

Interesting story line... I like how the author used the different times to portray the 3 different women.. I do wish there had been a character between the first and second woman though... I am not a fan of the epilog, it felt rushed like an after thought (and contains an error)... Over all it was a good book, great characters and background descriptions...

Quick and Dirty:⁣
-multiple timelines/POV book ⁣
-focused female ⁣
-domestic violence trigger warning⁣
-inter-generational trauma story⁣

Musings⁣
I wanted to love this book, I truly did. But something wasn't right for me. I usually adore family sagas, especially when the stories are linked as these are. But in the case of Weyward, the three storylines felt too similar. At times it felt like I was reading the same story told three different ways. I prefer a bit more variety. I also didn't care for the way men are portrayed in this book. Except for one character, none of the men in the book had any redeeming qualities. They were "the bad guy" of the story, which felt redundant in my opinion. Lastly, the book was marketed as a witchy read, but it had very little magic to speak of, leaving me disappointed and searching for my next witchy read before I even finished. On to the next book!