Favorite quote: "A great many things look different from a distance. Truth is like ugliness: you need to be close to see it."

Review:
I don't even know where to begin. I've been trying to gather my thoughts for days and I can't put together a coherent string of words. I read both the ebook and the audiobook and they were both perfection. The prose was wonderful and rich. The production on the audio was phenomenal, featuring three different narrators: one for each point of view. I truly can't say enough positive things about it.

Weyward follows three women in different periods of time. Altha is on trial for witchcraft in 1619. Violet is a young woman in 1948 who dreams of being a scientist. And Kate is Violet's grand-niece who is on the run from an abusive relationship. Each woman has her own point of view, and the way the three are linked together unravels as the pages turn.

Weyward explores the relationships these women have with men, both individually and in a patriarchal sense. It is a tale of hard-learned truths, magical realism, and, above all else, survival. I can't recommend this book enough, and I'm certainly going to be sitting with my feelings from this one for a while.

TW for sexual assault (on page), abortion, domestic violence.

Thank you to @netgalley, @stmartinspress, and @emiliahartbooks for this eARC.

Don’t you love when a new favorite sneaks up on you?

Weyward by Emilia Hart combines The Lost Apocathary (but better) and Practical Magic vibes. Strong, witchy women with a deep connection to nature, against the patriarchy.

Lately I’m struggling to stay interested in books but this one had me engaged from the very first page. It takes place in England and alternates between 3 POVs, each from a different era (1600s, 1940s, present day). I actually feel equally invested in all three timelines, which is pretty rare and amazing.

While not a gothic novel per se, it definitely has a sense of atmosphere and mystery. Think creepy crows and musty manor houses. I listened to a chunk of the audiobook while on my walk yesterday, and the gray skies and birds made the perfect pairing.

I’m so glad I got a physical copy for my shelves, as the book is beautiful. That said, I’m also really enjoying the audio version - thank you @macmillan.audio and @netgalley . I think you could really do either, it just depends on your preference. The nice thing is that each POV is very distinctive, so it’s not hard at all to follow either way.

Weyward follows three generations of women from the Weyward family living in the english countryside as they come into their own and forge an understanding of the world around them and the roles they have to play
the three narratives are distinct even when they mirror each other and highlight the threads that weave through our family histories in ways that shape out lives, often in ways we may not fully understand. if you're looking for some spring witch vibes with a dash of historical fiction, and overcoming generational trauma, this is for you. it made me want to plant herbs all through my garden and feed the birds

Please be mindful of trigger warnings associated with this book. This book does contain descriptions of sexual assault.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing this book in exchange for a non-bias honest review.

Synopsis

This is a story that spans generations. A story about the complete lack of respect that some have for women. It is not a new concept and has been happening for generations.

Present - Kate is determined to escape her situation. She needs to protect herself from her rapist and abuser…her husband can never find her. She doesn’t hesitate when she finds out that she inherited her Aunt Violet’s estate. She now has a safe place.

Past - Violet has always been the odd one in her family. Her father never speaks about her mother and insists that Violet act “normal”. When her cousin Fredrick comes to visit, her life will never be the same. When she’s sent away, she finally learns where she came from and who her mom was.

Past- Altha is accused of the murder of a local farmer. He was stampeded by his herd of cows BUT everyone knows that Altha did it. How? Witchcraft of course. She made a promise to her mother. She swore to to her mother on her deathbed that she would protect her secret. But what if she no longer has a choice?

What do these three powerful women have in common? They are Weyward and wild.

Review
I listened to this book as an audiobook. Since this is a cross generational story, there are multiple POV’s which lends to the readers ability to connect with the characters. Even though there are multiple female and male POV’s throughout the story, there is one female and one male narrator. However, the narrators do a great job creating a different cadence and tone for each POV, both the female and male characters. They way they read through the story really brought the story to life.
The author did a good job of bringing each character to life with how they wrote the story and developed the characters.

Each chapter told a different piece of the female POV’s story. So it was easy to distinguish between each character. However, this book toon me a little longer to read than others. While I love a story about strong powerful women, this one dragged on a bit in the beginning. I would say that I was fully invested in each character about halfway through the audiobook. The tie that binds all these women together brought the story home for me.

Overall I give the book 3.25 stars. I would recommend this book to others

Once again, I found myself picking a book up with no idea what the premise was. I knew there were witches and multiple timelines. That was enough for me to know I wanted to dive in.

I absolutely loved the interwoven timeline and the storytelling in this book. I thought they only served to make the mystery richer and more compelling.

The only thing I didn’t love was that the ending seemed a little too easily wrapped up. Things just “happened” that didn’t seem to have a lot of set up or basis. I think I’d have preferred a slightly more realistic ending or at least an ending that was set up more in the preceding chapters. (I can’t give more details without spoiling it but basically, things happened too easily.)

The audiobook was great. I loved the different narrators. It felt more like a story they were telling me rather than a book I was reading on my own. I love when an audiobook achieves that atmospheric vibe from just the narration.

Overall, a solid 4 stars from me and a great edition to your spooky season TBR if you like witchy but not scary.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

WEYWARD has been on everyone’s list, and for good reason. I loved this story of strong women, family secrets, and mystery.

This debut was so good! I really enjoyed the witchy atmospheric vibes and the multiple timelines.

I both read and listened to the audiobook which instantly transported me right into the story of 1619 and 1940s, and I thought both formats were wonderful.

*many thanks to St Martins Press, Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for the gifted copy

Touching story with several heavy topics. Generations of women with special powers and potions. Thanks to NetGalley for the audio eArc.

I accessed a digital review copy of this book from the publisher.
The book goes between three different viewpoints, each woman related but separated by time. As the story progresses, magic slowly shows itself in the plot.
The story was interesting and slowly drew me in. While some of the actions were easy to guess, it was not disappointing because of the richness of the story.

This was such a sad but powerful story. I enjoyed the three different timelines & watching the three Weyward ladies find a way through their pain & struggles.

My heart broke for Violet 💔

I loved this audiobook so much. I enjoyed how it tied three life stories of women together and also how they weren't exactly "witches" but tied to nature and the natural world. I enjoyed the characters and how the story developed and tied up.

"Weyward" by Emilia Hart is a captivating novel that weaves together the stories of three extraordinary women from different time periods. The author has created a spellbinding story that explores the legacy of witchcraft and the power of the natural world.

Kate, the protagonist in the present day, inherits a ramshackle cottage from a great aunt she barely remembers. As she begins to uncover the secrets of the cottage, she realizes that her great aunt had a connection to witchcraft. Altha, a girl from the 17th century, is awaiting trial for murder and uses her knowledge of natural magic to defend herself against the charges. Violet, from 1942, is longing for the freedom to learn and explore the world around her, while grappling with the madness of her deceased mother.

The author has skillfully crafted each character's story, revealing their unique struggles and strengths. Hart's writing is evocative and atmospheric, transporting readers to each time period with vivid descriptions of the natural world. The themes of resilience and transformation are woven throughout the novel, connecting each woman's story to the power of nature and the magic that can be found within it.

Overall, "Weyward" is a beautifully written and captivating novel that will appeal to fans of historical fiction, magical realism, and stories of female empowerment. Emilia Hart is a talented storyteller, and I look forward to reading more of her work in the future. I loved the raw, naturalist tone that embodied the text and the ubiquitous insects was a unique touch.

Thank you to the publishers for the gifted copy.
Pub Date 07 Mar 2023 | Macmillan Audio | St. Martin's Press

I really enjoyed listening to Weyward, but kept finding myself getting confused with all of the flashbacks and time changes. It took me a while to catch on to the pattern, and I kept having to rewind (which isn't that easy in the Netgalley app). After a slow start, I finally started to get everything straight, I really did enjoy this novel. The story was beautiful, and the women in it were amazing.

The ending was amazing! This was a book full of trauma, and I think you just need to be prepared when reading. I wish I had read it on an e-book or physical copy. I will definitely reread later on!

Weyward follows three women from the same family at three separate points throughout history: In 1619 Altha is on trial after being accused of being a witch who has used her powers to murder a local man. In 1942 Violet lives under unfair standards set by her cold, distant father and tries to learn why none of the adults in her life are willing to talk about her mother. In 2019 Kate has just inherited Violet’s cottage and uses it as a place to hide after running away from her abusive husband. She spends her time there reinventing herself, looking into her family history, and deciding how she wants to handle her pregnancy.

I loved Altha, Violet, and Kate equally. I was invested in each of their stories and personalities. I think we all know the struggle of reading a book with multiple POVs and pushing through the boring ones, but that didn’t happen when I read Weyward. I had no idea where any of these women’s stories were leading, and there was always surprising new information being revealed in every timeline. I think I remember seeing some other reviewers say that they thought this book lagged in the middle, but I didn’t notice that. I thought it was consistent all the way through and very well written. My favorite thing about Weyward is that no matter how dark the women’s lives became there was always a theme of hope and empowerment. The women of the Weyward family are quirky, independent, and powerful and it was satisfying to watch each of these characters discover herself and forge her own path.

Weyward was a lot darker than I expected it to be. Each woman’s story featured a man (or multiple men) who mistreated her, and it highlights how so many of the injustices women used to face hundreds of years ago are still around. Kate and Violet both face extremely difficult circumstances surrounding their pregnancies. The author didn’t shy away from describing traumatic events (especially the abuse and sexual assault that Kate and Violet experienced). I had no problem with that, but I’m letting you know because I wish I’d known before I started it that overall this isn’t a very lighthearted read.

I recommend this book! I enjoyed it more than I thought I would and it stuck with me for days after I finished it. I received both an ebook and an audiobook and I preferred the audiobook format.

Weyward was a story that had more to it than I expected. I did read some reviews before reading this one, so I was prepared for the abuse storyline as well as the witch trial aspects. There are three timelines in Weyward, with women from the same family years apart. The oldest one is set in 1619 and is the story of Altha who is on trial for witchcraft. She is accused of using her powers to have a man killed by his stampeding herd. He is the husband of her only childhood friend, who is abused by him and treated terribly by her father. The next storyline is set in 1942 during WWII. Violet is living isolated in her family home, not allowed the same education or life that her brother has. Her mother has been dead for many years and all Violet has to remember her is a locket with a "W" and the word "Weyward" scratched into the baseboard in her room. Why won't anyone tell her about her mother? the final timeline is from 2019 where we meet Kate, a woman fleeing an abusive relationship. She is pregnant, but does not want the father to know. She has been left a ramshackle cottage by her great-aunt and decides this will be a good place to hide. The cottage, known as Weyward Cottage, is the key to secrets from the past.

Weyward is a book that I enjoyed more than I expected based on some of the previous reviews I had read. It is told by three brave, resilient women, who were all all victimized, oppressed, and controlled by men in different ways. The book alternates between these point of views, yet is meshes together well. These women are all dealing with different issues, but are able to draw strength from the women who went before them as well as nature and the world around them. I don't want to give anymore away, but I will say that although revenge was not the motive of these women, it is bittersweet. Weyward is a mix of genres, with women's fiction coming to mind first. It is the story of these three women who rise above their "station" and become stronger. There is a touch of magical realism and supernatural in the story, as well as some historical fiction. I listened to this one narrated by Nell Barlow, Aysha Kala and Helen Keeley. With a trio of narrators, each of the main characters was given their own voice which I enjoyed. I recommend this one in audiobook format, but if that is not your thing, then I also recommend you read this one, especially if you enjoy books where women grow, become stronger and are resilient, giving the men what they deserve.

Magical and wonderful and poignant. Great for those who love cozy fantasies or slightly witchy historical fiction stories. So much fun.

This was a magical multigenerational story of 3 witchy women. I really enjoyed the multiple POVS. I don’t think I had a clear favorite because they were all so enjoyable. I love the accents on the audio. I felt like I understood all 3 women. I loved how their experiences were similar but different as well. I would highly recommend this one for anyone looking for a good magical realism read with sprinkles of mystery and historical fiction.

The vibes reminded me of Hester but it excelled where Hester fell flat. Also the ending gave Where The Crawdads Sing vibes which I’m always here for. If you liked any of those definitely check Weyward out!

Before reading the plot summary, I was excited to read this one based on the cover art alone. After reading the summary my excitement grew because I love a good feminist tale. But this book is nothing more than pages and pages of trauma. Although I completely understand that the history of women's pursuit of equality is chock full of trauma, this book feels like it simply collected all of the trauma and then used the strength women show in the face of that trauma as proof that women can persevere. This is true, but it's hardly what I look for when I am sold a tale that shows the power and tenacity of women. These women, at three points in history, were extraordinary but ordinary women dealing with the drama and intolerance of their times. Did they make the best of it? Sure. But there was no change brought about by their struggle. This book is a snapshot, and I wanted a foundation shake.

Also, about halfway through this audiobook, I switched to the ebook because the narrator's voice made it hard for me to keep track of which timeline I was listening to. There wasn't nearly enough difference between the character voices. In a book where I was already semi-bored the entire way through, the audio book wasn't helping to liven it up or keep a reader interested. I expected more vocal intonation and dynamics, but it all feel flat.

Weyward tried to be a lot of different things (historical fiction, magical realism, multi-generational, different point of views), but in my opinion, it didn't do anything super well. I really enjoyed the writing style, but I wanted more explanation around the natural "powers" that these women had. I needed more clarification behind what the point of the story was -- was this a story about three women who dealt with rough times or was it about three women who could use nature and animals to their will? If you're a fan of "The Lost Apothecary," I'd give this one a try!

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martins Press for an advanced audiobook in exchange for an honest review!

Don’t let this pretty cover fool you. The story within the covers is very dark to the point I had trouble reading it. I know I’m in the minority when it comes to reviews for this book, so definitely take my thoughts with a grain of salt!

WEYWARD follows three women of the same family across three different timelines. Chapters switch off between the ladies, which helps show how aligned and similar their stories are despite living years apart. The most common aspect? The patriarchy crap each woman deals with. And that’s putting it lightly. The “crap” is more suffering at the hands of men. Whether it was accusations, sexual assault, death or abuse, it was a lot.

Truthfully, because of how dark it was, I wasn’t eager to pick this book up the following day.

On the flip side, each woman does everything in her power to try and break the cycle of how women are treated, helping not only herself but those around her. It was a very empowering aspect, but it didn’t outweigh the darkness.

Content warnings: domestic abuse, rape, abortion, death

Overall, Weyward was an exciting and well-written read. The story had darker themes, such as rape and abuse, than I initially realized. But I enjoyed how the writer portrayed each generation of Weyward women. I was expecting more witchcraft and supernatural aspects than the story entailed. Nevertheless, it was a compelling read.