I received the audiobook version of Weyward and thought it was incredible. What makes or breaks an audiobook for me are the narrators. These narrators, one for each of the women in the different timelines, were perfect and allowed you to get pulled into the story. The narrators were Aysha Kala, Helen Keeley, and Nell Barlow.

Weyward is told from the viewpoints of three women, hundreds of years apart from the same bloodline. We have Kate in 2019 fleeing from an abusive relationship to a cottage she inherited from her great-aunt Violet whom she barely knew. Violet's story is told against the backdrop of WWII in 1942. Violet wants nothing more than to have the educational opportunities and freedom that he brother enjoys but that she cannot have simply by being a woman. Their ancestor, Altha, was put on trial for the murder of a man in 1619. Sonn accusations of witchcraft are being made and Altha has to fight for her freedom.

What ties these women together is not just familial DNA, but their resilience in the face of adversity. That and a little magic. Not the kind of magic that is flashy, but the kind that comes from deep in the earth - the trees, birds, plants, and insects all playing their part in these women's lives.

In short, I loved it and I ended up buying a hard copy when it came out to keep in my permanent library.

3.75 stars

How apt to read a book about witches as autumn begins and Halloween approaches. What made this atmospheric contemporary women’s fiction shine was its historical accuracy and seamless storytelling. Add in a dash of magical realism and it was a winner for me. However, a warning should be noted as there is graphic violence that might trigger some readers.

Three timelines and three women who share one secret. 1619 - Altha Weyward is on trial for witchcraft after a farmer is trampled by his herd of cows. 1942 - Violet Ayres is 16 years old and lives an isolated life at her father’s estate. She pines for the mother who died when she was a young child and never knew. 2019 - Kate lives a small and terrifying life caught in a violent relationship she can’t escape until she inherits a cottage from the eccentric Aunt Violet she barely knew.

Each of these characters are oppressed by men and societal norms. They each are exposed to violence at some level. The timelines weave together nicely to tell the stories of each of these women and their shared family secret. There was a gothic feel to the writing and storytelling that drew me in.

I loved the magical realism aspect but wished for more. I also could have used more depth and complexity in the plot, particularly in the history of the Weywards and their ties with nature. However, there was a satisfying conclusion that merged the three characters with a healthy dose of “girl power.” The audiobook performance was gripping with the narrators playing each character to perfection and adding layers of tension and atmosphere to the overall story.

A gracious thank you to #NetGalley and #MacMillanAudio for an audio copy of #Weyward in exchange for an honest review.

Weyward, a debut novel by Emilia Hart, is a gothic, witchy, mysterious, atmospheric tale that had me addicted to every word and not wanting the story to end.

This book has deeply buried family secrets; an old, secluded, crumbling cottage in the countryside surrounded by forest; multiple timelines; endearing, believable and root-worthy female main characters; hidden locks, doors, and diaries; entrancing tension and foreboding atmosphere; and the healing power of nature.

I've seen some pretty mixed reviews on this one. I'm still not sure where I fall.

In some regards I liked it and in others I didn't.

The narrator did a great job and I think that is why I ended up enjoying it. The timelines were much easier to follow when I had someone reading it to me, felt way easier to track.

I liked the perspectives and timelines - which I saw was a drawback for some.

Overall I enjoyed it quite a bit!

I wanted to like this book. So many of my friend's liked it. But the multiple timelines was very confusing for me. Maybe it was because I listened to it and I have a harder time keeping track of timelines in audiobooks. I may pick up this book again but in print or ebook format to try again.

This book was a wild ride. I have discovered in recent years that I love multi-generational books, especially those that follow strong, "odd duck" women. Boy, did this book deliver!

Historical fiction? CHECK!
Family/small town with dark secrets? CHECK!
Putting crappy men in their place? CHECK!
Loosely defined magic with unclear rules? CHECK!!!

This book really checks all the boxes for what I'm looking for in a "woman discovers who she really is" novel. I will ABSOLUTELY recommend this.

I enjoyed reading from all 3 women's perspectives and the switching between them was done really well. I can't say I enjoyed this book while reading it though. I did really like the writing style and the narrator did a great job telling the story from the different POV's.

Thank you MacMillan Audio and NetGally for a copy of this audiobook.

I absolutely LOVED Weyward. It's a story about three generations of women who must fight through the obstacles before them and find their true selves while also stepping into a special gift that connects them with nature. I listened to the Audiobook and thought the narrators did a phenomenal job of encapsulating their characters and giving them distinct voices so it was easy to understand when the story shifted.

TW: Abuse, Sexual Assault
While this book deals with heavy topics, I thought the author, Emilia Hart, did a great job at not writing the topics of abuse and sexual assault in an exploitive way. It can be hard to find books that handle these topics in a sensitive manner that doesn't just victimize the female characters for the sake of shock. However, in Weyward the women are able to create for themselves lives of peace at one with nature and their power despite the abuse they were subjected to. It's a wonderful story of empowerment that focuses on the great depth of character for each woman and her strength that helps her survive and thrive. I loved the three story lines because it helped demonstrate not only the generational trauma but how each generation carved their own path and escaped the toxic environments they were in. My favorite character was Violet and I wish that there was a spin off book that focused solely on her and her time in college and in her field of work.

This story does move rather slowly so if you're someone who doesn't mind a slow burn then this book is for you. The beginning of Weyward finds Altha on trial and Kate running from her abusive husband, however, it quickly halts once Kate arrives to the cottage. From there, we read about the fallout of Altha and Kate's timelines while Violet's begins to ramp up. I think the author tried to stagger the stories in order to keep it fast paced, but it didn't work. Ultimately, it was 80% into the book when the plot picks up and Kate must have a final "showdown" with her husband, Violet must decide her fate at the cottage, and Altha tries to save a friend. All that to say, it's not a bad book for being slow it's just not as fast paced as some readers may be looking for.

This is a book that I wish didn't end because I had grown to love the characters so much. I'll definitely be revisiting this one for a second time!

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!