Short synopsis: The stories of three women of the Weyward family, their connection to animals and nature, and how they grow despite the mistreatment of men.

My thoughts: I tried doing a mix of audio and physical on this. For whatever reason the audio just wasn’t clicking for me until I got a good chunk into the story. I think I needed to get the characters/time frames right in my head. That being said, the narrators did a great job in the audio once I could focus on it.

I did enjoy each characters story and how they interwove together. Generational story of women who don’t yet know their own strength ruled by men who don’t understand them and just want to control them. I loved watching them break the bonds holding them captive and finding their true selves.

There are definitely a couple fairly graphic scenes of the process of abortion and rape. I really struggled getting through those because it made me feel sick and sad inside. So be sure to check triggers if you’re sensitive to those.

Read if you love:
- Powerful women
- Generational stories
- Witchy vibes
- Literary fiction with hints of magical realism
- Connection with nature

This is a multigenerational, witchy tale of the Weyward women. I wanted to love this but the pacing was so slow and I struggled to finish. A very heavy novel, this deals with lots of trauma, abuse, and SA. That's something I'm not a stranger to reading about, but it felt like abuse was damn near the only thing happening at times. I didn't dislike it because of that but I do wish some of that heaviness had been balanced with more magical elements. I was promised magical realism and witchy revenge plots, but nothing really stuck with me until the end. If there had been even a fraction of the intensity of the last 30 pages in the rest of the book, I may have enjoyed it more. I think it's also important to note that I listened to this as an audiobook, which made for a slow, boring listen. I think some people may really enjoy this, it just wasn't for me!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the audio ARC.

Thank you, NetGalley, for an audio-arc of Weyward by Emilia Hart, narrated by Nell Barlow, Aysha Kala, and
Helen Keeley.
I went into Weyward with a lot of hope and anticipation, but it just wasn't all that I wanted it to be. Emilia Hart weaves a story between three time periods spanning four hundred years. The three Weyward women, Altha, Violet, and Kate all experience great hardship from community, family, and men. All three women have a gift of being one with the natural world to the point that birds and insects help them survive. All are plagued by the title of witch. My biggest issue with the book is the jump from 1619 to 1942; with a time span of almost four hundred years, how did Altha's documents and the necklace survive to be passed down through many generations. Were there other Weyward women during those missing years that also suffered disastrous fates and use magic to survive? I understand the need to introduce the witch trials of the 1600s, but wanted more between then and now.
I enjoyed the audio and am a fan of having different narrators for each time period, which helps the listener create a better mental picture. My favorite narrator was the voice of Violet; I could listen to her all day!

I received a free copy of this audiobook from the publisher through netgalley.com. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I loved this book. Generations of women in the Weyward family have found themselves victims of either the men in their lives or the men in the world. Healers of natural medicine these women have been accused of witchcraft, and feared for their inner strength and wisdom.

This story is told through the eyes of three different women in the family. The first accused of witchcraft and standing trial, the second finds herself living with her overbearing father and falling prey to a distant cousin the third leaves her abusive partner only to discover herself pregnant and alone in a house owned by her dead aunt. All of these women are trying to carve out a life for themselves in a world that doesn't see women as anything more than property, including the one set in the present.

This is a very timely book as we see the Supreme Court slowly chip away at women's rights, what we will be left with is what these women had to deal with. No body autonomy and few rights. It is when they are truly desperate they find their inner strength and the wisdom that has been passed down for generations to protect themselves. Beautifully written and narrated.

WEYWARD is a novel that spans 3 generations of Weyward women over five centuries of time. Hart's novel is rich with unspoken familiar history, of secrets kept by uncanny women, of knowledge quietly passed between generation after generation. While Kate, Altha, and Violet have vastly different life experiences, each of them are women without power in a man's world... until they find a way to take power back.

I thoroughly enjoyed watching the Weyward women fight the patriarchy and carve out a life for themselves. Hart expertly weaves each woman's story into the larger narrative that should be compelling enough for most readers to find it difficult to put WEYWARD down once they start reading.

Aysha Kala, Helen Keeley, and Nell Barlow do a good job with the audiobook narration though there wasn't enough of a difference between their voices to always make the POV switches obvious so this might be a novel best read in print to make it easier with the narration jumps.

Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by NetGalley and Macmillan Audio in exchange for an honest review.

This was a beautiful novel about 3 generations of women over coming things that are thrown their way and giving into the family strength of the Weywards and the magical abilities that come with that. It is told from Kate, who is escaping an abusive relationship and has to run to her aunts cottage to hide away from her abusive ex she is is newly pregnant and will do anything to protect her baby from the life she was living. As she is in the cottage her aunt violet lived in and the small town she learns about the life she once lived and the strange things violet was rumoured to do, as she learns more about her family history we really see her come into her strength. Than we have the story of Violet and how her life was in the early 1900s and how she always liked different things strange things and how life was turned upside down when her awful
Cousin comes into her life and does an awful thing to her. Violets mother died delivering her brother and she never knew a lot about her as no one would tell her, as she learns more about her mother and who she is she also comes into her strength. Than we have the story of there another ancestor who was alive during the witch trials and it tells the story of how she was trialed for being a witch and gives us lots of family history about the wayward. I really enjoyed all 3 stories the magical element really brought alot to it!

I am not the intended audience for this book I think.... This book was billed as witchy and fantasy but that is the wrong expectation to have when starting this book. This book is more about women dealing with abuse, trauma, and their lasting impacts on generations. Much of this book was uncomfortable to read for me. It is dark and sad and you see the three main characters brought so low. The underlying theme is that women have their own power and can overcome the abuses society and men inflict upon them. But it did not read as hopeful or uplifting... just sad.

There were also very few magic elements in the story. Despite the characters being referred to as witches over and over. The magic was a connection to nature but the characters are not aware of this until the ends of their stories. So we don't really get to see them come into their power or do anything with it.

That said, it was very well written. The way that the three timelines are woven together and how the prior generations impact the current generation was very clever. I think that people who enjoy reading about trauma (sexual assault, on page rape, abortion, miscarriage, spousal abuse, child abuse, etc.) will love this novel. For me, I turn to fiction for more positivity.

The narration was great but since this book follows three different characters, I found it hard at the beginning to remember who was speaking and which time period they belonged to. It could have been more clear with different narrators for the different POVs or more distinct accents/voices for them. Eventually I got used to it but I could see why others would DNF.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an eARC of this book.

💭Thoughts:
This is a beautiful, woven together story about the lives of three different women. The narration was beautiful and really brought the characters to life for me. I enjoyed how the story was through multiple timelines and multiple POVs. I always find that really adds to the story and the character development.

The author does an excellent job of bringing the settings to life with vivid imagery. I could really envision the crumbling cottage, the mayfly swarms, and the crows flying overhead. I really enjoyed the female empowerment in this story and how that played into each woman’s story.

Overall, this is an engaging story for readers who enjoy historical fiction, women’s fiction, and fantasy.

The cover is stunning and I was very excited because of it -- however, the story itself didn't engage me as much as I'd hoped. It was an interesting plot, but just up to the level I anticipated. I heard from a few coworkers that they enjoyed it, so I still think it's worthy recommending to patrons interested in this style of novel.

Interesting mix of timelines. This story will appeal to women, but doubtfully to men. Hence, women’s fiction, I suppose. It seems to me an improbable story, but interesting nonetheless, and well written.

A beautiful atmospheric tale of three generations of women. Almost Gothic in style, the mystery of the women in the Weyward family is revealed through telling the stories of Altha during the 1600’s, Violet in the 20th century, and Kate in modern day England. Unlike with a lot of generational historical fiction, I found each individuals story just as engaging as the next. No one plot line was slower or more dragging than the others, very important as the pace of the story is more emotionally driven than action packed. I’m thoroughly impressed that Emilia Hart managed to establish connections to all three heroines so smoothly. It takes awhile for the stories to begin to entwine, once done it’s done beautifully though. Ultimately this story is a moving and powerful tale of women’s strength.

Narration of the Audiobook is I would say about a 4/5 for me. I really enjoyed the narrators tone, and thought she did a particularly good job with each character distinct voice and accents. The only thing I found slightly lacking was with the pace, which seemed to occasionally and inexplicably slow down.

I was so intrigued with the book and the cover alone had me hooked! I love anything that’s witchy so I definitely had to read this one. I loved the three separate stories of the Weyward women all set in different time periods. I listened to the audiobook of this and I loved that each POV was narrated by someone different. The writing was beautiful and I did enjoy listening to the stories and how they all connected towards the end.

It did fall a little flat though for me. It was suppose to be about nature witches but there was barely any witchy vibes in the book. It also felt very repetitive, especially with all the assault in Kate’s POV. It definitely could’ve been shorter as well, it felt a little dragged out at times.

Overall, it was an enjoyable read and I loved the connection of all the Weyward women. Definitely check out the TW before hand going into this book it’s pretty heavy with it.

Three timelines, three women, one family legacy. I listened to the audio of this book and I was enchanted by by the narration and how well each character was represented. The characters each endured unspeakable suffering, each story unique yet the three are connected. Ultimately this was a well told story of the strength of the women and learning from those who come before us.

Pretty much this is just a book about 3 different women, in 3 different time periods, struggling with abusive and/or controlling men and how witch craft may have helped or hurt them over the years. Alva in 1619, Violet in 1942, and Kate in 2019. While this was somewhat interesting learning more about how women have been treated over the years by men and over coming it, it was not very exciting and their wasn't a whole lot of magic or mystery to it. I enjoyed hearing Violet and Alva's stories but Kate just really annoyed me and I found her to be foolish and whiny rather than feeling any sympathy for her and her situation. I listened to the audio version and while I think the narrators each did a nice job, they also all sounded so similar that it was very hard to remember who's story I was listening to with all the switching back and forth and I often got confused. This was just an ok read for me, but it has a lot of 5 star reviews I see, so I say check it out for yourself.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Emilia Hart for giving me a chance to listen to an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

What a sensational story, with a fantastic audio format and narration. I had only heard good things about this book, but when I noticed there were multiple narrators for multiple POV's I knew I wanted to read it via audio.

The power of the female characters throughout the generations is palpable. The magic they share with the natural world is eerie in the best way. I loved the way we slowly pulled out each of their stories through time, culminating in the strong and powerful choices they ended up having to make.

Loved this book, loved the narration!

This book was as beautiful as its cover. I absolutely loved the three character perspectives and how their lives are linked together. The audio was so well done and I was immediately engaged in their stories. TW: Domestic, sexual, emotional abuse

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC of the audiobook in exchange for my honest review.
Pub Date: March 7, 2023

4.5 stars, this was a great read! The stories and characters really suck you in and make you want to learn more about each of them and what happens next (even if it is awful and brutal sometimes). I really enjoyed how everything wrapped up in the epilogue.

The audio part was wonderfully done. There were 3 narrators for each of the 3 POVs and they fit the characters and the times the characters lived in so well, it really helped bring everything to life. The pacing and intensity was also really done, I highly recommend the audiobook.

Weyward is an intriguing, intergenerational tale of the trials and tribulations of three women. Sometimes when I read a book with multiple timelines and narrators there is usually one character that interests me more than the others. That wasn't the case with this book, I was equally intrigued by all of the characters and wanted to read more. The author does an amazing job of weaving the women's stories together and showing their struggles. It was interesting to see how each women faced similar oppression and abuse across five centuries. While there are some mystical elements to the story I wouldn't call it a witchy read. Don't let the paranormal aspects keep you from reading this book. Overall this is a beautifully written story with complex, intriguing characters. I was fully invested in the story and characters. I'm surprised this is a debut book because it is so well written. I look forward to reading more books by Emilia Hart in the future.

I listened to the audibook and thought it was really well done. I finished the book in 3 days because it was so intriguing and easy to listen to.

I went back and forth reading my physical ARC and listening to the audiobook version of this. I struggled with staying focused on this at times and would turn the audio on to help get through it.

The main theme of this book is the subjugation of women by men. The three main female characters are abused and persecuted by the bad men in their lives, all in similar ways. They experience sexual violence, rape, misogyny, unwanted/forced pregnancies, miscarriages, difficulty obtaining abortions, etc., and all of them seek to escape the domination of men by isolating themselves.

Someone in the comments in Goodreads summed it up like this: “Three women in different time periods who like nature are treated horribly by men. That’s it, that’s the book.” And I couldn’t agree more.

I didn’t connect with this book nearly as much as I had hoped I would. The characters fell flat for me, and were written as very black and white, good and bad, and the story really lacked the nuances and morally grey areas that exist in real life. The complexity of gender relations throughout history, and the conflicting and complicated emotions that are usually involved in familial, sexual, and romantic relationships were mostly missing from this book.

The suggestion of witches didn’t really make this more interesting either. Honestly, the witch aspect felt extremely underplayed to me, for a book ABOUT WITCHES. I get that this was supposed to be a more literary take and not a genre type of witch story, but this book felt less like magical realism with a historical perspective and more like an outdated domestic drama that told you it was about magic but never really showed you.

The settings weren’t very distinguishable from one another, nor were the three main characters (although they lived hundreds of years apart), which gave the book a very repetitive feel. This definitely would have benefited from the author drawing more contrast between characters and time periods.

This really didn’t feel like a “female empowerment” book like I thought it was going to be either. None of the main characters were really able to change or rise above their circumstances, they just survived them. Some of them go on to get revenge, but none of them really stand in their power like you wish they would. It felt like this book skirted the edges of the empowering message it might have wanted to have, and missed the mark when it ultimately came time to decide what it was going to say. Instead, this book had one note: Men are bad. Men have always been bad. Men will always be bad. Women should find a way to escape men.

I did find myself rooting for Altha by the end, but the buildup to the conclusion of her story felt more tedious than exciting. Violet was fun to imagine as an adult, but as a teen (which was the majority of her story) she was boring and her story predictable. And the modern day character, Kate, was generally unpleasant to read and I found myself dreading her chapters, even though hers were the ones really driving the narrative along and unraveling the family mystery. She, most of all, did not seem to quite fit her time period and seemed unrealistically naïve and adolescent for an adult woman living in 2019.

The tone and outlook of this book was pretty bleak and I didn’t fully enjoy reading it. However, I feel like it could appeal to people who enjoy the writing style of Ottessa Moshfegh, or the thematic elements and pacing of Madeline Miller’s Circe. Overall, this one was not for me.

Thanks to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for the opportunity to read/listen to this book in exchange for an honest review.

I listened to the audio version of this book, and really enjoyed it. The narrator did a fabulous job as well. I really enjoyed this beautifully written debut novel by Emilia Hart.

This book tells the story of three women in different centuries who are connected in many ways. The author does a beautiful job of telling the struggles each woman faced in the century in which she grew up. It was very slow throughout but kept me interested.

Thank you to Macmillan audio and Netgalley for an ARC of this book.