Very skillfully written. The characters are well rendered. The plot is full of tension, culminating in an exciting ending. The timelines are tied together well. Would recommend to people who love Practical Magic-y type fantasy and the idea of women having secret, subtle powers. The narrator is also excellent.

From the first huanting words of this story, told in three distinct POV, I was completely obsessed. WEYWARD follows three generations of Weyward girls and women some try to label as witches, yet they give no label to at all. I felt the love and pain of these women, each kicked down by foul men. The magic of kindness and truth and doing what's right rather than what's expected or even safe..The thread of power within each woman slowly unravells over time and twines through time itself to bring their stories together. WEYWARD is brilliantly done. It captivated me from the first and it is now one of my favorite books. I can't wait to read more from Hart. Thank you so much for letting me read this early audiobook. I love, love, loved it so much! HIGHLY recommend.

WEYWARD by Emilia Hart and narrated by Nell Barlow, Aysha Kala, & Helen Keeley was an absolutely beautiful debut.

Altha Weyward is heading to her trial as a witch in 1619 after a man was trampled to death by his cows, accusingly set to alarm by a crow.

Then we meet Kate in 2019, in an abusive relationship that has gone on too far. She is ready to flee and has a perfect place in which to retreat; her Great-Aunt Violet's Weyward Cottage which was recently left to her in her aunt's will.

We go back to 1942 to witness the 14-year-old Violet begin her brutal transformation of naive, passive daughter to the eccentric yet fearless adventurer she became, haunted by the memories of her trauma.

The women in this story are all being used by men, and all have a power deep inside to help them conquer. It is through the passing of their histories, ever trying to be silenced, that they gain strength from their foremothers to stand up and forge their paths. They are not easy paths and don't look like the fairytale ending in stories with magic, but the freedom in becoming and owning who they are meant to be is worth any monetary loss.

The journeys of each of these three women were captivating. Multiple POV'S can be tricky, but Hart masterfully pulled them all together with same amount of tension and revelation. I will admit that Violet's story was the hardest for me, both for her level of naivete as well as the trauma she endured. She also became such a linchpin who I loved. The full story of Altha was full of drama and a familiar story of women helping women at great risk. Then Kates story of harnessing the strength inside her to protect herself and her growing child was one to cheer.

I was lucky to win a Goodreads giveaway from St. Martins Press of the physical ARC, as well as the Audio from NetGalley and MacMillan Audio. This was a perfect combination as the multiple narrators gave brilliant voices to the characters and I was able to read the words with the italics and emphasis in the visual format. I have already gone back over the physical book, re-reading parts that felt full of premonition.

Definitely add to your list!

Weyward follows three women from different time periods. It was really interesting to watch their stories unfold and connect together. TW: Abuse. It was a sad and powerful read. I enjoyed it and was completely invested to see how these three stories connected by the end. I really enjoyed it.

4 stars

Weyward starts off fairly slowly, taking some time to build the story up and weave the tales of Kate, Violet, and Altha together. It took a bit before I was able to get fully invested but once I did, I wanted to hear more about the lives of these three women. For a debut, Emilia Hart does a wonderful job. Beautifully written, engaging characters, and a vivid setting. It may take a while, but if you're willing to give Weyward a chance, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this audioarc in exchange for an honest review.

While this novel started off slow, the stories of Kate, Violet, and Altha are filled with drama, interwoven with love and persistent young women fighting against patriarchal abuse.

Kate and Violet's stories were the most interesting, although Altha's story is helpful to learn where the Weyward tradition began.

Each of the women are faced with decisions that force them to reconcile with their past to survive.

I like this one. I see the word atmospheric being thrown around a lot when reading other reviews about this book and let me tell you, that word suits it perfectly. The book is written beautifully and the narrator did a great job. There are scenes of domestic violence so please be aware of that. It is very cottage witch and I love that. I think others will too.

Engaging, enchanting and expertly narrated. This is a recommended purchase for collections where witchy historicals are popular.

As I said about the novel, it failed to impress me. About the audiobook, I loved the multivoiced narration because it always helps with the characters construction in the readers mind. I think that the cast was very well picked which makes the overall listening experience a very pleasant one.
Thank you Macmillan Audio for the audiobook.

Its always exciting to stumble upon a debut book that expands your world. Emilia Hart's Weyward did that for me! Part historical fiction and part witch lore, Weyward makes you think and tugs at your heart.

First sentence: Ten days they'd held me there.

Audio version - I enjoyed listening to narration by Aysha Kala; Helen Keeley; Nell Barlow. They felt true to the timelines and completely held my attention.

Synopsis: Weyward follows three related women in three different timelines. In 1619, Altha is being tried as a witch and a murderess; in 1942, Violet is coming of age and dealing with a controlling father trying to prevent her from turning out "like her mother." And in 2019, Kate has just fled an abusive relationship. All three have Weyward blood coursing through their veins, and all three must use it in the best ways they can to save themselves.

Weyward is a hugely enjoyable read. Although witchcraft does indeed play a part in the story, for me, this is a tale about women who don’t fit into the pigeonhole someone else has created for them, and how, when pushed to their limits, their inner strength will come through. Weyward is set over multiple timelines and each one is as good as the next. I could pick a favourite if I tried. Each was seamlessly interwoven and helped illustrate the impact of the past on the present. I found myself rooting for each woman in each timeline.

The location and natural world that surrounds the tale is bewitching. There is a darkness to this story, the abuse and violence is handled with empathy.

Ultimately, Weyward is about gender and control – about the long echoes of male violence through the centuries. But more than that, it is a celebration of nature, female power and breaking free.

Many thanks to NetGalley, MacMillan Audio and Emilia Hart for a tale that held me spellbound!

I loved this book! Once I started listening to it I absolutely could not put it down. I love the three different viewpoints of the different generations of Weyward women. This book had both the comfort and the magical atmosphere of an Alice Hoffman book with the historical element of Hester by Laurie Lico Albanese. Readers of both of the those authors will devour this book!

Loved this book! I felt transported to Weyward Cottage and it was the perfect escape for the start of this week. Also, what’s better than dual timelines? Tri (not sure what it is even called) timelines!

A gothic tale of the mysteries of the Weyward women of different times. We intermittently receive the personal stories of young Altha, taught the beauty of nature from her mother and accused of an awful crime. Violet, who is so terribly living out An ill made match and harboring a painful secret. And then Kate, also bearing the burden of an abusive relationship filling her with fear and confusion.

Follow the women and watch as their lives unfold and pour into each others.

I love Hart’s storytelling and attention to the women’s plights. She breaks your heart with their experiences yet fills you with peace when the ladies begin realizing they aren’t alone.

Witch trials and nature and a family history are what prompted me to request the ARC of Weyward. It took a bit for the story to start coming together. Showing the lineage of the Weywards was interesting but the gap between 1619 and 1942 was never bridged and left me feeling a bit disappointed.

The writing was beautiful and the descriptions of everything was very vibrant and well thought out making the scenes with abuse and SA that much more gut wrenching.

There are definitely feminst undertones throughout, some a bit too strong for my taste, but this was a book about strong women learning to take on the world on their own terms. I think the story would have been just as powerful without trying to make it seem like men weren't strong enough to handle a brave independent woman.

I don't usually notate when trigger warnings should be included but I do hope they are in the published version of this book.

The scenes with Kate and Violet are very brutal and had me queasy reliving my own traumas.

All in all it was enjoyable and so interesting the way the story was woven together but I do feel as though there were quite a bit of answered questions and story lines that could have been elaborated on to flesh the story out better.

Review strictly directed at the AudioBook - The narrator for Violet sounded as though she was sick the entire time and sucking on a cough drop. The sound of her swallowing was distracting.

Thank you to Emelia Hart, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for an Audio-ARC of Weyward.

Thanks to Macmillan Audio for the copy of this ALC.

I LOVEEEE generational stories of women, especially when it's the "new century, same story" playing out in a family. Three generations of Weyward women (2019, 1942, 1619) relate to the magic of nature, but are seen as weird and are mistreated by men. This book is a combination of historical fiction, contemporary fiction, and magical realism with some mystery thrown in. It's somehow also Emilia Hart's debut?! Incredible. This storyline flows so well through the three characters and their historical POVs and how each generation is learning from and relating to the past. I was absolutely rivited and listened to 75% in one sitting. I always LOVE a full-cast audio! Our 3 POVs are narrated by Aysha Kala, Helen Keeley, and Nell Barlow, who do a fantastic job.

Read if you like:
- multiple timelines
- enjoyed reading Hester
- stories about the resilience of women
- witch trials / witchy vibes
- plants & bugs

Hauntingly Beautiful! 4/5 stars

A great read for those that love a character driven meandering plot. Beautifully written, while encapsulating the pain, frustration and resilience of the women within. It reminded me a lot of Circe.

This is by no means a cheerful book, it is dark and painful with flashes of hope but that is what makes the characters so compelling.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the audio arc.

The production value was amazing, the narrators were phenomenal and really brought the haunting nature of this story to life.

Weyward follows three related women in three different timelines. In 1619, Altha is being tried as a witch and a murderess; in 1942, Violet is coming of age and dealing with a controlling father trying to prevent her from turning out "like her mother; in 2019, Kate has just fled an abusive relationship. All three have Weyward blood coursing through their veins, and all three must use it in the best ways they can to save themselves.

I love love loved this book! I thought I would keep reading for Kate's story, but I ended up incredibly invested in each woman. The main characters stories were told in such a way that I never found myself confused and was able to identify each one by personality and mannerism fairly quickly, which I find impressive. The hedge witch vibes this book had were lovely, and I would read it over and over again. This is going to be a hit, I know it.

For fans of Hester, Practical Magic, and The Lost Apothecary to name a few, this will be a must read- Though I will be encouraging everyone else to read as well as it was just that good.

Thanks so much to Macmillan Audio as well as NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this book ahead of its release in March 2023!

I love a good witchy novel, and this one was an intriguing blend of three different timelines. I loved how this novel accurately showed how far we've come and how much we're still the same in issues like domestic violence and judgment. I found the stories to weave together really well, and each female protagonist served as a very dynamic and interesting character.

Three stories, three women, three time periods.

Kate 2019 - When she finds out that she is pregnant, something that her abusive boyfriend wants but she doesn't, she finally makes the move to run away. With a new cell phone that he doesn't know about she leaves the home they share and moves to the cabin left to her by her distant great aunt. Once there she attempts to learn more about her family and the aunt that she'd only met once as a child.

Violet (Kate's great aunt) 1940s-2018(ish) - After her mother died when she was a child Violets father did all in his power to erase her from his childrens memory. Violet was kept secluded, but when a cousin who's fighting in the war comes to visit everything changes and she's again exciled to her mother's old cabin where she learns the secrets about her mother that her father had been hiding.

Alva (quite a few times great grandmother to Violet and Kate) - 1600- 1619 - Raised in a cabin in the woods by her mother who's a healer she was brought up close to nature. After her childhood best friend's mother died while her mother was trying to save her rumors started about them being witches. These rumors continued even after her mom's death and by 1619 she was on trial for witchcraft.

Trigger Warnings - Domestic Violence, Rape, Incest, Abortion, Miscarriage... Maybe more 🤷‍♀️

This is definitely a woman's fiction and I'm all about girl power... But, every single man in this story was utterly horrible (except maybe Kate's father who's dead🤷‍♀️) It's painted very black and white that men are awful and women are great and way too polarized for me to give more than three stars.

Much like honey drizzled into tea, Weyward takes its time. The story unravels slowly while methodically building nuanced characters and immersive atmosphere.In my opinion the book is better for it.

Weyward follows three women and spans five centuries painting an expansive look at how the world perceives and treats each. While the characters share a common thread, a deep connection to the wilderness and its inhabitants, all three stories are unique, offering engaging characters and heartbreaking trails. Delving into themes of male driven violence against women and unwavering perseverance, Weyward will break your heart while simultaneously giving you hope.

Fans of Circe, The Witch's Heart, and Wildwood Whispers will want to add this to their TBR's

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Maritn's Press for this ARC.