Many thanks to the publisher for granting me access to this title. There's a lot about Weyward that I liked - the interwoven stories through generations of 'witches', the different time periods, some evocative passages and descriptions. I was looking for something a little more stand-out and unique, rather than what I got, which was a really well put-together story I feel I've read before.

Captivating. Empowering. Exquisite.

A brilliantly crafted story showing the power and resilience of women throughout the generations.

Three women, a family secret, abusive men, witchcraft. Beautifully written intergenerational story of Weyward women.

I was highly anticipating this book as per the tagline and the teaser trailer I saw, but this was disappointing. I was told witches, connected storylines, strong women. It didn't really deliver on any of those things. However, I did enjoy it, I found it compulsively readable, and even though it took me an unusually long length of time to read, it was an enjoyable reading experience. Triggers for sexual assault, abortion, domestic violence

What an absolutely brilliant book that enchanted and captivated me from the first, to the last word.

Three women - Altha, Violet and Kate. Connected by blood and a powerful gift. The gift of being able to commune with nature.

Altha, 1619. Arrested and being tried for a crime associated with witchcraft.

Violet, 1942. A naive and nature loving girl, whose innocence is brutally stolen.

Kate, fleeing an abusive relationship.

As we learn more about these formidable and amazing women, we see the power women have and the collective strength that has been so misunderstood and feared by men throughout history. There is an element of mystery running through this book, there is tragedy and sorrow. But boy is there also joy and redemption when the brutal men get their just desserts.

A five star read for me.

What an amazing, intricately written narrative. I have reached the end and am so taken with this book I just want to immediately go back and start from the beginning all over again. This is a dark tale of three different generations of ‘Weyward’ family women, stretching from the Witch trials of the 1600s to the present day. For me the story, and especially the character’s lives, brought me an emotional rollercoaster of lows and highs of thoughts and feelings as I was reading their life stories and discovered the connections as the story evolved. But I can definitely say I would not want to have missed a word. Thank you to Harper Collins and NetGalley for the ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.

Weyward
by Emilia Hart

Three timelines, three women.
1619, Altha Weyward is on trial for witchcraft and the murder of a local farmer.
1942, Violet is not happy about the options for women and cannot understand why she does not enjoy the freedom her younger brother has,
2019, Kate is fleeing an abusive relationship and finds shelter in Weyward Cottage which was left to her by her Aunt Violet
These women are all connected, and not only by their otherness.

I love this book with it's strong women who find comfort and healing in the natural world. Hart pulls you quickly through the plot with short chapters alternating between each of the three women, instantly grounding each to her period in time and as each timeline unfolds, and the connection between them emerges I found myself becoming deeply invested in all three characters.

This gives me vibes of "The Signature of All Things" by Elizabeth Gilbert, "Magic Lessons" by Alice Hoffman, "Tidelands" by Philippa Gregory. The writing is contemporary meets literary and brings some important lessons about the patriarchy and how it has evolved over the centuries, but not necessarily for everyone. Altha, Violet and Katy are all in danger, they all are at the mercy of the whims of men who use control to serve their own purposes. While societal norms may now differ, there are still so many subtle and not so subtle ways that women are oppressed and regardless of our place in history, women still have much to fear.

I highly recommend this book. I am so excited to read such an accomplished work from a debut author. I will be keeping my eye on her for future releases.

Publication date: 2nd February 2023
Thanks to #netgalley and #harpercollinsuk

This is a story of women, power and strong women that men tried to destroy. An easy story? No, not at all, but one that has to be told.
This is the story of three women, how family struggles seem to pass through generations and their dark fate doesn’t leave them. Maybe this time, Kate will have the power and strengths to stop it and have the life she and her ancestors deserved.
There are things that I loved about this book; the story of Altha, Violet and Kate felt real and I am sure that a lot of women could explain a similar story. And the truth is what makes me angry, being abused, used and discriminated against for being a woman, different, with needs… How can this happen for so long? And right now, women are being abused, killed or ignored by men because they are women. It’s something that makes you think about the society we live in and how we can make it change, of course making witch trials against men will not help. But as I always think, this should not only be stopped by women but also by men. We are a community, if we don’t join forces against the “bad” it will always remain there.
And I think that this is an aspect that I didn’t like about the book, they put all the men on the same side, they are only good to give you ‘the seed”… I don’t think it’s fair, there are a lot of misogynist in this world, not only men, but there are fair people, men that are against violence and want equality, and I think it’s wrong to not remember them.
The book is quite easy to read and impossible to put down; my favourite story was Altha, her witch trial is so sad and you can feel how powerless she feels against the trial. Also, Kate struggles and her self-discovery is amazing, her doubts for the new life she is growing inside of her felt so real and sad. At the same time, Violet seems the most powerful and brave of the three, the one that wants to know the truth and is ready to do anything to have it and not be used by men.
This is a book you should read, maybe you’ll love it, maybe you’ll hate it, but it’s a book to share and discuss, a book you’ll remember.
Are you ready to meet the “Weyward’s”?

Weyward is a wonderful mix of both a family drama spanning centuries and covering the lives of three women and an epic feminist read with a focus on women’s inner power. It looks at how that power was turned against women and called witchcraft…

We have chapters from Altha in 1619 – on trial for witchcraft when we first meet her, Violet in 1942 – fighting against the restrictive life prescribed to her as a woman in a rich family and Kate in 2019 – fleeing an abusive relationship.

Weyward cottage in Crows Beck, Cumbria is the physical place that ties our characters together. Each woman faces a very different crisis but as the story unravels, we learn just how they are all linked and what the women mean to each other.

I loved the themes coming through in Weyward and found it to be really engaging and satisfying, as well as very emotional, to read.

There was such descriptive language used to convey the Weyward women’s affiliation with nature and I loved the nod to Daphne Du Maurier’s wonderful The Birds when nature comes to the aid in a dramatic fashion.

Weyward is a hugely enjoyable read and you find yourself rooting for all three women as they all deliver little twists in their narratives that lets their true spirit shine. 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.

Following the stories of Altha, Violet and Kate who are bound by blood but separated by time. Weyward is an interesting tale of how each woman faces the challenges of her day and those of her birth.

While Altha has been raised with the knowledge of her (and her families') closeness with nature, Violet and Kate grow up unaware, until the signs can be ignored no longer.

Though I had thought the book was going to have more 'witchy' overtones than it did, particularly as it begins pretty much with a witch trial, the magical elements tended to be secondary to each of the characters' individual efforts to right wrongs done to them or others and the overall arc of how the later female descendents of a family I.e. Violet and Kate learn about their ancestors.

Covering weighty issues including domestic abuse, rape, and misogyny the book tempers these with the warmth of love whether that be between mother and daughter, brother and sister or friends and good neighbours.

I loved this. I didn't want to put it down and ended up finishing it in two days.

The chapters switch between three different women and three different time periods. There wasn't any part or any of the stories that I got bored with and just wanted to keep reading to know more and what happened.

Highly recommend this, especially for fans of historical fiction with witchy elements.

Weyward by Emilia Heart

This book is written really well and told by three women of 3 different time periods.

Kate 2019

Kate is fleeing a abusive relationship I feel for Kate. Kate has inheatred a cottage and now wants to discover her ansercorrty after finding some letter.

VIOLET, 1942

She not what her father expects of her and he'd prefer she be a real young lady.

ALTHA, 1619

Been on trail for been a witch and accused of murder. It's a dark trail


I have throughly enjoyed this book and how these stories weave together. Each of these characters has thier own unquie voice I loved how thier stories intertwined.

Absolutely stunning book, totally enchanting! I loved it! The story of these three women and their lives and how they are linked is spellbinding! So much detail, I was charmed by them all!

This book pulled me right in. I was hooked from the start. Across 5 centuries, three women's stories are told, the 3 women are all Weywards.
Altha, accused of witchcraft, Violet knows she is different and Kate doesn't realise how strong she is.
The three women are pushed to their limits in this debut novel. There's friendships, family, nature and magic.
I would recommend this book. I will be looking out for more books by this author.

Thank you netgally for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

A book about women's strength, the power of nature and running wild. A powerful story that I couldn't put down.
Excellent storytelling and character development.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

A book to renew your love of nature and the inherent magic that moves around women. The female strength and softness ; the possibility of birth and renewal.......sure in the knowledge that those who hurt her children will suffer death, or worse, by her hand, quite willingly. Three women of different generations linked by their power and bond with nature. Sometimes the veil can be brushed aside to allow aid and comfort between the threads of time. Well worth a few quiet hours.

Weyward
by Emilia Hart

Finish 9.1.23

Book 3/60 2023

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Good

🦅 This story gripped me from the very start. The first narrative of 3 (Kate's) was my favourite, and it pulled me in immediately.

🪶 I enjoyed all 3 timelines and narratives, whereas usually in a book written in this style I usually find myself skimming one of the stories in order to return to my favourite.

🕷 Each character certainly had their own voice, and I enjoyed how each of their stories had common interwoven themes and shared history.

The Bad

🦅 I didn't find the story entirely original - it may be that I read a lot of books in this style and genre, but I didn't feel the author had a viewpoint that I hadn't come across before.

🪶 The descriptions of nature and the crows became repetitive at times, although they were well written and atmospheric.

🕷 The descriptions of spiders on necks and in hair were too much for me!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

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Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins for this eARC!

I’m always drawn to books about witches and magic, but sometimes they can be disappointing. This one wasn’t.

I loved the three person perspective over many centuries - all women from the same family line, discovering themselves and facing their own trials and tribulations.

This is a story about female empowerment, family, and embracing your weird. It was so rewarding to see the main character grow and become a stronger, better person, who had more self worth and a deeper understanding of her own power. There were some really satisfying moments in this one, as well as those more heartbreaking.

The stories of the women are equally interesting, and you can see how their lives intersect even without them living at the same time. They were likeable and inspiring and just completely badass, even when experiencing heartbreak and prejudice and even worse!

Always be a Weyward woman.

An interesting blend of folklore and magic realism bring this tale of female empowerment to life. I don't usually enjoy books where the characters are from different centuries but this one held my interest enough to want to discover their connections.
Thank you to netgalley and HarperCollins for an advance copy of this book.

Weyward is a riveting and absorbing debut novel which tells the story of 3 generations of women living at different times, 5 centuries apart, all linked by blood and birth, and by accusations of witchcraft. They also each have a real affinity with the natural world.

In 1619: Altha is on trial for witchcraft, accused of killing a local farmer. A natural healer, or “wise woman”, she is known for her uncanny connection with nature and animals and learned her skills from her mother.
1942: Violet, the daughter of the 9th Viscount of Kendall lives at Orton Hall and is more interested in collecting insects and climbing trees than in becoming the young lady her birth dictates, until a chain of shocking events changes her life forever.
2019: Kate flees London, and her abusive, violent, and controlling partner Simon. She heads for Cumbria and Weyward Cottage, which she inherited from her great-aunt Violet. Here, a secret lurks in the bones of the house, hidden ever since the witch-hunts of the 17th century, and this is where the interlinking stories of all 3 women ultimately will be revealed.

The storylines of these 3 women are woven together in alternating chapters, and the author moves the reader effortlessly and seamlessly between them, and their respective historical periods, in such a way that it never jars. The challenges faced by them individually, inform each other’s stories and are reflected within them. Over 500 years, and generations apart, each of them is subject to misogyny, abuse, and control, from both men and wider society. But they each meet these threats and challenges head on, finding their own strength and power within. The themes of female empowerment, resilience, and a strong affinity with the natural world are very strong, in this feminist novel.

The characterisation is realistic and believable; it is incredibly well plotted and constructed; it is beautifully written with descriptions of the natural world and landscape which are vividly and exquisitely lyrical, and, living in Cumbria, as I do, I was truly impressed by the creation of the sense of place within the novel.

Weyward is a brilliantly immersive novel, which is very hard to put down. The reader quickly become invested in the characters and their story, and the narrative finally leads them to a just and satisfying ending. The writing is extremely assured and it is hard to believe that it is in fact a debut. After such an impressive start, I will be very keen to read subsequent novels from Emilia Hart!
Thank you to HarperCollins, Netgalley and Emilia Hart for an e-ARC in exchange for an independent review.