Weyward was an absolute delight to read. I devoured the book and couldn't put it down. The writing was brilliant, it got me hooked from the very first page. I was immersed in the characters' stories and immediately felt like I knew them and could sympathise with them.

The author follows the story of three women, Altha, Violet and Kate, who have lived in different time periods. Their stories, at first similarly unrelated, turn out to be intertwined and tangled in many ways. The author explored different types of abusive relationships - within a small village community, within a family and within a romantic relationship. Following the women's stories, we observe different ways they break the chains people try to put them in and find their power.

Weyward is a story of finding your inner power and freedom, self-empowerment and courage. Emilia Hart shows in brilliant ways what it means to be a woman and how strong you have to be to overcome the judgement of society and gender discrimination so you can live the life you have chosen.

I adored this book. I'm very grateful Netgalley for the arc! I hope Emilia would tell ys more stories in the future!

The Weyward women have captured my heart, with this enthralling book. I did not want this book to end, I was enraptured.

Altha. Set in the 1600’s, a period of time when being different was dangerous. King James was on a witch-hunt mission during those times.
Violet. 1940’s and living a sheltered life in Cumbria. Drawn to insects, birds and bugs.
Kate 2019. Kate is in an abusive relationship, she needs to escape, far away from the clutches of this man.

The book starts with Kate, present time of 2019.
Without giving away any spoilers, Kate needs to get away, start a new life.
Altha, Violet and Kate are the three main characters. The story moves seamlessly between the three, and the time gap of the centuries.
I absolutely loved reading each snippet of their life, moving forward, wondering with curiosity what may happen? but not wanting the book to end.
The book does cover some very sensitive topics.
For me personally, this book is a winner. I want to read more books like this! And from this author, Emilia Hart.

Many thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction for an advanced e-book copy. Opinions of this book are entirely my own.

I don't always like books with moving timelines - I find them confusing and often lose track of where we are and when things happen - but because this is following three totally separate people in three totally separate timelines, and each one is more or less in chronological order, it didn't bother me at all this time. Which is great, because it left me time to concentrate on the beautiful writing!

If I were absolutely forced to pick something bad, I'd say that Violet's section felt like it was happening about a hundred years before it was actually set. The whole thing was practically Victorian. I understand that the timing had to line up with Kate, but it still seemed odd to me.

However, that's a tiny thing that didn't bother me at the time - it just occurred to me afterwards! It didn't affect my enjoyment at all; I know that Violet's father may have deliberately kept things old fashioned in the house. (I may have sobbed a little during the epilogue, when - ooh, spoilers!)

I can see why some people are struggling with parts of this book. The writing is very vivid and explicit, and it deals with some very heavy topics. It's all very true to life, of course, but it may too much for some readers - do be aware of the warnings!

I loved this, I can see why it's getting so much attention, and I think it's going to do really well.

Weyward is a historical fiction with magical realism that follows three different women, linked by blood and nature.

The synopsis for this book was really interesting to me. However, I just felt incredibly underwhelmed by it all.

The writing was mediocre. It felt stilted in places and lacked any warmth and passion I expected from what the story was trying to relate. There were some major flaws with the plot delivery, making it feel forced to reach a point that was necessary to the story. I also have to mention the slight continuity error on the final two pages (how do you take off a necklace twice???)

The characters came across rather bland to me, as if they were being forced to match each other in order to fulfil their place in the story.

That all said, the premise really gripped me, I was driven to continue so I could see this connection between these characters and be enveloped on this natural take to witches and witchcraft. If you're looking for a natural witch that uses her powers for good and has an affinity towards nature, in particular insects and birds, then this is indeed a book for you!

Overall, I was very intrigued by this novel and its remarkable potential. I'm just incredibly sad to say that its delivery didn't match this and left me slightly bored in places.

Thank you so much HarperCollins UK, Harper Fiction and Netgalley for the arc of Weyward by Emilia Hart in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

I would describe Weyward as a feminist historical fiction with a strong vein of fantasy, witchcraft and naturalism running through it.

Once I started this book, which had languished for too long waiting for me to pick it up, I didn’t want to put it down. I became totally invested in the lives of these amazing Weyward women.

Altha is on trial for witchcraft in 1619, accused of the murder of a cow farmer in her village. Violet, is oppressed by her father as World War II rages, unable to realise her dreams of escape to study nature and insects. While Kate is trapped in an abusive relationship in 2019, with the only escape route being to run to the abandoned cottage left to her by an aunt she hardly knew. This is the story of these Weyward women, separated by time, united by love, witchcraft and nature.

This book is written with such heartfelt emotion, unflinching as it never shies from hard hitting topics including misogyny, physical and sexual abuse, abortion, death, illness, mental health and more. Yet, it also tells the story of nature and it’s beauty, reclamation of power, recognition of self and the innate strength of these amazing women.

This is not a read for those who may be triggered by such hard hitting topics but, it is a book that brims with hope and optimism - “Perhaps one day, she said, there would be a safer time. When women could walk the earth, shining bright with power, and yet live.”

I wholeheartedly recommend this for all you Weyward women and will definitely be rereading this in the future when my preordered edition arrives.

I had just finished reading a historical fiction focusing on the life of a witch which is due to be published in the same month as Weyward, so it seems this is a theme for 2023 fiction!

Weyward tells the story of three ladies who are related to each other and have a link to witchcraft across the centuries. There’s Altha, who was accused of being a witch in the 1600s, Kate who is running away from an abusive relationship in the present day and the childhood story of her great aunt Violet in the 1920s - who suffers a sheltered childhood until she is taken advantage of by a relative. Each character felt realistic and well-drawn and were relatable in their own right. The chapters alternated perspectives between them, but I never rushed through one to get to any of the others – all of the stories were interesting and held my attention. There is also a nice link between them that gets stronger as you read further on.

The witchcraft theme is lightly handled – there is an air of real magic surrounding some of the things they can do but a lot of it relies on knowing the natural world and healing. This means you don’t have to suspend your disbelief too much to enjoy the story. Just a note that it does get quite dark in places with themes of abuse, control and sexual assault. Most of the storylines involve pregnancy as a theme to link them together as well.

Overall, this is Emilia Hart’s debut and with this strong start, she is certainly an author to watch out for in the future! Thank you to NetGalley & Harper Collins UK – Harper Fiction & Borough Press for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

— 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 —

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: Weyward
𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬: N/A
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫(𝐬): Emilia Hart
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Historical Horror
𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝: 2nd February 2023
𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 5/5

TW: domestic abuse, rape, miscarriage, stillbirth

”The connections between and among women are the most feared, the most problematic, and the most potentially transforming force on the planet.”

This is a beautiful and compelling story with one main goal: to empower women. It includes witches, creepy crawlies, and three points of view that I will never forget.

Three Weyward women spanning across the generations struggle with the sexism and misogyny in their lives. Each of these women have nature in their hearts and life force which has been quashed in different ways.

For Altha, this connection is well known throughout the village and gets her accused of witchcraft in 1619.

For Violet, set in 1942, this connection is forcibly dampened by her father and the servants, who try to lock away the strangeness inside her.

For Kate, set in 2019, this connection is completely and utterly stifled, her confidence is broken, and the bruises blooming on her skin are another secret of hers that’s trying to get out.

I became fully invested in each of these characters immediately, never resenting when the POV would switch and always eager to learn more about each of their stories and how they could intertwine across centuries. I was not disappointed.

In fact, this book reminds me of a blend between Mrs England with its gothic atmosphere, and The Change with its wonderful feminist magical realism.

Overall, this book was a love letter to weirdness in women and how no man should ever underestimate the power we hold.

Side note: I properly love the UK cover of this and can’t wait to get my hands on it!

🧚🏻‍♀️

This is an amazing story about a family of witches across several generations.. About the help they tried to give people and the way they were mistreated, mainly by men. Very easy to relate to the story and the characters, A thoroughly fascinating read.

This is the 1st of Emilia Hart’s that I’ve read. It is really quite good, torn between rating it 4.75 or 5. I liked that it span such many years, parallel story telling, I liked that it all linked up, no loose ends. So harrowing for some of the scenes, really tugs at one’s heartstrings. She writes so well, portraying such strength in the female characters in the book. I think I read it initially in a stage of my life where I have been distracted by everything around me that I found it really difficult to carry on reading. I’m glad I did! Thank you Emilia Hart and Harper Collins for the advanced review copy via NetGalley.

I had this book sitting on my Netgalley shelf for a while and I have no idea why I put it off so long! Such a well woven tale, I read it more or less in one go - I couldn’t put it down.

It tells the story of three women of the Weyward family, separated by time but bound by their gift - the ability to talk to and embrace the power of the natural world.

A feminist novel in that all of the women are breaking free of male domination in one way or another and all come to realise their power when they most need it.

I seem to be going through a spell of excellent debut novels at the moment and this is another one to add to the list

Thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins for the chance to read an early copy

This story of 3 women from different generations of the same family is beautifully told. I was fully invested in the lives of each one, and their stories both differed and interlinked in intricate and interesting ways. The natural world plays a huge part in her novel in a very powerful way and I was swept away by the descriptions of the earth and it’s creatures. A beautiful book.

Thank you so much Netgalley and HarperCollins UK for an advanced copy of Weyward.

This book is a MUST read, I was completely obsessed. The story takes place over several centuries with three different generations of women telling their stories. And how their lives have been changed forever by the abusive men in their life.

It was such a beautiful read and I want everyone and I mean, everyone, to read this book.

I haven’t stopped thinking about this beautiful beautiful book since I finished it, as soon as I finished the last page, I wanted to go back and read it all over again.

This book will have you feeling all the emotions, I hardly get scared by books, but without giving spoilers, there’s a scene in a part of the house which had me shook, I felt I was right there with the character. I also experienced happiness, fear, empowerment and annoyance at some of the people Kate had to deal with!

All of the woman were so well written, I felt a bond with all of them, each of the timelines were interesting.

An unbelievably amazing debut, I’m excited to read the authors next book

Altha - 1619

Altha is on trial, accused of being a witch.

“Night had already fallen for me.”

Violet - 1942

Violet’s father is appalled by her behaviour (climbing trees is most inappropriate) and is threatening to send her to finishing school so he can marry her off to an eligible young man. Violet wants to be a scientist. She would also like to be allowed to wear trousers. No one understands her “insect obsession”.

‘Is there something wrong with me?’

Kate - 2019

When Kate leaves her abusive relationship, she goes to Weyward Cottage, which was owned by her great-aunt. It is here that she will come to terms with her past and discover her heritage.

“I am the monster.”

The first Weyward child is always a girl. This is the story of three of them, centuries apart yet connected.

Although each Weyward is given a voice in this story, Altha’s is the only one told in first person. I found something to like about all three women. In particular, their affinity with nature endeared them to me.

Be aware that on page violence against women is part of the story in every timeline. The graphic nature of some of this abuse may be triggering for some readers. Thankfully, women reclaiming their power and having the courage to be themselves was also part of the story.

Favourite no context quote: “Perhaps one day, she said, there would be a safer time. When women could walk the earth, shining bright with power, and yet live.”

Content warnings include abortion, domestic abuse, mental health, miscarriage, physical abuse of an animal, racial slur, sexual assault, stillbirth and suicidal ideation. Readers with emetophobia may have trouble with some scenes.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and The Borough Press, an imprint of HarperCollins UK, for the opportunity to read this book.

I absolutely devoured this book - finished in a day and couldn’t put it down. Phenomenal story telling of three Weyward women and their connections with the natural world. Very real issues that were hard to read at times and written very very well. 5/5 this will stay with me for a long time.

This novel follows 3 women at 3 points in history. Altha in the 17th century is on trial as a suspected witch, Violet in 1942 is trying to understand her place in the world and Violet' s great niece Kate in 2019 is running from her abusive partner.
Kate connects with her ancestors when she inherits her great aunts house and discovers the stories that shaped their lives and their unique connection to the natural world.

An engaging well written story that will appeal to fans of Barbara Erskine with its 3 timelines, believable, well rounded characters who eventually find the strength to carve their own paths against society and family opposition.

I received a copy of Weyward by Emilia Hart from NetGalley. This book blends elements of fantasy and historical and paranormal together throughout the story. Its blurb is something that immediately intrigued me. The debut novel of the author weaves together a story of three women in three different centuries from the same family Weyward.
The story of Weyward follows three Weyward women from different centuries. Altha Weyward in the 1690’s, Violet in 1900’s and Kate in the present time. The story begins when Kate flees an abusive relationship and leaves London. She has inherited a cottage in a rural town Crow’s Beck from an eccentric Aunt Violet whom she barely remembers. Aunt Violet is the sister of Kate’s grandfather Graham. Kate seeks refuge in the cottage Weyward. She hears whispers about the cottage and her family and she wants to find answers.
The stories of Altha, Violet, and Kate slowly start unfolding and are tied together in the end. I don’t know how much I can describe the plot without giving it away because it's much more interesting to discover it yourself. These women have an affinity for witchcraft and calling upon nature. Such fantastical elements have been dealt with in such a way that it blends seamlessly into the story. They are different from others; always attune to nature and wildly fascinated with it. Altha is accused of being a witch and put on trial in 1694. It's something that follows her and her family forever even after she is proven not guilty.
Overall, I enjoyed reading Weyward by Emilia Hart. This book which is fantasy, historical and paranormal is beautifully written and has amazing characters. The plot moves ahead with a purpose and all the pieces start falling into place towards the end. I enjoyed reading the book.

Witchcraft is a subject I always find interesting to read about, so I was curious to see how Emilia Hart would approach it in Weyward, her debut novel. It’s a book set in three different time periods, something which doesn’t always work for me, but in this case the three storylines are so closely linked I found the structure very effective. In Shakespeare’s First Folio, the three witches in Macbeth are referred to as the ‘weyward sisters’, a term which evolved into ‘weird sisters’ in later versions – and just like Macbeth, Emilia Hart’s novel features three ‘weyward’ women.

In 2019, we meet Kate, a young woman trapped in an abusive relationship. Finally making the decision to leave, she flees London for Crows Beck, a village in Cumbria where she has inherited a cottage from her great-aunt, Violet. Settling into the house, known as Weyward Cottage, Kate begins to uncover some family secrets that help her to understand the great-aunt she had barely known.

A second thread of the novel is set in 1942 and introduces us to Violet as a girl of sixteen living at Orton Hall with her father. She longs to know more about her mother, who died when she was a small child, but her father refuses to talk about her, except to say that Violet resembles her – and not in a good way. As Violet’s story unfolds, we find out how she came to leave Orton Hall and build a new life at Weyward Cottage.

The third of the weyward women in the novel is Altha Weyward who lives in Crows Beck in the early 17th century. Altha, who has a knowledge of healing and herbs passed down to her by her mother, is on trial for witchcraft, having been accused of killing a local man. As Altha waits to hear whether she will be found guilty, we learn more about her life in the village and the truth behind the man’s death.

The three women are linked not just by a family connection, but also through a shared love of nature. In fact, it’s more than just a love – it’s an affinity so strong that they are able to draw power from the natural environment and find comfort in surrounding themselves with plants and animals even at the most difficult of times. I could have done without so many detailed descriptions of insects and spiders, but on the other hand the affection these women have for even the least pleasant of creatures is what makes them unusual and different. None of them conform to society’s expectations and for Violet and Altha at least, this can lead to suspicion and distrust.

The male characters don’t come out of this book very well; from Kate’s violent, manipulative ex-partner and Violet’s cold, strict father to the men who hold Altha’s fate in their hands, they are very much the villains of the book. As for the three female protagonists, I liked all of them, although Violet was the one I felt the closest connection with. The three narratives are written in different styles using different combinations of first and third person and past and present tense, so I never felt confused as to whose story I was reading. Parts of Kate’s story towards the end were quite predictable, but otherwise all three storylines were gripping, staying with one character for just the right length of time before switching to the next, and with plenty of cliffhanger chapter endings to keep things moving forward.

I enjoyed Weyward, although there wasn’t as much focus on witchcraft as I expected – it’s more a book about the magic of nature and the obstacles faced by women over the centuries. It wasn’t always comfortable to read as all three of the main characters go through some very traumatic experiences, but I found it an interesting and unusual novel and will look out for more from Emilia Hart.

Compellingly written with a clear triple timeline that holds just enough back while allowing the reader to 'jump ahead' of its protagonist and will surely appeal to a wide range of readers. A very confident debut. 4.5 stars

Weyward Emilia Hart


5 stars

A magnificent debut book

What a wonderful and empowering book! It tells the tale of 3 women from different times all interwoven around Weyward Cottage in Cumbria where they all end up living.

Altha’s story is set in 1619 where she is preparing to be tried as a witch. Both Altha and her mother Jennet have always had affinity with nature and all its creatures in particular insects and birds. However in those days healing by way of herbs was considered an act of sorcery.

Violet’s story is set in 1942 and due to horrific circumstances she is disinherited and thrown out of her home at Orton Hall and banished to live in Weyward Cottage.

Kate is living in London with her abusive partner, Simon, and has just found out she is pregnant. Violet is her great aunt and has left Weyward Cottage to Kate and it is there that Kate escapes to determined not to let Simon know about the baby and indeed where she is now living.

The story jumps back and forth between the stories of the three women but they are all bound by the fact that they are all ‘Weyward women’. They all have this closeness with the natural world and each of them discover that they can influence various creatures to do their will.

I have never read a book like this before and I was captivated by the descriptions of the house, garden and countryside surrounding Weyward Cottage. It is a story of 3 very powerful women who come through terrible experiences stronger and lead their lives as they want to and not as the men they meet would want them to. I loved this book and will look out for any further books by this author, what a magnificent debut!

Karen Deborah
Netgalley Reviewer