Weyward is a story of three generations of the Weyward women, spanning four hundred years between 1619 and the present. Its three protagonists are Altha, the healer, put on trial for murdering a man and accused of using black arts; Violet, a fifteen-year-old girl, a daughter of a viscount, who is subjected to an assault with far-reaching consequences which only she, the victim, is expected to suffer; and Kate, a woman running from an abusive relationship with the father of her unborn child.

Each of the women is subjected to brutalities which are sanctioned by the laws and mores that are designed to destroy them and to protect their oppressors. Each of the women embarks on a journey of self-discovery and undergoes a moment of empowering awakening.

Society shuns the Weyward women as witches, but this book isn’t about trickery, boiling cauldrons, warts and superficial gimmicks. It is about what it means to be a woman and stay in touch with your inner femininity, to commune with nature, to command and serve it. It is about building resistance to male dominance and man’s voracious drive to subjugate women. It’s about natural justice. About the freedom of choice.

The book throbs with sensitivities that only a woman can describe. There are scenes of unspeakable violence, including rape and physical abuse. The response to those, from the point of view of the victims, is powerfully realised. The detail, every sublime sensation, the textures and the minutiae of shape, sound and form are all masterfully crafted. The prose delivers the story in assured strokes of the author’s brush.

I relished the story, was shaken by it and inspired to reflect about my own femininity, from girlhood to my ripe oldish age now. The book brought to mind Ann Rice’s Mayfair Witches of The Witching Hour. A great read.

An interesting debut historical fiction,, with three interwoven pov, telling the stories of three different Weyward women. With an overarching theme of witchcraft and an innate understanding of the nature, each narrative thread held links back to and reflections of the others. Initially I was really hooked and wanted to know more, but as the novel progressed it fell into a few cliches and I found myself waiting for something unexpected to happen. Overall though a promising debut and I would definitely be interested to read more of Hart’s work as her writing matures. I will be recommending this to several customers who I know will enjoy it enormously.

Three women linked through blood with one secret. How far will women go to protect themselves.
This book was totally out of my comfort zone and I’m so glad I read it. It’s beautifully written and the audio book was perfect.
Thank you to netgalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

Spanning across 5 centuries, this story is centered around 3 women of the Weyward family. Through alternating chapters we meet Kate in 2019, running from an abusive relationship and taking shelter in her late great Aunt Violet's cottage. From here we travel back to 1942 to Violet's youth, a young girl who is more interested in nature and climbing trees than conforming to her strict Father's idea of being a proper lady. Through horrific events in Violet's tale, we are introduced to Altha in 1619, on trial for witchcraft for the murder of a local man. The tales of these three women are woven together beautifully and themes of abuse, misogyny and resilience are apparent throughout. Each woman finds her power through the story of the last with the help of the nature surrounding Weyward cottage. I loved this book and would definitely recommend!

My thanks to HarperCollins U.K. The Borough Press for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Weyward’ by Emilia Hart.

This stunning debut novel weaves together the stories of three women, each touched by magic, across five centuries.

In 2019 Kate flees London and her abusive boyfriend and travels to the remote village of Crow’s Beck, Cumbria. She had recently learned that she has inherited Weyward Cottage from her great-aunt and sees this as a chance to find a new life. Unknown to her a secret lurks in the bones of the house, hidden ever since the witch-hunts of the 17th century.

In 1942 sixteen-year-old Violet Ayres had grown up in Orton Hall, the seat of the Viscount Kendall. Yet she is more interested in climbing trees and collecting insects than in conforming to society’s expectations for a lady of her station. Then a chain of shocking events changes her life forever.

In 1619 Altha Weyward is the daughter of the local wise woman. Both women have an uncanny connection with nature and animals. Following her mother’s death Altha takes up the role of healer in the local community. However, she finds herself on trial for witchcraft, accused of killing a local man.

Each of these women are linked to the Weyward bloodline and at heart each belongs to the natural world and the wild.

I felt that Emilia Hart skilfully chronicles the lives of her three Weyward women. Each experiences a sublime connection with nature, though with Kate it is rather suppressed due to living in an urban setting.

Kate finds this changes as she seeks information about her ancestors and lives closer to nature and beginning to wake with the sun, spends time in the garden and takes walks in the country.

Emilia Hart approaches the supernatural/paranormal aspects of her tale in a subtle manner such as the strange behaviour of birds, insects, and animals.

Overall, I found ‘Weyward’ a beautifully written novel, well deserving of its prepublication praise. After such an assured debut, I will be looking forward to Emilia Hart’s future projects.

Highly recommended.

An actor died by suicide in India, in 2020. His partner, also an actor, was immediately arrested, on absolutely no evidence at all, jailed ( for what is not a non-bailable offence), and tried by public opinion, because obviously a woman leading her own life was evil, right? One of the main accusations by her, that was getting shared widely on social media, was of witchcraft. It's horrifying to think that this is a charge by which women can be condemned, in cities in the world, in this century. Weyward is an attempt to take back that word, and correct the narrative that women living by themselves, and not being dependant on men, was inherently because of deals with the "dark side"and so on. It's an interesting book about three generations of women trying to survive in a patriarchal society. It's a quick read, but Hart's proposition, of a sisterhood and women's networks that support each other is belied by the story itself-the women in the story barely help each other and there are some glaring loopholes-for instance, it's not very clear why one of the characters does not turn to her clearly sympathetic mother for help in a difficult situation. Interesting book, if not as powerful as the reviews make it seem

Triple narrated story with Kate in 2019 fleeing an abusive boyfriend, she hides in the cottage she secretly inherited from her great aunt Violet. A woman she barely remembers. As she rebuilds her confidence she discovers more of Violet's story. Violet in the 1940s is a teenager who is desperate to find out more about her mother who died when she was a child, but a strict father and servants keep her naive and isolated. Meanwhile in 1619 Altha is on trial for witchcraft through her story we learn about the Weyward women and their heritage as healers, feared by men who want to control them and accused of being 'uncanny' and strange.

It's rare to get a multiple narrated novel where I actually want to know what happens in each story. They link together brilliantly and I'm enjoying this fictional trend of reclaiming witchcraft as women's work.

Weyward is a story about three women that all have a special gift, but this gift is also in a way a curse since it separates them from others. And, that makes people afraid.

Weyward is a book that not really turned out to be as interesting as I hoped it to be after reading the blurb. There are good bits in it. I liked Altha Weyward's chapters the best, but I struggled quite a bit with Violet's story since it was so predictable and a bit boring to read. The present story, Kate's was a bit so-so, the best part was her discovering more about Violet and Althea. The ending was great and quite surprising. I wish the book had been more like that, instead of just so-so for the most part. I think the main problem I had was that I never really connected with the characters or the story.

I’m going to start off with a content warning - check out at the end if you want more information.

I’m going to admit - I struggled with the first half (probably because I was reading two books at the same time and I felt this first part of this book didn’t pull me in as much). But once I got into this one I was hooked - what a ride! I loved how you follow 3 voices, all Weyward women with that special and unique gift and connection with nature (witch!). I loved the 3 generational storylines, but Altha’s is the only one in first person.

The treatment by most of men in each of the Weyward women’s lives is absolutely horrific but the strength and fortitude they show, blimey! Altha’s story is pretty horrific, given the time and age of the day. What was refreshing about this one, is the take on witchcraft - there’s no spells and incantations. It’s all nature.

This was such a unique premise of the generational women each supporting their descendants and using their gifts - it definitely gave me vibes of The Change by Kirsten Miller. If you’re a fan of The Change - this one is recommended reading!

Thanks to NetGalley, the team at Harper Collins and the author for the opportunity to read this review copy.

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⚠️Content warning/potential spoilers: reference to domestic abuse and violence to women, stillbirth, miscarriage. ⚠️

My review:⭐⭐⭐⭐

Weyward by Emilia Hart has three storyline (and time lines) weaved together, to tell the truth about three different women. One is set in present day, one is set in 1600s, and one is set 1942, and they each show women struggling with the roles they're in.

This feels like a book that's getting a lot of attention at the moment.  There is a lot of female empowerment and the characters aren't shown to be perfect, but are human.

I enjoyed the story unveiling itself through the use of the three timelines, and I was enthralled by what was going to happen next!

I was given this book in exchange for an unbiased review, so my thanks to NetGalley and to HarperCollins UK!

This is an assured debut that balances three narrative strands very well. Often with books with multiple strands there will be a clear standout or one that I don't enjoy but that is not the case here. All three stories held my interest.

I was compelled to get to the end and found the ending satisfying. However, there was something slightly too controlled about each element, or perhaps too neat in the conclusion. We aren't left with any questions or anything to mull over. I almost feel like it was a bit clinical.

I will be keen to see what the author does next because it's certainly a very promising debit.

My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I have really enjoyed reading about the three Weyward women. Altha's story set in 1618, Violet's story set in 1942 and Kate's story in the present day. All with a heartbreaking story to tell. I'll definitely be recommending this to friends and family and will read this again in future.

Emilia Hart has stunned me with this amazing debut novel. It is enchanting and bewitching and utterly believable.
The Weyward women through the centuries have had a close relationship with both the natural world and its more supernatural elements. This is the story of three of those women. Three women trying to survive against the cruelties of the men they are forced to share their lives with.
Spanning five centuries in Crows Beck, a remote Cumbrian village, from the time of King James I's witch trials to the physical abuse of modern day marriage, this is poignant and powerful. Three women who fought back with the help of Mother Earth.

Having downloaded this a while ago, I was then apprehensive to start reading after saw it recommended as yet another 'Witch Lit' title. I shouldn't have worried as it was definitely one of the better ones and not just following the genre trend. I can't deny that it is hard going in some places due to the uncomfortable nature of some events and the general attitude towards woman historically. But this is exactly why books like this should exist, to make us question and feel uncomfortable. It's also a great entertaining story of course, so a win win for me.

4.5 stars
An enchanting, magical read about the strength of women and family. I loved the three narrators in this one, although my favourite was definitely Violet.
Each of the women had been through so much in their lives and the links to the past were beautifully covered.
The connections with nature and the history of the cottage and the family were cleverly interwoven into each story and I loved how a physical reminder from the past had survived to give strength to the next generation.

I loved this story. It was mysterious and well written it was god to get the story from different angles o piece together what was happening.

This book is amazing. I cannot believe that this is a debut, because it is so well written and immersive. It is a mix of historical fiction, litarary fiction and magical realism. There are three main female characters and each of them lives in a different time period, but they have so much in common.
I really liked the setting of the Weyward cottage with all the descriptions of nature and insects. The connection between the female characters was so beautifully done. I loved the way how they were able to draw strength from one another and learned more about themselves, though they weren't able to interact with each other directly.
The book deals with very heavy themes like abuse, death, isolation and depression, just to name a few. But it's also about self worth, making choices and taking responsability for oneself. It gets really symbolic at times and also plays with wonderful imagery. There were lots of quotes that stood out for me and I even had to write some of them down, which is not something I often do.

A tale about 3 different generations of Weyward women, set in the 17th, 19th and 20th centuries. Well written with great appreciation for the natural world and the stories kept me engaged throughout. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This book is amazing, itsawhholeother level, I loved this somuch I’m awaiting Waterstones special edition to arrive as I type . I love that it centred on women , that it felt realistic, the characters made making realistic choices, they were so easy to relate to. I loved the empowerment of women, the connections they had between each other, family, friends and nature. I can’t praise this enough, you need to read this book.


Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy in return for an honest review

TRIGGER WARNINGS

Rape
Domestic Abuse
Miscarriage
Stillbirth/late term miscarriage
Death

I’m not even sure how to classify this book, there are elements of mild fantasy but this is mostly a study of a bloodline, of three women from said bloodline centuries apart, yet suffering from recurring themes and traumas. So, read on to find out what I thought!

Here’s the blurb for Weyward…

“KATE, 2019

Kate flees London – abandoning everything – for Cumbria and Weyward Cottage, inherited from her great-aunt. There, a secret lurks in the bones of the house, hidden ever since the witch-hunts of the 17th century.

VIOLET, 1942

Violet is more interested in collecting insects and climbing trees than in becoming a proper young lady. Until a chain of shocking events changes her life forever.

ALTHA, 1619

Altha is on trial for witchcraft, accused of killing a local man. Known for her uncanny connection with nature and animals, she is a threat that must be eliminated.

But Weyward women belong to the wild. And they cannot be tamed…

Weaving together the stories of three women across five centuries, Weyward is an enthralling novel of female resilience and the transformative power of the natural world.”

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book from the blurb. As a pagan I’ll admit I was worried about the portrayal of ‘witchcraft’, as I usually am in such situations, but I needn’t have worried as this is not witchcraft as most would know it. In fact, it is closer to my belief system - the respect of the natural world, although I am sad that I don’t have the Weyward women’s extra touch of power! As much as I have an affinity for animals I am not able to get them to do my bidding, my cat is evidence of that!

The true story of this book has less to do with such power than it has to do with the stories of women. Of hardships and traumas we have suffered throughout history. Of rape and domestic violence. Of accusations of witchcraft if we lived outside the norm for society. Of the dangers of maternity, the risks involved with pregnancy and childbirth. Of men’s fear of strong women. All three stories, which run parallel to each other in alternating chapters, follow similar patterns and themes. From Altha and her trial and the reasons behind the accusation, to sheltered Violet and her cruel awakening to the ‘real’ world, and lastly Kate who believes she is running away from something yet may be running towards her salvation, these stories truly came alive for me and resonated so deeply. Generations of women fighting to survive against the odds, while keeping the truth of their line and its history alive for hundreds of years, despite the best efforts of men!

If you think that all sounds terribly depressing, you’d be very wrong. Emilia Hart has managed to create an uplifting and inspiring story that draws you in and hooks you from the start, each tale layered and linked to the others. Even when you start to realise what links them all there are still surprises, and more LIFE to discover.

I think that the word ‘life’ is what truly sticks in my mind after reading this book. How precious it is, how easily lost in can be, and how its beauty can be seen in so many unexpected ways. Not to mention that life wins, just when you think all is lost life somehow finds a way.

This is a truly beautiful book. Fascinating and alive. It’s unlike any other book I’ve read and is one of my favourite books of the years so far…and I think I’ll still be saying that in December too! An easy and happily given 5 stars. I look forward to reading more from Emilia Hart!

Thank you to Emilia Hart, NetGalley and Harper Collins for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest review. As always all opinions are my own.