For a debut novel this was exceptional. It explores the lives of 3 women in the same family but years apart. It starts with Kate Ayers in 2019. She is in an abusive relationship with her husband. She finally escapes and needs a safe place for her and her unborn child to live. She goes to Weyward Cottage which was in the family and passed down to her. There she finds out about women before her. She also finds out about herself and how she may be able to control insects and birds in nature. There is also Violet Ayers. She is 16 years old in 1942. She lives with her father and brother. Her father is not very forthcoming about her mother who died when she was a young child. He lacks what it takes to be a loving, kind father. She ends up in the family way and ends up in Weyward Cottage. In 1619 Altha Weyward is a person with healing powers. She had gotten them from her mother. Some of the towns people believe she is a witch and she is put on trial.
The lives of these women are very similar in what that had to endure. The author did a wonderful job of weaving all the elements of the story together and luring you into the lives of these women. It was a great read.
Thanks to #netgalley, #griffin and @emiliahartbooks for an ARC of this book that was published on 3/7/23. All comments are my own.

I enjoyed this book, it was fine. I wanted it to give me more and it just didn't however it was still a great read.

Weyward has sat on my Kindle for a while now. I finally picked it up, and I am not sure why I didn't sooner.

Historical and women's fiction, Weyward was told alternating between three different timelines and through three different points of view.

Weyward told the story of three women, three Weyward women, Altha, Violet, and Kate, during a trying time in each of their lives. Events that brought about so much strength in these women.

Normally, when I read a story that alternates between time frames and timelines, I often find myself more drawn to one. But in Weyward, all three were absolutely captivating, and I couldn't wait to read more about each woman.

I loved how the authour portrayed these women, and although life was hard for them, they persevered in spite of it all.

The story was well written and fascinating, perfect for anyone looking for a good witchy read with some strong female characters.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press for the advanced digital copy of this story, my opinions are my own.

This engaging book was imaginative and well written, the 3 time periods were thoroughly descriptive and set a fast pace for the reader.

I received an advanced digital copy of this novel from the author, publisher and NetGalley.com. Thanks to all for the opportunity to read and review.

Ms. Hart has crafted an amazing tale of generations of women and the inner strength that we find we have in the darkest of times.

5 out of 5 stars. Highly recommended.

Great book for the fall season. I love a dual timeline, and this had enough suspense (but not a thriller) to keep me entertained and engaged.

Weyward by Emilia Hart is a captivating novel that will resonate deeply with readers who appreciate stories of female empowerment, resilience, and the unbreakable bonds between women, making it a perfect fit for fans of historical fiction, magical realism, and feminist literature.

“ They do not frighten me. After all, I am a Weyward, and wild inside”
Weyward follows 3 women in 3 different timelines all connected by their family name. Each woman deals with different struggles that all relate to them, simply being a woman. We have Kate, who has an abusive partner, Altha who is accused of being a witch, and Violet who suffers under her father because of who her mother was. Each character had their unique flaws and I enjoyed them, but there's a huge underlying issue here. Where were the trigger warnings in this book? We are aware of the abusive partner part ( domestic violence ), but there was no trigger warnings for the other stuff; rape, miscarriage, parental neglect. I do think a book like this needs a trigger warning list because of how heavy in the story each of the triggers are. I did enjoy the magical realism, it was written well and made the story more immersive. The part I enjoyed about this story the most was watching how each woman’s story connected with the other.
Thank you to Netgalley & St Martin's Press for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I’m internally kicking myself for having this book for so long and just getting to it now. I started listening to the audiobook, but also read my e-ARC (Yes, I’ve had this book THAT long 🤦🏽‍♀️)

Loved the alternating POVs and the reminder of the incredible life force that women are.

One of my favorite reads this year!

Loved this one! The dual timelines really built the story up. It’s a perfect t fall read. Plus the perfect revenge

Three women. Three stories. Three different periods of time.
Well told stories about the struggles of these women, related through time. The struggles all related to men. Unfortunately almost all of the men in this book were evil, which didn’t sit well with me but I was invested in the success of all three of the main characters. And celebrated the results.
I love the book cover. It’s one of the best I’ve seen.

Thanks so much for giving me the opportunity to read and review this wonderful book.

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* I have wanted to read this book for so long and don't know why it took me so long to get to it but i loved it! would recommend and buy for sure, This is exactly the type of book/story i love to read!

*3.5*
This was alright. I was fairly intrigued by the premise and concept, but for the most part I found the execution a little... dull. The narration following one POV character in particular was so boring, I couldn't find myself caring.
I liked Kate's and Violet's POVs the best. I liked the themes it dealt with (violence against women, the connection between women and the natural world). With that being said though, I found there was still a lot to be desired (for me, anyway).

Weyward by Emilia Hart. Pub Date: March 7, 2023. Rating: 4 stars. In this debut, the reader is immersed in a family history of three women all at different stages of their lives. Themes of domestic abuse, family, pregnancy, murder and magic are all displayed throughout this novel. The novel is intricately woven with three storylines of women from the same family, all during different time periods. I loved the atmospheric nature of this novel and the strength of each of the women throughout their own personal journeys. I highly recommend this novel! Thanks to #netgalley and #stmartinspress for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

A good magical realism story-written so well its hard to believe this is a debut novel. This is a story of witches.....the kind of witches that practice with herbs and natural based healing methods. These witches teach how to heal and how to sustain.
This was such an enjoyable read, and great story over many years. A story of 3 women who meet and share their discoveries of healing and herbal remedies. All three of them are compelling, engaging in their own way and well developed. It is interesting how their stories meld together.
A good read, recommended

I’ve seen SO MANY amazing reviews for Weyward. And then it was a finalist for BOTM BOTY. I’ve given it several tries but it’s just not for me. I think I’m just not a magical element girlie. It’s me, not you. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Weyward is a beautiful, tough, and engaging story about three generations of women and the pressure society places on them.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

This is an absolutely beautiful book that I was unable to put down. It was about a long line of women tied strongly to the natural world, who possess a strange ability to command insects and animals. The story follows three Weyward women across time periods over centuries (1600s, 1940s, modern time) as they navigate life with abusive men, and deal with deep mistrust and suspicion of their unique powers. The author described the natural world so lovingly, bringing it to life..as well as shining a light on the cruelties and injustices forced on strong women throughout the ages. Highly recommend this brilliant debut.

4.5 stars. I enjoyed the alternating view points of the three Weyward women - Kate, Altha, and Violet - as they each dealt with their own struggles as well as how the choice of one woman was connected to another. There was a great sense of symmetry between the women and their lives. Overall, very engrossing and interesting story!

This one was a little difficult to follow overall as it's not told in a linear manner at all, it has three different timelines and points of view which a first made it very confusing. Once I got settled into it and found my footing with each of the characters, it got much easier to follow and over all I loved this story. It was very different and will be one I think back to for years to come.