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

What a powerful and thought provoking story. I am shocked this is a debut as this multigenerational, multi-timeline story is woven beautifully with such captivating characters! There is mystery and magic, exploration of our connection to nature, and female empowerment that made me so invested in Kate, Altha, and Violet. There are deeper topics explored so definitely check the trigger warnings, but I had such strong feelings of hope and resiliency while reading about the Weyward women.

I can’t wait to read more from Emilia Hart.

“Sight is a funny thing. Sometimes it shows us what is before our eyes. But sometimes it shows us what has already happened, or will yet come to pass.”

4.5 stars

Grab your copy out 3/7!

Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the early copy

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Weyward is the story of 3 women who are all related but living in different eras. It’s the story of Kate, Violet and Altha Weyward. It depicts how women have been misunderstood and mistreated by men all through the years and because of this have grown to be strong and resilient. Kate’s story takes place in the present. Once she learns of her pregnancy, she knows she must run from her abusive, controlling husband not only for her own safety but for the safety of her unborn child. She heads to Crows Beck to a small cottage she has inherited from her great Aunt Violet. It’s there that she learns about the past lives of both Violet and Altha and how they had such a strong connection to nature and the healing properties from the elements surrounding them. It tells of Altha being accused of witchcraft and how she is condemned because her healing procedures didn’t always have positive results. And there’s Violet who was thought to be a little different all because she wanted for things that weren’t considered the norm back then. It’s a story of historical fiction with just a touch of magical realism included. I’d like to thank St. Martin’s Press for accepting my request and NetGalley for the arc of Weyward to read and review. I enjoyed reading this debut novel by Emilia Hart and I’m giving it a 4 star rating and look forward to reading more by her in the future.

“After all, I am a Weyward, and wild inside.”

Three generations of Weyward women separated by decades and different situations. They have all been blessed with the same mystical gifts, but they have also all endured the same kinds of pain and misery inflicted by the men in their lives.

We have Altha who is on trial and being accused of being a witch; Violet, who is merely 16 years old and is being forced to conform to society’s ideals of how women should behave; and Katie, a young woman trying to escape her abusive boyfriend. All three are related, and all three are magical whether they know it or not.

This story has three alternating POVs that spans over generations. This was an often sad, triggering, compelling, and ultimately powerful story of feminist rage and the power of magic and familial bonds. As a woman, I was furious for much of this book. As a reader, I was captivated.

This story was atmospheric, was a love letter to nature, and reminded me of the tv show Charmed and the book The Change by Kirsten Miller. It was dark, had a gothic feel to it, and had a female driven narrative. This book broke my heart, but by the end it was soaring.

I also listened to a bit of this on audio, and it was beautifully done. Three different narrators for all the POVs was a perfect touch and made this such an engaging and thrilling listen. I highly recommend this one on audio, but you can’t go wrong either way.

Thank you so much to the author, NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Libro FM for providing me with the advanced reader’s copy, and the advanced listener’s copy in exchange for my honest opinions. This publishes on March 7, 2023!

𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰

▫️Weyward by Emilia Hart
▫️A huge thank you to @stmartinspress & @netgalley for this amazing ARC

▫️ 𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬: This story is told from 3 different points of view, taking place in varying eras. All three women are related but have never met. However, they share the magic running in their blood and have all suffered at the hands of men. Having never met, or even lived in the same era, a magical cottage lends itself to each of these women helping each other find their strength and survive.

▫️From the very first chapter, this story had me completely captivated. I love how Hart managed to tie such deep, dark and heartbreaking issues into one beautiful story about witches. Magic and the suppression of women, who knew these two subjects could come together to inspire.

The story alternates between 3 points of view and there really wasn’t one character I enjoyed more than others. They were equally enthralling and I was rooting for each one. It was also so unbelievably atmospheric, I could visualize the beauty.

▫️Highly recommend you read this especially if:
* You like Salem witch trial vibes
* You love female leads finding their voices and using them
* Your ready for a heavier read

❕A few trigger warnings. Physical & emotional abuse are strong themes in this book. As well as loss of child and abortion.

I really enjoyed the three perspectives in this book. I liked the women's abilities and their relation to the natural world. The story kept me interested.

I received an advance copy via NetGalley.

I read a description of this book in one of the publishing emails I receive, and I was thrilled to then find the book on NetGalley and be approved to read it. <i>Weyward</i> sounded like my kind of book, and it is: a sprawling work of feminism mixed with magic. Trigger warning straight up: rape and abuse are very much present in this work, along with the repercussions of such acts, but it is NOT depicted through the male viewpoint, and is handled with sensitivity. Weyward women are nothing is not resilient.

The book follows three women across the centuries: Kate, a contemporary woman escaping an abuse man by fleeing to the Cumbrian countryside and the remote cottage she inherited from a great-aunt she hardly knew. Violet, a teenager during World War II, sheltered from the outside world and her own truth by a viscount father, at odds with her younger brother, and wanting nothing more than to study the insects that she loves. And then there's Altha in the 1600s, a village healer on trial for witchcraft. The tales are twined together, tension kept high through all three narratives. The book was an incredibly fast read for me, and a hard one at times because of the things they had to endure.

I love stories that follow multiple generations of women through time who share a special gift. Weyward is a beautifully written tale of three strong, capable women who take advantage of their gift of connection to nature to take control of their own lives from the men who attempt to thwart them. In novels with this structure, I typically enjoy one story line more than the others, but that was not the case with this novel as I was fully invested in each woman’s tale. Highly recommend.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I love a well-done generational story and Emilia Hart certainly delivers that with Weyward.

At times the various timelines were a bit confusing, but overall, the way the stories are weaved together adds complexity to the story that leaves the reader realizing just how similar the past and present can be at times.

Weyward is a tale of sorrow, love, and survival. The accusations of witchcraft are just one aspect of the story and each of the three women have their own strengths and weakness of they strive to make the most out of the life they find themselves living.

Wonderful women's fiction.

I absolutely loved this book. I would go so far as to mention that I got snippy when my family would bother me with mindless wants while I tried to devour this in one sitting! I didn't finish it in one sitting but it wasn't because I didn't want to! I loved the historical writing, the details, the stories of these three women of the same lineage throughout incredibly different times and the similarities of their struggles. The empowering Violet, the fearless Altha, and the strength of Kate were sewn together flawlessly, yet really highlighted how the world changed. I look so forward to reading more from Emilia Hart! I will be purchasing this March 7th as a gidt for a friend and to have on hand to come back again to. I would say this gave me the same feels as the Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner*

Five Stars! I can’t brag on this book enough. It was my favorite read of the last six months, and right near the top of my list of all time enjoyable stories!

Emilia Hart did a wonderful job interweaving the stories of the three women and timelines, and I loved the themes of feminine strength and love of nature, plus I love a good witch story (and this one certainly delivered)! In fact, I found that I couldn’t leave this book alone, and kept picking it up every chance I got, even while on vacation with lots of other things to do and see.

I am looking forward to reading more work by Emilia Hart in the future. She has certainly proven herself very capable of telling a captivating and worthwhile story!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for a free digital copy in exchange for an unbiased review.

I will put this review on Amazon.com and Amazon.ca when they are accepting reviews. :)

3 mysterious women over the course of 5 centuries. 3 stories with very similar paths.

Weyward is a beautiful combination of historical and woman's fiction. The Weyward women are more bonded to the natural world than most. They can feel it in their bodies, their bones, & their blood. They feel like like one feels sorrow or rage.

Kate struggles with an abusive husband.

Violet looks for answers regarding her deceased mother.

Altha has been accused of witchcraft.

I absolutely loved the way Emilia wrote each character. How each woman struggled with very different but similar issues, and found each other. It doesn't take much for me to fall in love with a witchy read. But, this one I think has become one of my favorites. Its right on par with "The Once and Future Witches". Brilliant. Great Job, Emilia.

This is a story about three different women in the Weyward family, Altha from the early 1600's, Violet from the 1900's, and Kate from 2019. Altha is on trial for witchcraft and her written account is interspersed through the book with Violet and Kate's stories. The author has done a wonderful job of tying the storylines together and making you want to keep reading to find out what happens for all three women.

I received a free copy of this book to review through NetGalley.

This was an excellent read! Could not put it down.

A story of magic and power and connection through the ages— I loved it. All three of the stories were rich and detailed and left me wanting more each time the chapter changed but I was happy to read about the next woman and her story and not frustrated to switch—no easy feat!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc

3.5 stars, rounded up

On the surface, this is a story about witches. But underneath, as many stories about witches turn out to be, it's actually a story of resilience and the way men and society treat women.

We get three story lines in this book and I enjoyed all 3:
- 1619 Altha is on trial for murder during the height of the witch trials and tries to protect the knowledge her mother passed on to her. It's based in understanding nature not magic.
- 1942 Violet feels stuck with her overbearing father. He doesn't support her love of nature, expects her to be a prim and proper lady, and most of all her doesn't talk about the mother she lost. She tries to find out more about her mother from the few small things she left behind.
- 2019 Kate escapes an abusive relationship to the old house her great aunt left her.

This was an enjoyable book and I loved how their stories fit together, men got their comeuppances, and the way the beauty of nature was highlighted.

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

Thank you to St. Martins Press for letting read an arc of Weyward by Emilia Hart. A friend recommended that I get this from netgalley. I am not a big fan of fantasy or dual timeline. Maybe that is why I thought this book was just ok. Basic concept three different women hence triple timeline are treated horribly by men. This book does have some triggers such as rape.

It's rare that a book leaves me speechless, but this one did, and I can't recommend it highly enough. It's one of those books with so many layers of meaning, and when you reach the end, you want to read it again to see what you missed. It is about the mystery of women, and what they pass down to their children.

This book weaves together the stories of three women from three different centuries, who are connected by blood and Weyward Cottage. All three women end up living in the cottage, where they find the lives that they were meant to have, which includes a deeper connection to the earth and nature, to the uncanny. To the weird.

Altha was the first woman, who was accused of witchcraft in 1619. Violet was a young girl during WWII, who escaped to the cottage after she was betrayed by someone she trusted. In 2019, four centuries after Altha lived, her descendant Kate escapes her abusive husband to the cottage.

I received a review copy from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley, and voluntarily read and reviewed this book.

I'm not one who reads alot of books about witches but this book is definitely the exception. A story that spans through 5 centuries.

This story has been beautifully woven together to create a beautiful story. I loved this book. The three ladies have captured my heart and this is a book that I will never forget.

Thanks Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read and review this story.

All thoughts and opinions are my own

Spanning centuries., Weyward is both the story of three generations of "witches" and an examination of the fear of independent women and the power of female relationships.

Altha, Violet, and Kate all have a secret: they have a deep connection with the natural world that gives them supernatural power. As each woman navigates the dangers of life in society where male power holds all the keys. they share knowledge and power across time to both encourage and support each other in a spiral of both love and connection, and fear and loneliness.

But will their power and connection be enough to save them all from the men who would destroy them, and any woman who dares to use her power?

Thank you to St Martin’s Press for the gorgeous promo box and gifted ARC! Also thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the digital ARC and ALC in exchange for my honest review!

This is the story of three remarkable women who all have a wildness in their blood. Spanning five centuries, the stories of Altha, Violet, and Kate are beautifully woven together to show the resilience of women as they try to break free from oppression. In the 1600s, Altha is being tried as a witch for the death of a neighbor who was trampled by his livestock. Violet is held prisoner by her father during WWII and being forced to marry a violent man. In the present day, Kate is on the run from her abusive partner. All these women are Weywards, meaning they share special gifts that connect them to the natural world and a spirit that cannot be tamed.

This story was so magical! I keep trying to decide which storyline was my favorite, but it’s kind of like trying to choose a favorite kid. I love Altha’s story because of the witch trial plot, but Kate’s story was full of so much suspense. Violet’s story was the heaviest of the three, but I still found myself drawn to her character. There were parts where the overall pace slowed down quite a bit, but other than that, this was a wonderful read. Fans of historical fiction, feminist themes, and witchy elements will definitely want to pick this one up when it comes out!

I alternated back and forth between the physical book and the audio. The audio was great and had different voices for each of the women, which I liked a lot.

My Rating: 4.5/5

Weyward by Emilia Hart is about 3 different women in three very different time periods. In the 1600s, Altha Weyward is being tried as a witch after she's accused of causing a man's death. In the 1940s, Violet is growin up surrounded by the war when her cousin comes for a visit while on leave from the military. In 2019, Kate is fleeing her abusive husband and is hiding out at her Great Aunt's cottage that she was left when she died.
The lives of these women were so beautifully intertwined. I loved learning more about them and what connects them. The multiple perspectives was a great choice since it kept me so invested in what was coming next.