Weyward. A GORGEOUS story of three women, their connection to the natural world and eachother.

Hart beautifully depicts magic and life in a tale that weaves the lives of these 3 incredible women together. The characters are so well written, they are dynamic and profound. There is intricate symbolism, imagery and world building and they are all tied together effortlessly. 3 stories interwoven seamlessly, no small feat.

Thank you NetGalley for this stunning ARC, I can’t wait to see what else Emilia Hart writes in the future.

In 2019 Kate Beck escapes an abusive relationship and flees to the English countryside. She arrives at a cottage that she inherited from her great-aunt Violet. At Weyward cottage Kate discovers a long held secret about the women in her family. A secret that begin in 1619 when Kate’s ancestor Altha Weyward was put on trial for witchcraft.

Weyward tells the story of the three Weyward women that spans across five centuries. The story alternates between Kate’s, Violet’s, and Altha’s points of view in alternating timelines.

Weyward is a slow build character driven story. It Is a blend of women’s fiction, historical fiction, and magical realism. The beginning introduces us to each of the three women and the pace quickens as the story progresses. It took me a bit to get into this one but once I did, I could not put it down. I found each of the three women and their backstories to be absolutely captivating.

Weyward tells of how historically (and in modern times) women have had little control over their bodies, decisions, and lives. The story epitomizes the inner strength that we as women have and how resilient we are during impossible times. Emilia Hart did an excellent job crafting her debut novel and I look forward to seeing what the future holds for her!

An interesting but of knowledge that I learned in the forward of this book is that the term “weyward” was used in the first folio edition of Macbeth. In later versions, “weyward” was replaces by “weird.”

Weyward will be available on March 7, 2023. Many thanks to St Martins Press and Netgalley for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really love a story with multiple narrators and multiple timelines. Emilia Hart weaves a tale of the Weyward’s and their fight to truly be themselves, in a world that wants the opposite.

Weyward by Emilia Hart is the story of three women connected over time. In particular the series focuses on the 1600s, 1940s and present day.

Each woman is fully fleshed out and much detail is put into establishing their thoughts, beliefs and who they are deep down. They are connected by nature and by life experiences although it is fully explored over the pages and slowly revealed. The story could be a bit slow but I enjoyed all the details.

My main issue with the story is the trial and wording of the 1600s time frame doesn’t seem accurate, and that took me out of the action because it was too current sounding.

But otherwise I highly recommend this lovely book!

A very spellbound novel about a family of witches told by three women in the Weyward family. I loved how the three characters felt like real people and had fascinating stories to tell. However, I wasn't the biggest fan of how when one of the characters' stories was getting really interesting the next chapter would switch characters. For me, that made it a little harder to follow along but overall, I really enjoyed this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Maritn's Press for this ARC.

This is a fascinating story told from three different points of view at different times in history. It blends together the stories and family secrets of the Weyward women who were healers, nature lovers, and sometimes called witches. Weyward had me spellbound from the very first page. Thanks to author Emilia Hart, St. Martin's Press, and Net Galley. I received a complimentary copy of this ebook. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Weyward is a novel told through the timeline of three different women in the Weyward family. It is historical fiction and magical realism at its finest. It touches on the ideas of the overbearing patriarchy as well as the oppression of women, beginning in the 1600s all the way up until modern times. This was definitely a perfect fall book as it includes witchcraft and just has fall vibes to it. The cover was gorgeous and what initially drew me to this book before reading the synopsis. It was an excellent read.

The Weyward woman have not had easy lives. In the 1600s, Altha Weyward is accused of being a witch. In the 1940s, Violet is basically hidden away because of some secret about her mother. When a man starts to pay her attention…well, it doesn’t end well. And in the present day, Kate is escaping an abusive relationship.

But they all have a gift: they can connect with the natural world. While that gift makes them outcasts (and gets them in trouble), it also makes them stronger.

When Kate inherits her great aunt Violet’s cottage, she starts to learn secrets about the women who came before her and starts plotting a path to her own future.

I liked the balance struck in this book: Yes, these women had gifts, but those gifts did not make up their entire identities. The gifts only enhanced who they were.

The flow of the storytelling was lovely and I was interested in all three characters. I also appreciated that Altha, Violet, and Kate weren’t from three successive generations. Instead, we saw how some things don’t fully change (the treatment of women) even 400 years later.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for this honest review.

I’m a fan of witchy books, and elemental magic is the core of this one. (“Weyward” meaning “weird.”) The book starts in 1619 with a witch trial and ends in 2019 with a character uncovering the history of some of the women in her family. Witchy books have become popular in the last few years. But this one was not, to me, the most surprising or unique book in this genre. Some of the family secrets uncovered by the contemporary character are obvious and advertised a little too heavily early on; the author could use a little more subtlety. The historical plots were also much more interesting; I may have preferred an entire book just about them without the contemporary plot.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy. This was a very fun read! Great mix of magical realism and historic.

5 stars.

A family history of women who are attuned to nature, abused by men, accused of witchcraft and surviving it all. The story follows three women from different times, all from the same family. In 1619 Altha is accused of witchcraft, in 1942 Violet is sexually assaulted, and in 2019 Kate is fleeing from her physically abusive partner. In 1619, all Altha wants to do is help her friend but she soon finds herself being tried for being a witch, acquitted, and then must find a way to go on with her life as she questions: can she continue to help someone who continues to blame them for the death of their mother and hates them? In 1942 all Violet wants is to be freed from her family’s estate, she wants to study insects and travel the world but her father forces her to stay trapped inside and never speaks of her mother whom died mysteriously, and when a cousin comes to visit and commits an unspeakable act against Violet, she will seek the answers to what truly happened to her mother and how she will go on after the traumatic event. In 2019, Kate is feeling from her abusive partner who tracks her, commits violence against her, and keeps her locked inside, and when he wants her to have his child it is the last straw and she finally escapes to the home that her great aunt Violet left her... a little cottage that will change her life and she discovers her ancestors and the women in her family. Each of these women is connected to nature and its magic, and this is a story that deals heavily with abuse, trauma and survival. It was a rough read to get through and it really really was difficult because I went into this one blind and was thrown right into the very difficult topic of abuse, so please do read the trigger warnings before diving into this book because it can be hard to read if you dont.

*Thanks Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

A family history of singular women who are healers and attuned to nature, abused by men, accused of witchcraft, and left to feel alone in the world all draw on an inner strength to survive. I loved this book so much I couldn't put it down and read it in one sitting.

What a cozy, beautiful, stunning read! I loved each character, truly. I'm a sucker for books that weave multiple timelines and explore generations of a family. Just beautiful.

Weyward is a beautiful and moving story about Kate, a woman that’s run away from her abusive and controlling husband Simon, her great aunt Violet, and their ancestor Altha. Much like Kate, Violet also deals with controlling men in her life, while Altha as a healer in the first few decades of the seventeenth century has to deal with accusations and a trial for being a witch when her former best friend’s husband is stampeded to death. The underlying currents of a unique connection with nature and a desire to live life on their own terms connects all three women’s stories. The reminder that centuries have gone by and men are still controlling women’s lives and abusing them is terrifying. The story shows how the control exists both changes and stays the same over time is no less horrifying. Readers will come to love all three women and how they all learn to pursue their own passions, stand up for themselves and forge connections that help them break free. This story, while it has some magic realism to it, will resonate strongly for anyone that has read and enjoyed Alice Hoffman’s Practical Magic series. A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

When I received my copy of Weyward I knew I had to read it right away ! I usually read books closer to publishing date but something told me to move this one to the front of the line. I was not disappointed and devoured it in 2 days.

Three women connected across 5 centuries. Each with their own unique story, yet they are all connected by one secret. Each of them are put into horrible situations caused by men, whether they be friends, fathers or husbands. With their ability to connect to the birds in the trees and the insects in the ground, they come out stronger and able to face whatever is thrown their way.

Emilia Hart has given us three heroines: Altha, Violet and Kate. Through their eyes we see how they’ve been controlled by the men in their lives. They never break but instead show us how to use nature and their power to break free.

Each chapter focuses solely on one women. My favorite was Violet. What a strange and wonderful world she lives in. I was amazed at all she was able to accomplish.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for a copy of Weyward in exchange for an honest review.

Weyward tells the stories of three women from different times but the same blood: Kate in 2019, Altha in 1619, and Violet in 1942. Each woman tells her story differently, in engaging and exciting ways. The atmosphere of this novel was amazing, as was the gentle, natural magic. I loved reading about their experiences and seeing how the lives of Altha and Violet changed and helped Kate in 2019 as she runs from her abuser and hides in the Weyward house, a place rich with nature and magic and history.

It's important to be aware of content warnings when going into this novel. I wasn't aware I needed to look any up, but please do before reading! There was a scene involving sexual assault which made me quite uncomfortable and thankfully it doesn't affect me the way it will for others. I don't believe it was necessary to show this on page, but it's there either way. Look at content warnings!

Despite the content warnings, I recommend reading Weyward. It is a fantastic story about the power of women, nature, and strength found within.

A compelling story about three women bound together through nature and told through different timelines. I enjoyed the connection through these Weyward women and the author did a wonderfully job weaving the characters together. The book was filled with beautiful wording, interesting natural magic and pacing that made sense. I could not put this book down.

The Lost Apothecary meets The Book of Gothel in Emilia Hart's Weyward. This satisfying, multi-generational and multi-timeline story is the perfect witchy book for readers who like magic with a touch of revenge. Content warnings for sexual abuse, physical abuse and rape.

I really loved the 3 interwoven voices throughout the story, which is new because I don’t typically love different POV types of books, but this was done beautifully. Will definitely read from this author again!

Characters were well-written and developed. I enjoyed following the stories of three generations of women finding themselves and their power. The heart of the Weyward women knows no bounds as they fight for what’s right and protect those they love against their own particular villains.