I absolutely loved this story told through three different women’s perspectives in three different timelines. Their character arcs were strong, their stories were strong, and they were all connected and woven in together. Loved the strength they each gain, loved that nature is so heavily entwined in all three stories, and loved the beautiful and haunting descriptions of things. There are themes of mental health, escaping abusive situations, learning how to stand up for oneself, motherhood, and the beauty and power of female relationships and friendships.
I listened to this book in Audiobooks. The performances were great—I loved the voice actresses chosen. There were a few parts throughout where you can tell it’s been recorded over, so that was a bit annoying, but not enough to make me change my rating. This is a great title!
And can we talk about this gorgeous cover?! It’s beautiful! It’s so perfect for the story!
From the back cover:
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
“A brave and original debut, Weyward is a spellbinding story about what may transpire when the natural world collides with a legacy of witchcraft.” ––Sarah Penner, New York Times bestselling author of The Lost Apothecary
I am a Weyward, and wild inside.
2019: Under cover of darkness, Kate flees London for ramshackle Weyward Cottage, inherited from a great aunt she barely remembers. With its tumbling ivy and overgrown garden, the cottage is worlds away from the abusive partner who tormented Kate. But she begins to suspect that her great aunt had a secret. One that lurks in the bones of the cottage, hidden ever since the witch-hunts of the 17th century.
1619: Altha is awaiting trial for the murder of a local farmer who was stampeded to death by his herd. As a girl, Altha’s mother taught her their magic, a kind not rooted in spell casting but in a deep knowledge of the natural world. But unusual women have always been deemed dangerous, and as the evidence for witchcraft is set out against Altha, she knows it will take all of her powers to maintain her freedom.
1942: As World War II rages, Violet is trapped in her family’s grand, crumbling estate. Straitjacketed by societal convention, she longs for the robust education her brother receives––and for her mother, long deceased, who was rumored to have gone mad before her death. The only traces Violet has of her are a locket bearing the initial W and the word weyward scratched into the baseboard of her bedroom.
Weaving together the stories of three extraordinary women across five centuries, Emilia Hart’s Weyward is an enthralling novel of female resilience and the transformative power of the natural world.
Find out more about Emilia at https://www.curtisbrown.co.uk/client/emilia-hart and on Twitter @EmiliaHartBooks.
Kathleen Foxx || Author || Editor || Podcast Host 