Weyward: A Novel

This was an absolutely gorgeous, courageous, heartbreaking, and heart-saving book. It’s an easy five stars for me, and I’m so glad I read it. There’s no doubt in my mind that it’s one of my favorite books of the year. This is a story of three women in three different times, all related by blood (the Weyward bloodline), and the special powers they hold: Altha in 1619, Violet in 1942, and Kate in 2019. These women are all amazing, strong, real characters. They each face their own challenges brought about by the patriarchy and men with dark hearts (I’m so glad readers have Graham for an example of a good man who can support and uplift a strong woman). It was so beautiful to see them each take their horrible situations and turn them into strength and power. I loved reading about each woman discovering that she could fight back, make herself heard, and yes, even get revenge against the man that abused her (or a friend) so horribly. The element of magical realism through each woman’s connection with nature was just the cherry on top. The ending of this book was absolute perfection. Learning about Violet keeping tabs on Kate and then trying to protect her as best she could, and ultimately save her life, made me cry. And it was beautiful that Kate was keeping the Weyward line alive. I loved the village setting that existed in each timeline of this story. It was wonderful that each of the three women found a home and haven in the Weyward cottage. I also loved the friendship Kate had with Emily and the stronger relationship Kate developed with her mother after she escaped from Simon. Altha’s friendship with Grace and Violet’s sibling bond with Graham were equally as touching. If you’re looking for a story that spans centuries of powerful women who are done being hurt by bad men, with elements of the beauty of nature and magical realism, then I highly recommend Weyward. It will break you and then build you back up again in an amazing way!

This is a story of three women across three different time periods: Altha, year 1619: a young village healer who is under trial for witchcraft Violet, year 1942: a 16 year old girl growing up in the country on her father’s estate during WWII. Her father is inviting older cousin, Frederick, over during his break from the warfront Kate, year 2019: a young woman fleeing from an abusive relationship to her great-aunt’s cottage in the countryside The synopsis and marketing for the book is that it’s about witches. And it is, but it’s not heavy on the magic or spells. Instead it is a character study on each of these women overcoming the misogyny and abuse that they each encounter. I thought the book was beautifully written. There are several quotes that are worthy of highlighting: “Witch. The word slithers from the mouth like a serpent, drips from the tongue as thick and black as tar. We never thought of ourselves as witches, my mother and I. For this was a word invented by men, a word that brings power to those that speak it, not those that it describes. A word that builds gallows and pyres, turns breathing women into corpses.” “The connections between and among women are the most feared, the most problematic, and the most potentially transforming force on the planet.” Each character was really distinct, and the book keeps you invested with each of their stories. The chapters alternate between each character, so when you get to the end of each chapter, you want to keep reading to find out what happens. It does a great job at building the oncoming tension that you know the characters will face. I will say that Altha is my least favorite. Her story starts out with the trial, and the first half or so of her plot is just that. The trial is full of interviews, so it’s not the most engaging setting. Following that, her story focuses on things that happened in the past, which made it a little confusing as to the order of all the events. Also, I’m not sure if I want to critique it too much for this, as the style it is written in makes it much easier to read, but the 1600’s time setting is written with very modern dialogue. It takes you out of the setting a bit, but again, it is easier to read. Violet is my favorite, but Kate is a strong second. They were definitely the chapters that had me keep turning the pages. Kate starts out in a pretty tense situation and it calms down before building again, while Violet is in a not-great living situation, but safe. But you can tell her narrative is going someplace dark, and you want to know how she’ll overcome it. This is Ms. Hart’s debut novel, and it’s quite impressive. I hope she sticks with something at least vaguely fantastical tales such as this, but her writing is so lovely that I may pick up other genres, too. I recommend it if you're looking for a feminist story that connects women across history and don’t mind a little witchcraft. It is a heavy read that deals with some darker topics, so please check content warnings from some other reviewers if they are helpful to you.

Emilia Hart is talented writer and gifted storyteller. This is an engaging bewitching odd page turner with mixes of homeopathy, folkloric magic, and female resilience. At times its very dark with domestic abuse, and male characters with dominance power issues, causing the women to ultimately (in the end) decided to live without men in their lives (female empowerment). I'm not a fan of this at all, but the story was compelling and I could not stop reading! The writer is good and knows how to draw you in. This is an easy, understandable read, with good characters.

Love the way the writer has written every aspect of a woman, from being a gentle healer to being a guardian of the troubled.

O livro é lindo, mas ainda não li.

Atmospheric writing with lush descriptions and strong appreciation of nature. It's an empowerment towards oppressed women and a message to always stand on your own two feet and continue, against all odds. A slight, short rut in the middle of the book, repeating over and over the same questions. But nonetheless well-paced and a thoroughly enjoyable book. 4 and a half stars

Una historia ligera de mujeres fuertes y su legado, con un toque mágico. Si te gustó "Prácticamente magia", lee Weyward.

Great novel. Although there are 3 main characters in different eras in time, it wasn’t difficult to distinguish who you were reading about. Each character has a similar story, which ties it up together in the end. Well written!