Weyward

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
WINNER OF TWO GOODREADS CHOICE AWARDS (Best Debut Novel & Best Historical Fiction)

An Indie Next March 2023 Pick • A LibraryReads March 2023 Pick • An Amazon "Best Books of the Year So Far" 2023 Pick

"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 London Séance Society

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 suspects 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. When Altha was a girl, her 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 of witchcraft is laid out against Altha, she knows it will take all 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 astonishing debut, and an enthralling novel of female resilience.

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416 pages

Average rating: 7.63

1,595 RATINGS

57 REVIEWS

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Pherfer

Mar 25, 2025

8/10 stars

The story of three generations of women, Altha, Violet, and Kate. Never meeting but influencing each other as they discover their power. Altha is from the 1600's, accused of witchcraft. Violet is a sheltered young woman kept in the dark about her legacy. Kate is the modern woman escaping from an abusive partner. All three end up in the Weyward cottage where they claim their birthright and find their power. Altha's diaries help Violet 300 hndred years later and Violet's bequeathment of the cottage to her grand-niece Kate provides a safe haven from her abuse. Enjoyable traversve through the lives of women who survived their circumstances.
As entertaining as this novel is to read, it does fall prey to some overused tropes. There are at least three different characters that are experiencing domestic abuse. Numerous women in the story survive SA. These elements do not detract from the novel but it would be nice to see women being empowered without having to go through SA.
Regardless I did have a strong emotional reaction to the end. So, I enjoyed the history, I engaged with the story, and I connected with the characters. An enjoyable journey of a family of women and their struggles.

SraGonzalez

Mar 10, 2025

4/10 stars

I was really in between 2 or 3 âï¸ but it was leaning more to 2. It was ok, very slow burn book. I got The Crucible vibes (one of my favorite plays) meets generational trauma and hate towards men. I really wouldnât classify this as magical, fantasy or paranormal. The only part I really enjoyed was the journey of her learning about her family. I enjoy geneology myself, the character learning about her family was the only exciting part of it because thatâs often I how feel when I discover a new part of my ancestral history.

willowjgood

Feb 23, 2025

7/10 stars

⭐⭐⭐✨ A Haunting Tale of Witches, but I Wanted More Magic I really enjoyed the concept of Wayward, especially the rich backstory and the theme of witches throughout the novel. The multi-generational storytelling was compelling, and there were moments that truly tugged at my heart. Some parts were absolutely heartbreaking, making the emotional weight of the story feel real and powerful. That being said, I found myself wishing for a bit more magic. While the historical and atmospheric elements were well done, I wanted to see the magical aspects play a bigger role in the plot. Overall, Wayward was an engaging read with beautiful writing and strong characters—I just would have loved a little more of the witchcraft woven into the story.

Colleen Haasmann

Feb 21, 2025

10/10 stars

After reading Sirens, I wanted to pick this book back up and relight the spark that it had and make sure it was as magical as I remembered. It was. I hope that Emilia Hartâs next book will return to this feeling and be even better than this. In any case she has created something wonderful here and no matter what comes after for her, we will all always have Weyward to look back to.

Scarlet ST

Feb 02, 2025

5/10 stars

Three women spanning 5 centuries who endured persecution, humiliation, sexual abuse, and pregnancy loss and used nature and magic to avenge. That’s the whole book. I did not feel spellbound by this story after the first few chapters. I am still processing it because the content was highly triggering 🪶