Weyward: A Novel

Originally reviewed on Cyn's Workshop

Perfect for Alice Hoffman and Sarah Penner fans, Emilia Hart makes her mark with Weyward, an entrancing read connecting three women by the power in their blood.

Weyward was an absolutely compelling read, following three remarkable women – Kate, Altha, & Violet – as they make their stand, highlighting the power in their blood.

Storytelling

Broken up into three parts, Hart tells the story of three women at three different periods.

The story begins in the 1600s when Altha is standing trial for witchcraft, accused of murdering her friend’s husband, setting the animals wild with her power.

This is not a linear story, going back and forth between the ladies, jumping from 1619 to 2019 to 1942. But Hart does it in a carefully constructed way that draws the reader further into the story.

Each arc is not without its stakes. Altha is on trial for murder, but how does she get out of it? Does she get out of it? These questions let the reader see how her story connects to Kate and Violet.

Kate is running away from her abusive partner in the dead of night, in a cottage left to her by her great aunt, one she barely knew.

Violet struggles with an overly controlling father who has welcomed a man into the home who means to harm her.

Slowly but surely, Hart unveils a powerful story about the women during these trying times. She delves into the time, into their history, weaving together a story that connects the women through the ages, tying them together.

But Hart does so much more. Hart showcases these women’s power, not by delving into the magical aspect of it but by highlighting their resilience and fortitude. Each story reveals more and more about who the women were and how they suffered, only to come out stronger for it, to come out with their heads held high.

Simply put, it was captivating to see the stories unfold and tie together, pulled together by their intuition and the magic that runs in their blood.

Final Thoughts

Weyward is an absolutely fantastic novel. Hart is a masterful storyteller who creates an emotional, riveting novel that will grip you.

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Wow! Loved this book. One of my new favorites.

3.5 Stars. The plights of women are eternal. A beautifully written multi-generational story about women standing in their power.

I originally picked this book up because it’s set in Cumbria, in the UK where my husband was born. I’m always looking for ways to learn about where he comes from. But what I wasn’t expecting was for this book so good. It’s very dark (abuse, rape, incest) so be forewarned. It’s a historical fiction about three women’s life stories and describes the dark situations they each have found themselves in. It was written beautifully and made me smile at the long-awaited justice these women deserved. I haven’t quite read anything like this before… I would highly recommend giving it go.

I think there needs to be a trigger warning for this book. There are multiple scenes of abuse and rape described on page. That being said I loved the arc of women coming into their power and reclaiming their bodies and freedom that each story had. I liked the characters and felt I could relate to them; even the ones written in older time periods. Definitely feel the sisterhood vibes!