Few things strike fear into the hearts of men quite like a woman with power. And when men are afraid women will suffer.

It’s 2019 and Kate runs from London to escape an ugly and cruel relationship. As luck would have it her great Aunt Violet left her a cottage in her will. And with nobody knowing this but her it becomes the perfect place to hide, heal and hopefully find a way to start anew.
Here in Weyward Cottage she finds more than she ever could have imagined, with a light being shone on a family history that starts all the way back in 1619. With a young woman put on trial for witchcraft…

This book is one story built from three and it does so with an effortless grace. Each one is a blend of hard edges formed by brutally realistic themes, which harmonise with the soft and warm heart of the fantastical. When I learned that this was Emilia Hart’s debut I was, and still am, astounded. Each story was gripping and magical, heartbreaking and empowering. At times it was a difficult read due to the emotion connection formed with the characters but that just propelled me further. It also led to two nights where I barely slept being unable to put the book down, so thanks for that Emilia. All three women and their tales are woven together perfectly to form a full tale which will give 2023 a strong start that will be difficult to top.

This is a beautifully written story revolving around three generations of Weyward women over the ages. The story bounces between three main characters, Altha in 1619, being tried for witchcraft, accused of killing a local man. She is feared by the villagers for her ability to connect with nature and animals, and for her ability to soothe and heal. But when that ability fails and someone dies, they quickly turn on her.

Violet is struggling in 1942 war torn England, living in a remote manor house. She despairs of social norms, and of becoming a proper lady, preferring instead to explore the manor’s grounds, finding and befriending insects and climbing trees. The constraints of growing up, becoming a lady, and the expectations of her father are too much. Then something happens that she doesn’t quite understand, but will change the direction of her life forever.

Meanwhile Kate, in 2019, has finally worked up the courage to flee from London and her controlling and abusive boyfriend. She runs to Weyward Cottage, a recent discovery, inherited from her great-aunt, and somewhere her partner knows nothing about. While there she starts to unearth secrets about the past, about the generations of Weyward women, and about herself in the process.

This book really brings you into the lives of the three women, and makes you feel like a part of the story, and feel the connections building. The time shifts, which can be hard to manage, work really well in this case, serving to really draw you into the lives of the women. The stories told work to bring you on a journey of the suffering women have endured through the ages, for being different, for having special talents, or for simply not fitting in. It is a story of love and endurance, of survival, and of compassion. In the end the power of women endures and prevails. A beautiful read, I devoured it in one sitting. I am glad I stepped outside of my normal boundaries and picked this one up.

*I received a copy of this from NetGalley for review but all opinions are my own.

Free courtesy of Netgalley

I absolutely loved this book, it grabbed me from the first page.

The book centers on 3 generations of Weyward women spanning many centuries.

Altha is on trial for being a witch in 1619 after a man was killed by his cows stampeding.

Violet is living in a great house with her Father and her younger brother in 1942. Her mother died whilst giving birth to her mother, or that's what she thought. She is not very lady-like, loving insects, birds and climbing trees must to her father's disgust.

Kate is running away from her abusive boyfriend. Her great aunt Violet has left her a cottage and he doesn't know about and this is where she flees to, with a secret of her own.

These 3 women have gifts that link them all. The story moves between all three women as the linking story starts to connect them.

I would recommend this book, it really draws you in, straight away and it's hard to put down. (Hence why I read in 2 days and the TV didn't go on).

I really enjoyed this book. Told from three different POV covering three very different lives in different timelines, this story is fascinating. I enjoyed Altha and her story the most as witch craft is suspected of any person that enjoys nature and its healing properties!

“Weyward” is a fascinating read, with beautifully crafted time-line shifts, and characters who are bonded through family and natural gifts, whilst paradoxically being ostracized and victimized for the 'weirdness', also by family and society. Historically, women gifted with healing, vision and knowledge of Nature have been both persecuted and celebrated, and Emilia Hart has taken the vital role wise women play, illustrated how misunderstood they have been (and in some instances remain) all threaded together with love, the will to survive, and compassion for others.
I loved “Weyward” and wish the greatest success to this timely and important book.

A very different type of book for me but when I read about it I thought it sounded interesting. Dating back to 1619 the story is basically about the empowerment of woman through time with a bit of witch craft here and there. An enjoyable book that I wouldn't normally have read if I hadn't seen it on NetGalley

‘THEY TRIED TO CAGE US . BUT A WEYWARD WOMAN BELONGS TO THE WILD . WE CANNOT BE TAMED’

💜 Amazing strong women.
🖤 written in the POV of three generations of women.
💚 Witchcraft.
💜 Jumps back and forth through time but easy to follow.
🖤 unique story.
💜 brave and empowering .
💚 check trigger warnings - domestic violence .

I adored this book and raced through it . A really heartwarming but empowering story of three generations of women all connected .
Release date Feb 2023

KATE, 2019
Kate flees London – and her abusive partner – for Cumbria and Weyward Cottage, inherited from her great-aunt. There, a secret lurks in the bones of the house, hidden ever since the witch-hunts of the 17th century.

VIOLET, 1942
Violet is more interested in collecting insects and climbing trees than in becoming a proper young lady. Until a chain of shocking events changes her life forever.

ALTHA, 1619
Altha is on trial for witchcraft, accused of killing a local man. Known for her uncanny connection with nature and animals, she is a threat that must be eliminated…

What a debut!! Such anticipation to see what follows after this amazing book, fantastic!

I am not normally fond of flip-flop novels, ones where the story jumps between characters and times on a per chapter basis. However, Emilia Hart made this one work rather splendidly. Weyward covers the lives of three strong women who share an ancestral link and all three could potentially be called witches. The portrayal of these women was rather lovely, something I recognise as I live with a hedge witch. They all share a sense of natural justice although there was the odd exception and the repercussions that would deliver back to someone using the gift were not explored. I was almost certain the witch trial was going to have a different outcome and found it quite refreshing when my prediction didn't come true. Very much an immersive reading experience but similarities with a Hitchcock movie lost it one star.

How are 3 women linked from different times?

From Altha who lives in the 1600’s who lives with her mum and helps the sick people in there small village.

Or Violet who is growing up in the 1940’s with a father who doesn’t even seem to even like her..

Present day there is Kate who is trying to hide from her abusive boyfriend, she needs to find somewhere save to live.

Their stories are entwined within each other with secrets a plenty, this is a really good page turner from start to finish, l would highly recommend this book.

On the face of it I should have thoroughly enjoyed this book but it was a bit simplistic in its storytelling for my liking. There were too many obvious links between story lines and slightly basic character development. It had an interesting plot which was easy to read but the writing needs a lot more maturity.

Thanks to Netgalley for the chance to read an advanced copy.

The story of three women across the centuries, with a strong connection of nature, nurture and witchcraft linking them. Magic realism or a strong affinity with nature rears its sometimes ugly head, and natural healers are put to death in seventeenth century witch hunt trials. In modern times there is a more traditional abuse of women, and women need to find strength to withstand the dominance and power struggle inflicted on them. There is much more to this story though, and I found it interesting how the author weaves the thread of family bonds, where we are led through each of the womens’ stories to understand the whole.

An engrossing read set in three time zones: Altha in 1619, Violet in 1942 and Kate in 2019. The women are all from the same family although it takes the novel's length for latter two to work it out. The novel deals with some serious issues of male abuse - across generations - miscarriage, rape and injustice.
The plot is easy to follow and I found the three female character feisty and in the main believable. I liked the sense of place with the big hall and the small cottage and descriptions of the insects and creatures were well done too.
I did have a few issues with the story however. Altha is tried as a witch but is found not guilty (by a jury?) which I'm pretty sure wouldn't happen so I was forced to suspend belief there. Then Violet wears tights in 1942? Really? And finally you can't expect me to believe that a heavily pregnant woman can pull a ladder up into an attic space behind her. It would be incredibly awkward and straining. Finally, whilst I enjoyed Freddie's comeuppance I found it hard not to believe in modern insecticides but perhaps I'm being too literal and allowing myself to believe enough.
All in all a good read, that built in pace as it went along. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc copy in return for an honest review.

I love a novel that moves across timelines so this was a winner for me! Weyward follows three generations of women with the novel being told from their points of view. It flows well from one timeline to the other.
Please be aware that it does however deal with some sensitive issues - assault, domestic violence, miscarriage and rape.
An excellent debut 📚

Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction and The Borough Press for the opportunity to read and review this outstanding ARC.

I was hooked right from the start of this book, and it’s premise. It’s told through the voices of 3 women, in three different times. I thought it might be confusing but it really flows well. Altha, Violet and Kate, connected over the centuries by blood, with an affinity with nature. There has been a lot written about witches over the years, and the way they were treated, but this is up there with the best of those. A powerful read, about powerful women, in times when they were just chattel to men, to their whims and violence. The characters are intriguing and so well written, the descriptions of the area they live is wonderful, and so easy to imagine Weyward Cottage with its garden and wildlife. This book had me reading into the early hours, I just couldn’t put it down. Loved it. Highly recommended.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This book is fabulous. I was lucky to have a long flight to devour this and read it in one sitting. It cleverly weaves stories of 3 generations each with strong similarities in their respective worlds. The writing is beautiful, the characterisation deep and wholly believable creating a story that you can quickly loose yourself in and feel the individual personalities of the main characters.
The story telling is beautiful and the subject matter something not often touched upon in modern stories but delivered in a sensitive and reflective way.
This would be a fantastic book club read as there are so many aspects to look at and discuss and is a book that I think will draw different stories and strengths for different readers.
Thank you for letting me enjoy this copy.

Wayward by Emilia Hart

KATE, 2019
Kate flees London – and her abusive partner – for Cumbria and Weyward Cottage, inherited from her great-aunt. There, a secret lurks in the bones of the house, hidden ever since the witch-hunts of the 17th century.
VIOLET, 1942
Violet is more interested in collecting insects and climbing trees than in becoming a proper young lady. Until a chain of shocking events changes her life forever.
ALTHA, 1619
Altha is on trial for witchcraft, accused of killing a local man. Known for her uncanny connection with nature and animals, she is a threat that must be eliminated…
To say this is a wonderful read is an understatement. To find out It is a debut novel blew me away.
Three women , three different timelines , one cottage .
I loved reading about Altha , Violet & Kate , all interesting characters in their own way , I liked how the different eras with the problems that they bring effected them. I was really hoping it all worked out for them.

I'm sure this novel will do very well: it hits a lot of buttons (time-slip, witches and so on). However, I found it a rather derivative genre novel (not to speak of some jarring anachronisms - a pre-war young woman wears 'tights', which weren't invented till the 1960s - and I'm no historian of costume!) where I could see the end coming a mile off. I think it's quite hard to do something new and original with this trope, and Hart's writing doesn't quite rise to the challenge.

But, as I say, I'm sure it'll do splendidly - there's a big market for this kind of thing, so I wouldn't be too bothered about one grumpy reviewer.

Thoroughly enjoyed this wonderful novel about Weyward women in three different timelines. Altha, tried as a witch in 1619; Violet in 1942, with an abusive father; and Kate, Violet’s grandniece, in an abusive controlling relationship set in 2019. Nature, strength and a bit of witchiness is in each woman’s story and there is no weak link. It’s very well done and I found it hard to put down.

Wow! What an incredible story. So well written that I could imagine myself there.
Three weyward women born at different times. Each with a heart breaking story but bound together across the centuries.
I couldn’t put it down.