Weyward by Emilia Hart ~ a Review

by Susan Roberts

‘I had nature in my heart, she said. Like she did, and her mother before her. There was something about us – the Weyward women – that bonded us more tightly with the natural world.

We can feel it, she said, the same way we feel rage, sorrow or joy.’

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

 

March 2023; St. Martin's; 978-1250280800
audio, ebook, print (336 pages); women's fiction

Weyward is a beautifully written story about three women who are part of the Weyword family and their connection over four centuries.  The women are all fighting against evil in their lives and use their love and nature - and a bit of magic - to survive.  The story is told by each woman in alternating chapters.

Altha in 1619.  She and her mother are healers and help the people in their small village.  Someone dies and she is accused of witchcraft and thrown into a dark, dank cell and then put on trial.  Will the jury find here guilty and put her to death for being a witch?

Violet in 1942.  She is only 16 and has been kept sequestered in her home and ruled by a cold father, taken care of by servants.  Her mother is dead and even though she tries to find out more about her, no one will tell her anything.  She loves the outdoors and connects with the bugs and the bees.  When her father brings a male cousin to the house on holiday, it eventually causes huge changes in Violet's life.

Kate in 2019.  Kate is in an abusive relationship - both physical and psychological.  Her husband has forced her to quit her job and give up her friendships and has total power over her.  But she has a secret -- her great aunt has left Weyward cottage to her in her will and her husband doesn't know anything about it.  When she sneaks away to the cottage to find freedom, she is in great fear that her husband will find her.  As she finds out about her ancestors - especially her Aunt Violet - she realizes that there has been a power in the women in her family for generations and begins to learn how to harness that personal power to make her stronger and more resilient.

Often in a book with more than one timeline, it's easy to enjoy one story more than the others.  In this book, all three storylines were equally compelling and interesting.  It's difficult to do this with three timelines but the author does a fantastic job of intermingling all three storylines.  I was surprised to read that this is a debut novel for Emilia Hart and can't wait to read whatever she writes in the future.

I will admit that I don't usually like books with any magic in them but this book is a definite exception.  The main focus of this book is on the three women and how they gain personal power to defeat the negativity in their lives.  I highly recommend it!

Buy Weyward at Amazon

Susan Roberts grew up in Michigan but loves the laid-back life at her home in the Piedmont area of North Carolina where she is two hours from the beach to the east and the mountains in the west.  She reads almost anything but her favorite genres are Southern Fiction and Historical Fiction.  

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