Book Nook: Weyward by Emilia Hart
Synopsis:
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 begins to suspect 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. As a girl, Altha’s 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 for witchcraft is set out against Altha, she knows it will take all of 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 enthralling novel of female resilience and the transformative power of the natural world.
I picked this up through my Book of the Month subscription, instantly drawn to A.) the cover art and B.) the fact that it was a story about generational witches. Normally, I don’t like stories that jump around in timelines with multiple narrators, but Emilia Hart brought to life all three of these women, living in different times but connected by their witchy lineage. The circumstances of each women are slightly different, however I feel that their individual stories show how women throughout history have alway fought against having their destiny determined by the whims of men.
Especially for a standalone, I did enjoy this and give it 4/5 stars.
Find the book at Barnes and Noble.
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