by Emilia Hart (Author) 

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

"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 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.

Review

"A triumphant debut...the magic harnessed by the characters feels completely real in this captivating outing." ––Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Lovely and vivid, Emilia Hart’s voice is totally original, both gentle and fierce...A bold and bewitching debut, the big takeaway is that the power and magic found there is already in you, waiting for you to finally embrace it." ––Sarah Addison Allen, New York Times bestselling author of Other Birds

"A thoughtful and touching debut, Weyward [is] a tour de force rendered with striking ingenuity. Hart creates this imaginative tale with insight and intensity, finely drawn characters and a wealth of clues...with arresting prose and passages that approach poetry...But what sets Weyward apart from other witchcraft-related fiction is Hart’s wise decision to also explore topics that require no belief in the dark arts: men’s fear of women and the violence it can generate, women’s affinity for their ancestors and the blessings bestowed by intimate contact with the natural world." ––The Free Lance-Star of Fredericksburg

"A riveting journey of family secrets, betrayal, and resilience." ––Zibby Mag

"Weyward is a bewitching historical fiction that will entrance fans of Alice Hoffman with its take on natural magic and sisterhood." ––E! Online

"A promising debut…Hart links the three stories very cleverly in this entertaining read about witchcraft, maternal ties and the power of the natural world." ––The Times (UK)

"Weyward glows and glimmers with hidden powers, thrills and danger…[and] draws readers inexorably to a glorious conclusion that celebrates connectedness and the power of women and nature...A suspenseful, magical debut." ––Shelf Awareness

"Gripping...Thoughtful and at times harrowing, this novel is a successful blend of historical fiction and modern feminism." ––Kirkus

Categories : Women's Historical Fiction, Historical Literary Fiction

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09Y45FSLD

Publisher ‏ : ‎ St. Martin's Press (March 7, 2023)

Publication date ‏ : ‎ March 7, 2023

Language ‏ : ‎ English

File‏ : ‎ EPUB, 1.52 MB

Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled

Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported

Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled

X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled

Print length ‏ : ‎ 326 pages