Weyward by Emilia Hart was my March Book of the Month pick. I was really excited about this book. I mean, the cover alone is gorgeous enough to make you want to pick it up and read it. But beyond that, the premise was compelling as well. Unfortunately, this book had a lot of heavy content that made the book a miss for me. I realized after the fact that I should have checked content warnings before picking up the book. Read on for my thoughts:
Synopsis
Three English women across different generations, all from the same family line, have a special connection to nature, bugs, and birds. In 1619, Altha is accused of being a witch and is awaiting trial. In 1942, Violet feels hemmed in by the social expectations of women. In 2019, Kate is fleeing an abusive husband and trying to live on her own. Each woman has to face her respective challenges and embrace her special gift if she wants to survive.
Details/Review
- I enjoyed the multiple time periods, and the way that the story alternated between the three women worked very well to propel the story forward and keep you wanting to read more.
- As I mentioned, this one hit too close to home for me with some of the content. There are instances of self-induced abortion that brought up a lot of emotions for me related to my miscarriage.
- All of the women suffered various forms of abuse, and the book left me feeling sad thinking about the way that women have been oppressed for centuries. I know that it had a feminist message, but it still left me feeling really down.
- I also found it curious that the only way these women were able to get out of their situations was through their magic/connection to nature. It left me wondering what the implications were for women without that gift.
- I am definitely a minority in my thoughts on this one because the Goodreads rating is 4.2. If you like historical fiction with strong female protagonists or anything related to witches, then you might enjoy this one!
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
You can buy Weyward by clicking here or by visiting your local bookstore. ☻