by Emilia Hart
4.6 · 5 reviewsKATE, 2019 Kate flees London – abandoning everything – for Cumbria and Weyward Cottage, inherited from her great-aunt.
KATE, 2019 Kate flees London – abandoning everything – 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. But Weyward women belong to the wild. And they cannot be tamed… Weaving together the stories of three women across five centuries, Weyward is an enthralling novel of female resilience and the transformative power of the natural world.
5 reviews
Triple timeline books often have one strand you skim. This one mostly avoids that, and the convergence at the end is well handled.
Atmospheric, feminist, deeply rooted in place. The Cumbrian landscape is a character. Beautiful debut.
Still good, but the contemporary thread is the most conventional of the three. The historical strands are where the book sings.
The witch trial sections are so well researched and so quietly furious. Hart never overplays the magic — it's insects and plants and instinct, which makes it more convincing.
Altha in 1619 on trial for witchcraft, Violet in 1942, Kate in 2019 fleeing an abusive partner. The three strands echo each other perfectly and the nature writing is stunning. Read it in two sittings.