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, 1942Violet 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, 1619Altha 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.***
Ten days they'd held me there.
- PROLOGUE, ALTHA, 1619
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(@BoroughPress, 2 February 2023, e-book, 384 pages, borrowed from @GlasgowLib via @OverDriveInc)
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I loved Weyward. The book tells the story of three women from different generations of the same family and how they are linked through strange gifts. The chapters alternate between each story, so you get one about Altha, then Violent and then Kate and back to Altha etc. This structure really works as you need to keep reading to find out all of the stories and how they are linked. The chapters uses first person narrator, so I felt really connect to the women and their experiences. Altha's story touches on witchcraft and superstition. Violet's story touches on the role of women in society at a time when they were expected to be seen, look pretty and not be heard. Kate's story is a modern account of being in abusive relationship and having your identity eroded. I loved every page of this remarkable book.
