Not So Well Read | Weyward: A Novel

Weyward: A Novel

Emilia Hart

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INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER. An Indie Next March 2023 Pick • A LibraryReads March 2023 Pick • An Amazon "Best Books of the Year So Far" 2023 Pick.

"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.

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The Page Ladies Book Club \ \ The Page Ladies \ \ • Nov 12 2025

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\ \ Welcome, Page Ladies! Thank you for being a member of The First Editions !\ \ Below is your exclusive, comprehensive toolkit for hosting a powerful discussion about The Weyward by Emilia Hart. This guide includes our full list of discussion questions, themed recipes, interactive activities, and even door prize ideas to make your next meeting unforgettable!\ \ 📚 The Weyward Book Club Discussion Guide: Use these questions to spark deep conversation about the novel's core themes and characters.\ \ 🌿Theme Focus: Magic, Nature, and Resilienc e\ \ ▫️The Meaning of Weyward: The term witch is used by men to condemn, while Weyward becomes a term of reclamation and pride for the women. Consider the evolution of the name Weyward. Why and how do the women grow to accept and proudly own this name?\ \ ▫️Nature as Ally: The Weyward women's power is rooted in the natural world. What role does nature, the cottage, the garden, or specific animals play in the healing and empowerment of the three protagonists? How does this subtle magical realism enhance the story?\ \ ▫️Animal Guides: Each woman seems to have a special connection to specific animals birds for Violet, insects/creatures for Altha, the cat for Kate. Discuss the significance of the natural imagery and the specific animal guides that aid each Weyward woman.\ \ ▫️The Cottage as a Character: Weyward Cottage is central to the novel. How does the cottage itself, its decay, its hidden spaces, and its eventual restoration function as a symbol for the women's own inner states and their gradual healing across time?\ \ ▫️The Inner Wild: The novel suggests a woman returning to her natural, most free state of being. What does it mean to you to utilize the gift of your inner wild, as the opening quote suggests: "I am a Weyward, and wild inside."\ \ 📜Historical and Feminist Analysis\ \ ▫️ Witchcraft as Misogyny: How does the novel argue that the 17th-century witch-hunts in Altha’s story were a systematic act of misogyny and patriarchal control a way to suppress female knowledge, autonomy, and non-conformity?\ \ ▫️ Echoes of Persecution: The novel links Altha being tried for witchcraft in 1619, Violet being controlled in 1942, and Kate fleeing domestic abuse in 2019. What fundamental type of threat do all three Weyward women represent to the men who oppress them? Has the method of oppression changed more than the underlying motivation?\ \ ▫️ The Madwoman Trope: Violet's mother is rumored to have gone mad. How does the novel take the classic literary trope of the madwoman, a woman suppressed by patriarchy, and subvert it through the lens of the Weyward magic and legacy?\ \ 👩‍👧‍👧 Character, Legacy, and Narrative Structure\ \ ▫️ Interwoven Stories: The novel uses three different time periods and perspectives. How did the movement between Altha, Violet, and Kate's narratives affect your reading experience? How are their stories linked beyond just familial ties?\ \ ▫️Female Solidarity: How does the knowledge of other Weyward women, and the traces they leave behind Altha's journal, Violet's secrets, help Altha, Violet, and Kate to heal and find their strength?\ \ ▫️ The Power of Words: Altha's journal entries are integral to Kate's story. How does the simple act of writing and documentation become a form of power, allowing the Weyward legacy and magic to endure despite centuries of suppression?\ \ ▫️Male Characters: Compare and contrast the main male antagonists Simon, Rupert, Frederick, and John Milburn. Why do some men feel the need to establish dominance, and how do men like Graham, Henry, or Adam Bainbridge differ?\ \ 🚨 The Ending and Future: Do you find the novel's ending satisfying? What do you imagine the future holds for Kate and the continuation of the Weyward lineage?\ \ 📜 Book Club Meeting Menu Suggestions: These simple, themed recipes will add a rustic, cottage-core atmosphere to your meeting!\ \ ▫️ Wild Thyme Lemonade: Thyme is a resilient herb tied to courage and cleansing, fitting the Weyward women's spirit!\ \ ▫️ Herbed Oatcakes: A simple, traditional biscuit, made rustic and Weyward with the inclusion of wild herbs!\ \ 🍋 The Drink: Wild Thyme Lemonade\ \ Ingredients\ \ ▫️Simple Syrup: 1 cup Water, 1 cup Granulated Sugar\ \ ▫️4-6 large sprigs Fresh Thyme\ \ ▫️1 cup Lemon Juice, freshly squeezed is best!\ \ ▫️3-4 cups Cold Water to dilute\ \ ▫️Garnish: Lemon slices, extra thyme sprigs\ \ Instructions\ \ ▫️ Make Thyme Syrup: Combine the 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar in a small saucepan. Heat and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and drop in the thyme sprigs. Let the mixture steep for 30 minutes to an hour or longer for stronger flavor!\ \ ▫️ Strain: Remove and discard the thyme sprigs. Allow the syrup to cool.\ \ ▫️ Combine: In a pitcher, mix the cooled thyme simple syrup with the 1 cup lemon juice and the 3-4 cups of cold water.\ \ ▫️ Serve: Chill well and serve over ice, garnished with lemon slices and fresh thyme.\ \ 🌱 The Snack: Herbed Oatcakes\ \ Ingredients\ \ ▫️1 ½ cups Rolled Oats\ \ ▫️½ cup All-Purpose Flour\ \ ▫️½ tsp Baking Soda\ \ ▫️¼ tsp Salt\ \ ▫️1 tbsp Fresh Rosemary & Thyme, finely chopped\ \ ▫️4 tbsp Butter, cold, cubed\ \ ▫️¼ cup Hot Water, approximately\ \ Instructions\ \ ▫️ Preheat: Preheat oven to 375°F.\ \ ▫️ Combine Dry: Mix the oats, flour, baking soda, salt, and chopped herbs in a bowl.\ \ ▫️ Cut in Butter: Rub the cold butter into the mixture using your fingertips until it resembles coarse crumbs.\ \ ▫️ Form Dough: Gradually add the hot water, mixing until the dough just comes together. It should be firm, not sticky.\ \ ▫️ Roll and Cut: Roll the dough out thinly (about ⅛ inch) between two sheets of parchment paper. Cut into rounds or squares.\ \ ▫️ Bake: Place on a baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until lightly golden and crisp.\ \ ▫️ Serve: Enjoy with plain cream cheese or butter, topped with a sprinkle of fresh chopped rosemary and sea salt flakes!\ \ 🎨 Fun and Creative Activities: Make your meeting interactive with these Weyward-themed activities.\ \ 🌿 Weyward Herb Identification Challenge: Inspired by Altha’s deep knowledge of the natural world, this is a simple, tactile game.\ \ ▫️Setup: Gather small, labeled samples of common herbs thyme, rosemary, lavender, mint, chamomile, nettle dried or fresh!\ \ ▫️Activity: Blindfold members or have them close their eyes and try to identify the herbs by scent and texture alone.\ \ ▫️Discussion Tie-in: Which ones do you think Altha would have used for healing? Which might she have used for protection?\ \ ✨ Legacy Locket/Token Creation: Violet cherishes a locket with the initial 'W,' a physical connection to her mother.\ \ ▫️Setup: Provide simple crafting materials: small pieces of cardstock, string or ribbon, markers, old buttons, or small smooth stones.\ \ ▫️Activity: Ask members to create a small, personalized Weyward Token or Legacy Locket that represents the wildest, freest part of themselves or a symbol of strength they take away from the book.\ \ Discussion Tie-in: What symbols did the Weyward women use to pass down their power? What symbol do you leave behind for your own legacy?\ \ 🗺️ Interactive Discussion Tools: Use these visual aids to enhance the deeper conversations about feminist themes.\ \ 🕰️The Three Timelines Board: Since the story jumps between 1619, 1942, and 2019, a visual tool helps track the parallels.\ \ ▫️Setup: Before the meeting, set up a whiteboard or three columns on a sheet of paper. Label the columns: Altha 1619, Violet 1942, Kate 2019.\ \ ▫️Activity: As you discuss, list the parallels and contrasts in each column.\ \ For example:\ \ ▫️Oppessor\ \ Altha 1619: John Milburn\ \ Violet 1942: Frederick\ \ Kate 2019: Simon\ \ ▫️Power Source\ \ Altha 1619: Creatures\ \ Violet 1942: Birds\ \ Kate 2019: The Cottage\ \ ▫️Means of Control\ \ Altha 1619: Witch Trial\ \ Violet 1942: Societal Norms\ \ Kate 2019: Domestic Abuse\ \ ▫️Tie-in: This clearly shows how the same patriarchal threats persist across four centuries.\ \ 🐾 "If I Were a Weyward_____" This is a fun, quick prompt for members to imagine their own connection to the magic.\ \ ▫️Prompt: If you discovered you were a Weyward, which aspect of the natural world an animal, an element water, stone, or a specific plant would be the source of your power and protection? How would you use it?\ \ ▫️Activity: Go around and have each member share their personal Weyward power!\ \ 🎁 Weyward-Themed Door Prize Ideas: Offer a small gift to make the meeting extra special!\ \ 🌿 The Altha's Apothecary Set: A small jar of loose-leaf herbal tea chamomile, peppermint, or nettle paired with a small, raw honey stick!\ \ 🌸 Wildflower Seed Packet Assortment: A small bundle of beautiful wildflower or native plant seed packets like lavender or thyme.\ \ 🕯️ The Simple Wild Balm: A tin or tube of natural lip balm or a small bar of herbal soap like rosemary, lavender\ \ ➡️ Tap here to download everything you will need for your book club meeting! Discussion Guide, menu, recipes, activities and more!\ \ 🎉 Happy reading and discussing, Page Ladies!\ \ ❗️Don't forget to comeback and tell us all about your book club meeting!!\ \ Upgrade for $5 or login](https://thepageladies.binderybooks.com/item/DefIdgJyIRtcAQKmqSLC/)