Weyward, by Emilia Hart. St. Martin’s Press, 2023

This debut work of magical fiction follows the lives of three women: Altha, in the 1600s, Violet in the 1940s, and Kate, in 2019. They are connected by blood, as they come to find. They also sfhare a magical relationship to living things. And they all suffer at the hands of men, abused and used as the men saw fit.

Altha, the village herbal healer, finds herself accused of being a witch and causing deaths. Violet, at 16, is isolated by her father, living in the family estate and craving books, learning, and adventures while her father only sees her as a token to be married off. Kate is fleeing her abusive husband, determined to hide her pregnancy from him. He has micromanaged her life, parading her as a trophy while beating her at home- always making sure the bruises and cuts she always has are hidden by clothing. All three find shelter and solace in a shack in the forest, where there are tinctures ripening and herbs and food plants outside, and insects, birds, and critters gather around them. The land itself protects them.

I suspect that people who love Alice Hoffmann will love this novel. The strong women and the magic really put me in mind of ‘Practical Magic’. But this is no dim copy; this is a world of its own with a magic system with rules of its own. The magic isn’t overused; it’s mostly a quiet undercurrent, like having electricity available but not hooked up just yet. But when a life is threatened- be it the Weyward woman or her friends- it comes out with tremendous power. The setting is full of magic itself; the magic of life and beauty. The story is compelling; I held my breathe waiting to see what would happen to the Weyward women. Five stars.