TagHistorical Fiction

Series: Standalone

Release Date: February 2, 2023

Format: Hardcover

Rating: 5-stars

Weyward was a five-star prediction when I selected it as my Book of the Month pick back in April. It has everything I gravitate toward in historical fiction: feminism, a character-driven plot and magical realism. The novel follows three women from the same family in three different timelines spanning 2019, 1619 and 1942. Connecting the women are their struggles with male violence, sexism and the power that ties them together: their magical relationship with nature.

Feminism

The first perspective follows Altha in 1619, who’s standing trial for witchcraft. This narrative invokes the most classic feminist imagery: the witch trials that lashed out at independent women who existed outside the patriarchal archetypes of wife and mother. I loved how this storyline centred a complicated friendship between Altha and her ex-best friend, the wife of the man Altha is accused of killing. The author subtly explores the nuances of womanhood during this time and lightly touches upon a potential sapphic relationship between the two friends.

Violet’s story in 1942 and Kate’s story in 2019 are more closely connected, and both explore intimate partner violence. I enjoyed how Kate’s story appeared to end the trauma cycle that started with Violet. The contrast between these two storylines puts into stark perspective how the decades have given women more agency through increased rights and education. However, despite these differences, Violet and Kate both struggle with the same problem. I loved the emphasis on healing fractured family relationships in these timelines (Violet and her brother and Kate and her mother).

I thought the use of magic in Weyward felt very realistic – it lent itself more towards magical realism than the paranormal. There was a common theme of how women are socialized to punish themselves – to make themselves smaller – because a powerful woman (represented by the protagonists’ access to magic) is seen as a threat. Altha, Violet and Kate each have a moment where they realize they had suppressed or ignored or feared their powers because they had been socialized to believe that powerful women were dangerous to everyone, including themselves. But, really, their power only threatens patriarchy.

Character-Driven

The writing in Weyward felt very whimsical, capturing the magical relationship the protagonists had with nature. I’ve always loved character-driven books, especially in the historical fiction and literary fiction genres, as it allows the reader to better connect with the characters.

However, my only critique of the book was that the discourse felt highly internalized, by which I mean the secondary characters didn’t feel developed. There was a distinct lack of depth between the protagonists and their supporting cast, which made the stakes of losing their relationships not as impactful.

In Conclusion

Considering the author navigates three timelines, spanning 500 years in just over 300 pages, I’m blown away by Weywards‘s impactful and nuanced feminist messaging. While the book isn’t easy to read, I became completely absorbed in the witchy and whimsical atmosphere. I’m blown away that this is the author’s debut novel! In her sophomore book, I’m hoping for more developed supporting characters and a diverse cast.

Buy Weyward

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