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Book club questions for Weyward by Emilia Hart explore the transformative power of the natural world and the resilience of women.
Through the stories of Kate, Altha, and Violet, readers are taken on a journey across centuries of women who have been deemed “weyward,” or wild and unusual. Kate, in 2019, flees an abusive partner and inherits Weyward Cottage from a great-aunt she barely remembers. As she begins to uncover the secrets of the cottage, she realizes that her great-aunt may have been a weyward woman herself.
In 1619, Altha is on trial for the murder of a local farmer, accused of witchcraft due to her unusual powers rooted in a deep knowledge of the natural world. As evidence mounts against her, she must use all of her strength to maintain her freedom.
In 1942, Violet is trapped in her family’s grand estate, longing for the education and freedoms afforded to her brother. The only trace of her mother is a locket bearing the initial W and the word weyward scratched into her bedroom’s baseboard.
As the stories of these three women intertwine, readers are left to contemplate the transformative power of the natural world and the resilience of women who have been deemed “weyward” by society.
The following book club questions discuss the magic and secrets hidden within the walls of Weyward Cottage, and the mysteries surrounding Altha’s trial and Violet’s mother’s madness. I invite you to delve into the themes of family, tradition, and the powerful bonds between women that transcend time.
As you travel through centuries, you will uncover the power of resilience and the ways in which nature can heal and transform us. So, grab a copy of “Weyward” and join me for an unforgettable book club discussion that will leave you captivated and inspired. Also, don’t forget to read my book recommendations below the questions!
I hope you will enjoy discussing my book club discussion questions for Weyward! Have fun analyzing the themes of the story with your book clubs, and let me know your thoughts! ✨
The Synopsis
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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Selected Reviews for Weyward
“Tension and suspense are skillfully maintained as these women seek to extricate themselves from dire circumstances and discover secret strength. The result is a tale of magic and female empowerment and an atmospheric, gripping read.” ––Booklist
“An utterly absorbing page turner. Emilia Hart has written a brilliant story of the strength, resilience and power of three women spanning decades, against a stunning backdrop of the frailty and beauty of nature. This is an outstanding debut and worthy of all the stars.”
––Abi Daré
“Beautifully written and intricate as a spider’s web, Weyward weaves an intergenerational tale of sorrow, love, and strength. Though separated by decades or even centuries, these three Weyward women―Altha, Violet, and Kate―are each other’s heritage and legacy, and the power they each possess pays tribute to the connections between women, nature, and family.” ––Sunyi Dean
Book Club Questions for Weyward
The following book club questions have been tailored to this book’s specific reading experience.✨
1. In Weyward by Emilia Hart, the name “Weyward” plays a significant role in shaping the identities of the three female protagonists, Altha, Violet, and Kate. In what ways do the Weyward women come to embrace and take pride in this name, despite its negative connotations in society? What is the significance of the name being changed to “weird” in more recent adaptations of Macbeth? How does this reflect changes in societal attitudes towards women and magic?
2. The Weyward women in the novel possess a unique ability to heal and have been using this gift to help the people of Crows Beck for over a hundred years. How does their knowledge of each other and their shared abilities aid Altha, Violet, and Kate in times of need? What role does nature play in their healing process, and how does it contribute to their resilience and transformation?
3. Witchcraft is a recurring theme throughout the novel and shapes the narrative of all three female protagonists. How is witchcraft portrayed in the novel, and what factors fuel accusations of witchcraft in society? What are the consequences of being labeled a witch, and how do these labels affect the lives of women in the novel?
4. Both Violet and Kate are on a quest to understand their family history and their place in it. How does the knowledge they acquire about their mothers and their family history affect their sense of identity and self-discovery? In what ways do they view themselves differently after obtaining this knowledge?
5. Elizabeth and Altha, despite being long deceased, have a significant impact on the present narrative. What is the significance of Elizabeth’s absence in the novel, and how does it contribute to the overall message of female resilience and transformation? How do the actions of Elizabeth and Altha shape the present lives of the three female protagonists, and what does this say about the intergenerational nature of female experiences?
6. The themes of various works of literature, including Shakespeare, The Secret Garden, and Grimms’ Fairy Tales, have a profound impact on both Kate and Violet. How do these works shape their perspectives on life and their understanding of their place in the world? Is there a book that you have returned to over the years, and how has your understanding of it changed with each reading?
7. Violet and Graham’s relationship is complex and evolves throughout the novel. How does their relationship change over time, and what factors contribute to these changes? What does their relationship say about gender dynamics and power in society?
8. The male characters in the novel, including Simon, Rupert, Frederick, and John Milburn, struggle with the concept of female empowerment and often seek to establish dominance over the women in their lives. In contrast, characters like Graham, Henry, and Adam Bainbridge exhibit different attitudes towards women and gender dynamics. What do these contrasting attitudes towards women reveal about societal attitudes towards gender and power?
9. One of the shared experiences between Kate, Violet, and Grace is that they all became pregnant as a result of toxic relationships. However, their individual reactions to this experience differ. How does each woman approach their pregnancy, and how do their perspectives change over time? Do you think that Kate’s decision to keep her baby was influenced by what she learned about the earlier Weyward women? How do the women’s relationships with motherhood reflect the societal expectations and pressures placed on women?
10. Trauma is a recurring theme throughout the novel, and both Kate and Violet experience trauma that affects how they view themselves. How do these experiences shape their identities, and how do they work through their traumas over the course of the novel? What role does forgiveness play in their evolution, and how does it allow them to move forward? How do the characters’ journeys reflect broader societal conversations around trauma, mental health, and healing?
11. The novel highlights the historical and societal pressures placed on women’s bodies and reproductive rights, particularly in Altha’s and Violet’s time periods where ending a pregnancy is considered a sin and a crime. How does this historical context shape the women’s experiences, and what parallels can be drawn to contemporary discussions around reproductive rights and bodily autonomy? How does the concept of sin intersect with our modern definitions of crime, and what are the implications of this for women’s autonomy and agency?
12. The novel weaves together the stories of three women across different time periods, linking their experiences through their familial ties as Weyward women. How does the movement between these perspectives affect the reading experience, and what does it reveal about the continuity of the female experience across time? What other themes or motifs unite the stories of Altha, Violet, and Kate beyond their shared magical lineage?
13. Did you find yourself connecting with one character more than the others? What aspects of that character’s story resonated with you? How do the similarities and differences between the three women’s experiences speak to the broader societal context of women’s lives throughout history? How does the novel challenge or reinforce our understanding of women’s roles and experiences in society?
14. One of the central themes of the novel is the idea of returning to a natural, wild state of being, and the transformative power of the natural world. How does this theme manifest throughout the novel, and what does it mean to the characters to embrace their inner wildness? How does this idea intersect with broader cultural conversations around nature, sustainability, and our relationship to the environment? How can we, as readers, apply these lessons to our own lives and relationship with nature?
15. Throughout the novel, the Weyward women are portrayed as outsiders who don’t conform to societal norms. Discuss how the author represents the theme of nonconformity. Which character(s) do you think best embody this theme, and why?
16. The book includes elements of magical realism, particularly in the way it portrays the Weyward women’s abilities. What do you think the author’s intention was in incorporating this aspect of fantasy into the story, and how does it contribute to the book’s overall themes and message?
17. The book’s title, “Weyward,” refers to the idea of wildness and defiance in women. How do the three main characters embody this concept in their own ways, and what are some of the ways in which they challenge societal expectations and norms?
18. In what ways do the natural world and the environment play a role in the book? How do the Weyward women’s connections to nature intersect with larger environmental issues and the impact of human actions on the natural world?
19. The structure of the novel incorporates multiple timelines and subplots. How does this affect the pacing and momentum of the story, and what are some of the benefits and drawbacks of this structure?
20. The book’s conclusion brings together the three main storylines and provides a satisfying resolution. How does the ending tie together the various themes and plot threads in the book, and what are some of the key takeaways from the story as a whole?
Additional Recommendations
Hope you enjoyed my book club and discussion questions for Weyward by Emilia Hart!
Here are some more of my book club recommendations:
The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner
A forgotten history. A secret network of women. A legacy of poison and revenge. Welcome to The Lost Apothecary…
Hidden in the depths of eighteenth-century London, a secret apothecary shop caters to an unusual kind of clientele. Women across the city whisper of a mysterious figure named Nella who sells well-disguised poisons to use against the oppressive men in their lives. But the apothecary’s fate is jeopardized when her newest patron, a precocious twelve-year-old, makes a fatal mistake, sparking a string of consequences that echo through the centuries.
Meanwhile in present-day London, aspiring historian Caroline Parcewell spends her tenth wedding anniversary alone, running from her own demons. When she stumbles upon a clue to the unsolved apothecary murders that haunted London two hundred years ago, her life collides with the apothecary’s in a stunning twist of fate—and not everyone will survive.
With crackling suspense, unforgettable characters and searing insight, The Lost Apothecary is a subversive and intoxicating debut novel of secrets, vengeance and the remarkable ways women can save each other despite the barrier of time.
Women Are The Fiercest Creatures by Andrea Dunlop
In this wildly addictive novel, three overlooked women take on the charming, manipulative tech CEO who wrote them out of his startup’s history.
Anna Sarnoff is still reeling from her quickie divorce from tech wunderkind Jake Sarnoff. Forced out of the company that she helped Jake build, Anna is trying to pick up the pieces of her life, navigating the waters of solo parenting their two teenage boys and adapting to her new role of ex-wife. To make things more complicated, Jake seems to want her back…and his persuasiveness tempts her to say yes.
Across town, the brilliant and striking Samanta Flores-Walsh, Jake’s college girlfriend, is busy raising her teenage daughter and running her thriving yoga studio. Although their relationship ended years ago, unanswered questions from their time together gnaw at her, and when she learns that Jake is planning to take his billion-dollar company public, she starts to wonder if perhaps it isn’t too late for justice.
Finally, there’s Jake’s much younger new wife, Jessica, who’s struggling to stay afloat as a new mom while her high-profile husband grows increasingly distant.
Set in the wealthy enclaves of Seattle’s tech elite, the lives of these three women grow entangled as long-held secrets are forced to the surface, threatening to destroy their families. Written with razor-sharp intelligence and heart, Women Are the Fiercest Creatures is a searing look at the complexities of family and the obstacles women navigate in every aspect of their existence.
The London Séance Society by Sarah Penner
From the author of the sensational bestseller The Lost Apothecary comes a spellbinding tale about two daring women who hunt for truth and justice in the perilous art of conjuring the dead.
1873. At an abandoned château on the outskirts of Paris, a dark séance is about to take place, led by acclaimed spiritualist Vaudeline D’Allaire. Known worldwide for her talent in conjuring the spirits of murder victims to ascertain the identities of the people who killed them, she is highly sought after by widows and investigators alike.
Lenna Wickes has come to Paris to find answers about her sister’s death, but to do so, she must embrace the unknown and overcome her own logic-driven bias against the occult. When Vaudeline is beckoned to England to solve a high-profile murder, Lenna accompanies her as an understudy. But as the women team up with the powerful men of London’s exclusive Séance Society to solve the mystery, they begin to suspect that they are not merely out to solve a crime, but perhaps entangled in one themselves…
Thank you for reading my book club discussion questions and as always, happy reading! ❤️