WeywardWeyward
What it's about
Three women in the same family, centuries apart: Altha, accused of witchcraft in 1619 England; Violet, a girl trapped in her father's house during the Second World War; and Kate, who flees an abusive partner in 2019 to a cottage left to her by a great-aunt. Each discovers a strange connection to nature, and to the women before her.
Why it's worth reading
It won the Goodreads Choice Award for historical fiction. It's an atmospheric, feminist story.
You'll love it if you liked
The First Witch of Boston
The Witch's Heart
A Resistance of WitchesGood to know
It deals with domestic abuse and sexual violence.
By the numbers
- Readers46 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller43 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz13 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
On our reserve shelf: it's well reviewed, but isn't currently a prize winner, a lifetime bestseller or a book everyone's talking about, so we don't rank it. We check again every month, and it can still turn up in your 50 once you've read most of our ranked books.
Why it made the list
Reads as
Dark, Moving
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Quick answers
Is Weyward worth reading?
It won the Goodreads Choice Award for historical fiction. Its Must-Read Score is 66.1 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Weyward about?
Three women in the same family, centuries apart: Altha, accused of witchcraft in 1619 England; Violet, a girl trapped in her father's house during the Second World War; and Kate, who flees an abusive partner in 2019 to a cottage left to her by a great-aunt. Each discovers a strange connection to nature, and to the women before her.
How long does it take to read Weyward?
About 10 hours (404 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What awards has Weyward won?
Goodreads Choice (historical fiction) winner (2023).
What should I read after Weyward?
If you liked it, try The First Witch of Boston by Andrea Catalano, The Witch's Heart by Genevieve Gornichec or A Resistance of Witches by Morgan Ryan.