Who Are The Main Female Characters In 'Weyward'?

The main female characters in 'Weyward' are a trio of extraordinary women from different eras, each fighting against the constraints of their time. Altha is a 17th-century herbalist accused of witchcraft, whose deep connection to nature makes her both feared and revered. Violet is a rebellious 1940s teenager trapped in a stifling aristocratic family, discovering her own mysterious ties to the supernatural. Finally, Kate is a modern-day woman fleeing an abusive relationship, who stumbles upon her ancestors' legacy of power and resilience. What binds them together is the Weyward bloodline - a lineage of women with an uncanny affinity for nature and hidden strengths that emerge when pushed to their limits. Their stories intertwine across centuries, showing how courage and defiance can echo through generations.

In 'Weyward', Emilia Hart crafts a mesmerizing tapestry of female resilience through three protagonists. Altha, living in 1619, isn't your typical witch trial victim - she's a cunning woman with genuine botanical knowledge that borders on magical. Her trial scenes crackle with tension as she uses wit rather than spells to defend herself.

Jumping to 1942, Violet's chapters read like gothic horror meets coming-of-age. The decaying Weyward estate becomes a character itself, hiding family secrets in its wallpaper and gardens. Her discovery of insect communication is particularly chilling - those buzzing wings aren't just background noise but actual warnings.

Present-day Kate's storyline hits differently. Her escape to the ancestral cottage feels primal, like the house itself protects her. The way her hands start understanding plants without study mirrors her great-grandmother's journals in unnerving ways. Hart makes their connections subtle - a shared birthmark, identical reactions to storms, that moment when all three women simultaneously crush mugwort between their fingers across three centuries. The magical realism elements never overshadow their very human struggles against patriarchal systems.

'Weyward' gives us three heroines who redefine feminine power. Altha isn't some fantasy witch - her 'magic' is advanced herbalism that male physicians can't comprehend. Her trial isn't about magic but about punishing a woman who won't conform. Violet's 1940s narrative shows how society pathologizes female intuition - what doctors call 'hysteria' is actually her communicating with crows. The scene where she makes insects swarm her abusive father is cathartic horror done right.

Kate's modern timeline reveals how little has changed. Her boyfriend's controlling behavior mirrors the witchfinders and paternalistic doctors from earlier eras. The cottage's sentient plants protecting her suggest the Weyward women's legacy isn't just genetic but embedded in the land itself. Their shared traits - silver-streaked hair appearing at adolescence, the ability to sense weather changes, that recurring vision of a black-eyed woman - create an eerie throughline. The novel's brilliance lies in making their supernatural elements feel like natural extensions of female rage and survival instincts.