Weyward tells the story of three women in three different time periods: Altha accused of witchcraft in 1619, Violet growing up in 1942 and Kate running from an abusive relationship in 2019. Each chapter is told from the close perspective of one of the women, and as the book progresses the links between them across time become clearer and clearer. 

A touch of the magic of the natural world runs through this book (which I very much enjoyed), though I would say that for me the book sits firmly in historical fiction rather than speculative. There’s also a strong sense of place – with one of the links between the women being the village of Crow’s Beck in Cumbria. Another overarching theme is women’s experience across the centuries, and the book is unapologetic in portraying the hard and dark side of that experience. It’s worth noting some trigger warnings around abuse, assault and pregnancy. 

I found this book a really engaging read which I struggled to put down – particularly in the latter half where the three stories really being to entwine, and mysteries start getting solved. For me I would say it’s a little less of a character or prose driven book, and more one driven by its strong themes, gripping plot lines which have you rooting for the characters, and clever weaving together of different time periods. I would very much recommend it for that.