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Quick answer: If you liked Weyward, read The Once and Future Witches, The Familiars, The Mercies and Burial Rites. All are atmospheric historical novels about women, witchcraft and the price of being different.
Emilia Hart's 2023 debut weaves together three women across five centuries, Altha in 1619, Violet in 1942 and Kate in 2019, all linked by a Cumbrian family cottage and a connection to nature. It is gripping and angry. The books below offer similar witchy, feminist historical fiction.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Once and Future Witches | Alix E. Harrow | Adult | witches in 1893 |
| The Familiars | Stacey Halls | Adult | Pendle witch trials |
| The Mercies | Kiran Millwood Hargrave | Adult | witch trials in Norway |
| Burial Rites | Hannah Kent | Adult | last execution in Iceland |
| Practical Magic | Alice Hoffman | Adult | witch sisters |
| The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane | Katherine Howe | Adult | witch history |
| A Discovery of Witches | Deborah Harkness | Adult | scholars and magic |
| Circe | Madeline Miller | Adult | witch of the Odyssey |
| Hamnet | Maggie O'Farrell | Adult | historical grief |
| Uprooted | Naomi Novik | Adult | fairy-tale magic |
| The Bear and the Nightingale | Katherine Arden | Adult | Russian winter tale |
| The Language of Flowers | Vanessa Diffenbaugh | Adult | healing through flowers |
| Women Talking | Miriam Toews | Adult | women decide |
| The Witch Elm | Tana French | Adult | secrets in a family garden |
| The Daughters of Erietown | Connie Schultz | Adult | family secrets |
1. The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow
Three sisters revive witchcraft in America. Lush and political.
Best for: witches in 1893.
2. The Familiars by Stacey Halls
A pregnant noblewoman befriends a midwife. Tense and atmospheric.
Best for: Pendle witch trials.
3. The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave
A remote island community of women faces a witch hunt. Bleak and powerful.
Best for: witch trials in Norway.
4. Burial Rites by Hannah Kent
A servant awaits execution in 1829. Atmospheric and sad.
Best for: last execution in Iceland.
5. Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman
Two sisters from a family of witches try to live ordinary lives. Warm and lyrical.
Best for: witch sisters.
6. The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe
A graduate student finds a recipe book linked to the Salem trials. Slow.
Best for: witch history.
7. A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
A historian finds a bewitched manuscript and meets a vampire. Long and romantic.
Best for: scholars and magic.
8. Circe by Madeline Miller
The goddess Circe tells her story from exile to power. Lush and thoughtful.
Best for: witch of the Odyssey.
9. Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell
Shakespeare's family and the death of his son. Lyrical and moving.
Best for: historical grief.
10. Uprooted by Naomi Novik
A girl is taken by a wizard to protect her valley from a Wood. Lush.
Best for: fairy-tale magic.
11. The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden
A girl in medieval Russia can see the old household spirits. Atmospheric.
Best for: Russian winter tale.
12. The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh
A foster child uses the Victorian language of flowers to connect. Gentle.
Best for: healing through flowers.
13. Women Talking by Miriam Toews
Women in a colony meet to decide how to respond to assaults. Wry and powerful.
Best for: women decide.
14. The Witch Elm by Tana French
A man recovering from an attack stays at his family home and a skeleton is found. Slow and eerie.
Best for: secrets in a family garden.
15. The Daughters of Erietown by Connie Schultz
An Ohio family's secrets across generations. Warm and sad.
Best for: family secrets.
How to Choose
For more witch trial stories choose The Familiars, The Mercies or Burial Rites. For feminist fantasy pick The Once and Future Witches or Practical Magic. For magical history read A Discovery of Witches or The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane. For lyrical retellings try Circe or Hamnet. Weyward has domestic abuse and violence, so check content notes. Weyward was a bestseller in the UK and US, and its three timelines are linked by objects and a shared family name. Readers who like intertwined timelines may also enjoy Kate Mosse and Kate Morton.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is Weyward about?
Three women across centuries, linked by a Cumbrian cottage and a bond with nature.
Who wrote it?
Emilia Hart.
When was it published?
2023.
Is it a witch story?
It draws on witchcraft and nature, with a feminist angle.
Is it historical fiction?
Partly, with timelines in 1619, 1942 and 2019.
Is it a debut?
Yes.
Is it violent?
It includes abuse and violence.
What should I read next?
Try The Once and Future Witches or The Familiars.
Which book here is best for last execution in Iceland?
Try Burial Rites by Hannah Kent, which suits readers looking for last execution in Iceland.
Which book here is best for scholars and magic?
Try A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness, which suits readers looking for scholars and magic.
Which book here is best for fairy-tale magic?
Try Uprooted by Naomi Novik, which suits readers looking for fairy-tale magic.
Which book here is best for women decide?
Try Women Talking by Miriam Toews, which suits readers looking for women decide.
Which book here is best for Pendle witch trials?
Try The Familiars by Stacey Halls, which suits readers looking for Pendle witch trials.
Which book here is best for witch sisters?
Try Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman, which suits readers looking for witch sisters.