What if the wildness inside you was not a flaw, but your greatest strength?
Emilia Hart’s spellbinding novel Weywardweaves together the lives of three women from the same bloodline: Altha in 1619, standing trial for witchcraft; Violet in 1942, trapped in her father’s estate; and Kate in 2019, fleeing an abusive partner.
This Weyward Summary by Chapter guides you through every trial, transformation, and triumph as these women reclaim their identities.
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Shifting POVs between Altha (1619), Violet (1942), and Kate (2019)
Weyward Summary Chapter by Chapter
⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This section contains detailed, chapter-by-chapter plot summaries. If you prefer to experience the novel fresh, read with care.
Prologue: The Shadow of the Gaol
Altha Weyward has been held in a lightless gaol for ten days without food. She reflects on the filth and isolation of her confinement before hearing the approach of the prosecutor’s men. They have arrived to escort her to the castle for her trial.
The light of the doorway is painful to her eyes as she is led out. She realizes the gravity of the situation as she is taken away to face her accusers.
Key Moment: Altha is taken from her cell to face a trial for her life. New Information: Altha has been imprisoned for ten days prior to the trial.
Part One
Chapter 1: The Flight from London
Kate nervously prepares to flee her abusive partner, Simon, after he returns home intoxicated. He suspects she has left the flat and physically assaults her, calling her a liar.
After he leaves again, Kate retrieves a hidden phone and packs her few remaining belongings. She realizes Simon has found a way to track her movements despite her precautions.
She manages to slip past the doorman and reaches her car in the garage. As she drives away, she sets her destination for Weyward Cottage in Cumbria.
Key Moment: Kate makes the definitive choice to leave Simon and drive north. New Information: Kate has been secretly planning her escape and possesses a second phone.
Violet, a sixteen-year-old living at Orton Hall, expresses her frustration at being forced to study “feminine” arts while her brother Graham studies science. She displays a unique affinity for nature, allowing a damselfly to rest on her palm.
Her brother Graham mocks her “insect obsession” and notes that their father disapproves. Violet reflects on a childhood incident involving a beehive that led to Graham being sent to boarding school.
She views the beautiful estate as a “green prison” because she is forbidden from leaving its grounds. She dreams of becoming a scientist and traveling the world like her father once did.
Key Moment: Violet realizes that her seclusion is a deliberate order from her father. New Information: Violet’s father prevents her from ever visiting the nearby village of Crows Beck.
Chapter 3: The Journey to Lancaster
Altha is paraded through the village square in shackles, feeling the shame of the villagers’ stares. She is bundled into a mule-drawn cart and begins the long journey to Lancaster.
During the trip, she recalls her mother, Jennet Weyward, and their life near the beck. Upon arriving in Lancaster, she is overwhelmed by the noise and smell of the crowded city.
She is taken to the castle, which she perceives as a place where lives are weighed. Inside the courtroom, she faces two judges and a cold-eyed prosecutor.
Key Moment: Altha pleads “not guilty” to the charge of causing John Milburn’s death through witchcraft. New Information: Altha is specifically accused of murdering a man named John Milburn.
Chapter 4: The Arrival at Weyward
Kate arrives in Crows Beck at dawn after driving through the night. She notices a disturbing local custom of hanging dead moles on a fence.
Weyward Cottage is ivy-covered and appears weathered, with many of her great-aunt’s insect specimens inside.
Kate reflects on how Simon used spyware to track her phone and controlled every aspect of her life. She reveals that she stayed with him out of fear until he demanded they have a child.
While trying to clear the cottage chimney, a bird falls out and seemingly comes back to life. Kate is terrified by the crow and the eerie tapping sound it makes on the glass.
Key Moment: Kate discovers she is pregnant, which serves as the final catalyst for her escape. New Information: Kate’s great-aunt was an entomologist, and the cottage is filled with her collections.
Chapter 5: A Test of Conduct
Violet’s father summons her to the drawing room to criticize her “unladylike” behavior, specifically her tree climbing. He informs her that their cousin Frederick is coming to stay and that she must behave.
He threatens to send her to finishing school if she fails this “test” of conduct. Violet feels like a fish out of place in the gloomy Hall and longs for the beech tree.
She overhears servants calling her and her late mother “uncanny” and “strange.” Violet vows to behave just long enough to avoid being sent away.
Key Moment: Violet’s father threatens to send her to a finishing school to stop her from turning out like “her.” New Information: Violet has a cousin named Frederick whom she has never met.
Chapter 6: The Separateness of Kate
Kate hides under her duvet to escape the sound of the crow at the window. She observes a preserved centipede in a frame and feels a sense of dizziness from her new freedom.
She recalls meeting Simon and how he initially provided a sense of belonging she lacked since childhood. Kate remembers the trauma of her father’s death, which occurred when she was nine after she was distracted by a crow.
She blames herself for his death and has avoided nature ever since. Looking out at the garden, she sees hundreds of birds rising from the trees in unison.
Key Moment: Kate admits to herself that she has viewed herself as a “monster” since her father’s accident. New Information: Kate’s father was killed by a car while pushing her out of the way.
Chapter 7: The Witness in the Box
Altha is held in a damp, cold dungeon beneath Lancaster Castle. She uses her fingernails to scratch away a “mark” on her ribcage, hoping to hide evidence of witchcraft. A spider visits her in the cell, providing a small sense of comfort in her isolation.
She is given a rough kirtle and led back to the courtroom in shackles. The prosecutor denounces her as a malicious witch in league with Satan. The courtroom atmosphere is tense as the first witness is called to testify.
Key Moment: Grace Milburn, Altha’s former friend, is called as the first witness against her. New Information: Altha was born with a mole that is considered a “witch’s mark.”
Chapter 8: The Scratching on the Wall
Violet remains indoors for two weeks, diligently performing lessons to please her father. She feels a deep sense of longing for the outside world, which she describes as a form of dying.
During a mandated walk with Nanny Metcalfe, she realizes she can no longer hear the birds or attract insects. Her father insists she treat Frederick with utmost respect when he arrives.
Violet finds a damselfly in a jar from Graham, a rare gesture of kindness from him.
While searching for her fallen necklace, she discovers the word “Weyward” scratched into the wainscoting.
Key Moment: Violet finds the name “Weyward” etched behind her bedside cabinet. New Information: Graham is also afraid of his father and occasionally tries to help Violet.
Chapter 9: The Exposed Niece
Kate briefly considers returning to London out of fear but decides she cannot go back to Simon. She recalls the first time she tried to leave him and how he manipulated her into returning by faking a suicide attempt.
Returning to the present, she walks to the village for supplies and feels exposed in her tight London clothes. The local cashier recognizes her as Violet Ayres’ niece and mentions the “Weyward” name is ancient.
Kate searches the cottage for information and finds old passports belonging to Violet. She is shocked to see a photo of a young Violet who looks exactly like her.
Key Moment: Kate discovers that her great-aunt Violet looked strikingly similar to her. New Information: The name “Weyward” is a family name that goes back centuries in Crows Beck.
Weyward by Emilia Hart Book Cover
Chapter 10: The Death of Anna Metcalfe
Altha watches Grace on the witness stand and remembers their close childhood friendship. She recalls the summer they were thirteen and the moment Grace’s mother, Anna, fell ill with scarlatina.
Altha and her mother, Jennet, went to the Metcalfe farm to help despite the doctor’s failing leeches. Jennet attempted to treat Anna with herbal tinctures, but Anna died in a fit shortly after.
The village rumors began to spread that the Weywards were responsible for the death. Altha and Grace did not speak for seven years following this tragedy.
Key Moment: Grace testifies that her mother died while under the care of Altha and Jennet. New Information: Grace’s father, William Metcalfe, is a papist who carries rosary beads.
Chapter 11: The Discovery in the Desk
Violet asks Mrs. Kirkby about her mother’s last name, but the housekeeper is evasive. She recruits Graham to be a lookout so she can search her father’s study while he is away.
Inside the study, she finds the room filled with “trophies” of dead animals her father has killed. She discovers a hidden black feather and a handkerchief monogrammed “E.W.”
Touched by these items, she suddenly finds her senses sharpened and can hear nature again. Frederick arrives, and Violet is simultaneously repelled and fascinated by him.
Key Moment: Violet finds her mother’s belongings hidden in her father’s desk. New Information: Frederick plans to go to medical school to “intimately” understand the human body.
Chapter 12: The Secret Grave
Kate calls her mother in Canada but hides the truth about Simon and the baby. She finds a photo of her grandfather Graham as a young man and remembers his funeral.
Exploring the cottage garden, she feels a strange connection to the clear water and a damselfly. She discovers a weathered wooden cross with the letters “RIP” nestled in the roots of a sycamore tree.
In the attic, she finds shelves of preserved insects and a locked bureau. She retrieves a package wrapped in fraying cloth from an unlocked drawer.
Key Moment: Kate finds an unidentified grave in her great-aunt’s garden. New Information: There is a trapdoor leading to a large attic containing Violet’s scientific equipment.
Chapter 13: The Testimony of the Widow
In the courtroom, Grace describes the morning her husband John was killed. She tells the court that her dairy cows suddenly became agitated and “shrieking” like a storm.
She testifies that the cows stampeded and crushed John until his face was unrecognizable. Grace points to Altha as the person she saw running from the trees right after the accident.
The prosecutor suggests Altha’s presence was an “unusual occurrence.” Grace confirms that her friendship with Altha ended because of her mother’s death.
Key Moment: Grace publicly identifies Altha as the woman present at the scene of John’s death. New Information: John Milburn was a dairy farmer who inherited his land from his father.
Chapter 14: The Heavy Rifle
Violet prepares for a clay pigeon shooting outing with Frederick and her father. She realizes her mother’s locket contains a hidden key. Over breakfast, Frederick describes the horrors of the war in Libya and the smell of blood.
During the shooting, Violet struggles with the weight of the rifle and Frederick’s proximity.
Frederick puts his hands on her waist to “help” her aim. When the gun fires, Violet falls back into his arms, feeling a strange “magnetic field” around him.
Key Moment: Violet experiences an intense physical reaction to Frederick’s touch. New Information: Violet’s father and Frederick have been corresponding for many years before this visit.
Chapter 15: The Letters of Rupert
Kate opens the package from the attic and finds a stack of letters dated 1925. The letters are from “Rupert” to “Lizzie,” expressing a desperate and obsessive love. Rupert writes of how Lizzie’s face is unmatched in beauty and mentions a gift of a handkerchief.
Kate compares the tone of the letters to Simon’s early, manipulative messages. She recalls how Simon isolated her from her friends and made her quit her job. Kate reflects on the “trophies” of bruises Simon left on her skin.
She wonders if her baby will grow up to be like him or like her.
Key Moment: Kate realizes that “Rupert” and “Lizzie” are her great-grandparents. New Information: Elizabeth Weyward was Rupert Ayres’ bride.
Chapter 16: The Invisible Mark
The trial continues as the prosecutor calls Doctor Smythson to testify. The doctor describes John Milburn’s extensive injuries, confirming they were caused by animal trampling.
Smythson labels Altha and her mother as a “nuisance” for interfering with his medical treatments.
The prosecutor asks about animal “familiars” and pacts with the devil. Altha is forcibly stripped in front of the jury to be examined for a “witch’s mark.” Smythson, who previously claimed to see a mark, now states it is only a sore or flea bite.
Key Moment: Altha is publicly shamed and stripped, but the “witch’s mark” is not found. New Information: Doctor Smythson’s medical “regimen” heavily involves the use of leeches.
Chapter 17: The Story of Morg
Violet walks with Frederick in the afternoon sun and feels light-headed. Frederick reveals that he met Violet’s mother when he was a child and describes her as “curious.” He tells her that her mother walked with a “diseased” crow named Morg and was eventually locked in her room for being a danger.
Frederick claims his parents believed Rupert had been “bewitched.” He makes a move on Violet by a briar bush and kisses her. Violet finds the experience unpleasant and difficult, comparing his tongue to a slimy toad.
Key Moment: Frederick tells Violet that her mother was considered mad and was locked away by her father. New Information: Violet’s mother’s crow was named Morg.
Chapter 18: The Weyward Blood
Kate attends a medical appointment with Dr. Radcliffe, the son of the doctor who treated Violet. She hears the heartbeat of her baby for the first time and is overwhelmed.
Overhearing local gossip at the clinic, she hears herself referred to as part of “that Weyward lot.”
The receptionist uses the word “witch” to describe the family. Kate finds Violet’s birth certificate and discovers her great-grandmother was Elizabeth Weyward. She resolves to keep her “Weyward child” and be strong like her ancestors.
Key Moment: Kate finally confirms through documentation that she is a Weyward. New Information: The first Dr. Radcliffe started the medical practice in Crows Beck.
Chapter 19: The Witness Daniel
Altha reflects on her mother’s teachings and the lie that woman was born of man. She recalls a woman from Clitheroe who fled to avoid being tried for witchcraft. The prosecutor calls Daniel Kirkby, whom Altha helped bring into the world.
Daniel describes a crow swooping from the sky and spooking the cows before the stampede. He tells the court that the cows behaved as if they were under a “spell.” He mentions having a “funny feeling” that someone was watching from the trees.
Key Moment: Daniel Kirkby testifies that a crow seemingly orchestrated the cow attack. New Information: Altha’s mother, Jennet, believed that men lie because they are afraid of women.
Part Two
Chapter 20: The Uncanny Mother
Violet worries that the kiss has changed her appearance and reflects on her mother being called “uncanny.” At dinner, she observes Frederick’s “hungry” look as he eats roast pheasant. She notices Frederick secretly adding brandy to his wine.
Violet thinks about marriage and whether it would prevent her from being a scientist. She realizes that love feels very similar to fear. She notices the solitary cricket outside has stopped chirping.
Key Moment: Violet realizes her father likely didn’t love her mother but viewed her as a “trophy.” New Information: Frederick has a habit of secretly drinking brandy from a flask.
Chapter 21: The Bookshop Friend
Kate begins working at Kirkby’s Books and Gifts and befriends the owner, Emily. Emily reveals she was a close friend of Aunt Violet. She tells Kate about the local rumors of a Weyward being tried as a witch in the 1600s.
Kate visits the village graveyard and finds Graham and Violet’s headstones. She notices the letter “W” delicately inscribed on Violet’s grave. Kate finds the same “W” on her mother’s old necklace.
Key Moment: Emily offers to tell Kate everything she knows about Violet. New Information: A Weyward woman was indeed tried for witchcraft in the 17th century.
Chapter 22: The Duty of the Rector
Altha recalls the morning of John’s death and how she tried to cover his body out of respect for Grace. Reverend Goode testifies that the Weywards attended church but were born out of wedlock. He admits that Altha had “favorable results” in nursing but also notes the deaths of patients.
The rector reveals that he reported Altha because someone in the parish expressed concern. He names William Metcalfe as the one who brought the suspicion of witchcraft. Altha feels the weight of the accusation as she is taken back to the dungeon.
Key Moment: William Metcalfe is revealed as the primary accuser against Altha. New Information: Reverend Goode has been the rector of St. Mary’s for thirty years.
Chapter 23: The Fire of Brandy
Frederick ignores Violet for most of the day until they go for a walk. He offers her brandy from his flask, calling her “innocent.” Violet feels a strange “Dutch courage” from the alcohol.
They walk away from Father and Graham, who have fallen asleep on the lawn. Frederick presses a cold glass to Violet’s cheek after she is bitten by a midge. She feels a sense of portentousness about the upcoming walk.
Key Moment: Frederick begins to isolate Violet from her family by offering her alcohol. New Information: Frederick claims he wants to “protect” Violet from the midges.
Chapter 24: The Ghost of Orton Hall
Kate tells her mother she is pregnant and carrying a girl. She visits Orton Hall and finds it abandoned and decaying. She meets the current viscount, a stooped and traumatized old man.
The man is terrified of insects and has boarded up his windows to keep them out. He reacts with extreme horror when he sees Kate’s bee brooch. Kate flees the house, feeling that she has discovered no real answers.
Key Moment: The viscount orders Kate to “get out” after seeing her brooch. New Information: The old viscount believes that insects “released” him last August.
Chapter 25: The Whore of Satan
Altha describes her mother’s illness and death from the sweating sickness. She remembers watching Grace’s wedding from a distance, feeling the pain of their lost connection. William Metcalfe testifies with intense hatred, calling Altha a “contagion.”
He claims Altha’s mother took the devil as a lover to beget her. The prosecutor labels Altha as the “devil’s whore.” Altha weeps in the courtroom, no longer able to maintain her stoic facade.
Key Moment: William Metcalfe publicly damns Altha and her mother. New Information: William Metcalfe believes Altha and Jennet are unnatural because they live without men.
Chapter 26: The Wound in the Woods
Frederick leads a drunken Violet into the woods near the old railway line. He plucks a primrose for her, ignoring her belief against picking flowers. In a clearing, Frederick pins Violet down and rapes her.
Violet experiences extreme pain and compares the aftermath to snail mucus and blood. Frederick tells her to lie to her father and say she had a “tumble.” Violet finds her mother’s locket is broken and discovers the tiny key inside.
Key Moment: Violet is sexually assaulted by her cousin Frederick in the woods. New Information: The assault results in a physical and emotional trauma that changes Violet’s perception of her body.
Chapter 27: The Drawing of the Earth
Kate attempts to garden at the cottage and finds herself craving raw carrots and soil. While touching the earth, she experiences a “fizzing warmth” and blacks out. She discovers that she has seemingly summoned hundreds of insects from the soil.
Kate travels to Lancaster and finds records of Altha Weyward’s witch trial in 1619. She learns that her great-grandmother Elizabeth died of “shock and blood loss” in 1927. Kate cuts her own hair and begins wearing Violet’s clothes, feeling a new sense of power.
Key Moment: Kate asks Emily for a job as an assistant at the bookshop. New Information: Elizabeth Ayres was given a “treatment” by Dr. Radcliffe before her death.
Chapter 28: The Verdict of the Jury
Altha awaits her fate in the dungeon, preparing for the gallows. In the courtroom, the judge summarizes the evidence, noting the lack of a “witch’s mark.” He mentions that crows are known to be violent and may have spooked the cows naturally.
The jury foreman delivers the verdict of “not guilty.” Altha feels weightless, as if dreaming. She sees Grace look at her with an expression her father does not notice.
Key Moment: Altha is acquitted of the charge of murder by witchcraft. New Information: The jury included a man who felt guilty for not speaking up for another “wise woman” in his own village.
Chapter 29: The Spore Inside
Violet remains bedridden and feels “infected” by Frederick’s assault. She realizes she is pregnant and views the child as a “spore” or parasite. Violet contemplates suicide and prepares to jump from her window.
She is interrupted by Graham, who has noticed her strange behavior. Graham admits he took his biology book back and warns her about Frederick’s reputation. Violet begins to vomit violently, leading Nanny Metcalfe to call the doctor.
Key Moment: Graham prevents Violet from jumping out of her bedroom window. New Information: Frederick was expelled from school for previously getting a girl pregnant.
Chapter 30: The Box from Orton Hall
Kate settles into her life at the bookshop and her pregnancy progresses into its final months.
She builds a bonfire and burns the clothes Simon chose for her, symbolizing her freedom. Emily reveals that she had a stillborn daughter who would have been Kate’s age.
Kate receives a mysterious phone call from an unknown number. Emily brings Kate a box of books recovered from Orton Hall. Kate is stunned to see the box is labeled with the name of her family’s old seat.
Key Moment: Kate burns her “old self” in a symbolic bonfire. New Information: The current Viscount (Frederick) has been moved to a care home.
Chapter 31: The Return of Grace
Altha is released and receives a pouch of gold from a sympathetic juror. She returns to Crows Beck to find her cottage has been vandalized by the villagers. She begins writing her story to ensure she “lives on” after her death.
She recalls the night early in 1618 when Grace came to her door after seven years of silence. Grace is in distress and appears to have a shadow on her cheek. Altha is wary but allows her former friend inside.
Key Moment: Grace visits Altha in the middle of a storm to ask for business. New Information: The villagers destroyed Altha’s herbal salves and tinctures while she was at trial.
Chapter 32: The Marriage Trap
Dr. Radcliffe examines Violet and discovers she is “not intact” and pregnant. Her father is furious and sweeps ornaments off a table in a rage. He informs Violet that she is to marry Frederick in September.
Violet objects, but her father ignores her, claiming it is for the “decency” of the family. He drives her to Weyward Cottage and tells her she must stay there until the wedding. He reveals that the cottage belonged to her mother, Elizabeth.
Key Moment: Violet’s father abandons her at Weyward Cottage to “reflect on her sins.” New Information: The “sanatorium” story was a lie to hide Violet’s pregnancy from the servants and Graham.
Part Three
Chapter 33: The Fairy Tale Note
Kate examines the books from Orton Hall and finds a copy of The Brothers Grimm. Inside, she discovers a suicide note written by Violet years ago. In the note, Violet apologizes for her “sin” and warns that Frederick is not who he seems.
Kate researches Frederick Ayres and discovers he is the same man who was later plagued by a mayfly infestation. She realizes Frederick raped Violet and that her father likely didn’t believe her. Kate feels a new sense of resolve to protect her own life and her daughter’s.
Key Moment: Kate finds Violet’s original suicide note and learns the truth about Frederick. New Information: Frederick Ayres succeeded his uncle to become the Tenth Viscount Kendall.
Chapter 34: The Draught of Tansy
Grace tells Altha that she is pregnant and wants the child to “go away.” Altha is shocked and warns that such an act is a crime and a sin. Grace insists that the baby will die anyway and that Altha’s mother would have known how to help.
Altha finds a recipe for “bringing on the menses” using tansy petals in her mother’s bureau. She prepares the mixture, torn between her love for Grace and the gravity of the request. She hides the bowl in the attic while the mixture steeps.
Key Moment: Altha agrees to help Grace terminate her pregnancy using herbal knowledge. New Information: Grace has already lost two babies in childbed and was beaten for it.
Chapter 35: The Letters of Elizabeth
Violet explores the cottage and finds it is a “hovel” compared to the Hall. She uses her mother’s key to unlock a drawer in the bureau. Inside, she finds letters from her father to her mother and a desperate note from her mother to her grandmother.
Elizabeth reveals that Rupert locked her away and that she was responsible for the carriage accident that killed his family. Elizabeth warns that she is being subjected to a “new treatment” by Dr. Radcliffe. Violet realizes her mother didn’t die in childbirth but was killed by medical mutilation.
Key Moment: Violet learns the truth about her father’s role in her mother’s death. New Information: Rupert Ayres engineered the death of his parents and brother to inherit the title.
Chapter 36: The Accident in the Blizzard
Kate buys a green buggy for the baby but accidentally uses an email address Simon can track. Panic-stricken, she deletes the email but fears he has already seen it. She drives to the nursing home to confront Frederick but he screams at her, seeing her necklace.
Frederick accuses her of being the one who “sent the insects.” On the drive back, Kate is caught in a blizzard and crashes her car after seeing a dead animal. She realizes she must walk two miles across the fells to reach safety.
Key Moment: Kate crashes her car during a blizzard while fleeing the nursing home. New Information: Frederick believes Violet Ayres was responsible for the infestation at Orton Hall.
Chapter 37: The Broken Promise
Grace returns to Altha’s cottage with a bruised face and takes the tansy tincture. She describes the agonizing pain of the miscarriage and John’s subsequent anger. Grace admits that John has beaten her before and that she fears he will kill her.
Altha lets Grace sleep in her bed, feeling a deep need to protect her. She realizes that the “sacred union” of marriage can be a site of great horror. Altha decides she must find another way to deliver Grace from her suffering.
Key Moment: Grace reveals the extent of the domestic abuse she suffers from John. New Information: Grace has been washing away John’s “seed” every night to avoid pregnancy.
Chapter 38: The Cutting of the Rope
Violet reads Altha Weyward’s manuscript and feels her own power shifting inside her. She realizes her father kept her mother’s things as “trophies” rather than mementoes. Her father arrives to announce her engagement is being published in The Times.
Violet resolves that she will not marry Frederick and will not suffer her mother’s fate. She identifies the tansy plant in the garden and remembers its use from the manuscript. She decides to “cut the rope” that binds her to Frederick.
Key Moment: Violet decides to use Altha’s knowledge to terminate her own pregnancy. New Information: The first child born to a Weyward is always female.
Chapter 39: The Following of the Crow
Kate struggles through the deep snow in the woods, fearing she will freeze to death. She experiences a “humming in her blood” and realizes she must push through her panic. A crow appears and leads her through the trees toward the open fell.
Kate realizes she is not a monster and that her father’s death was an accident, not her fault. She reaches the cottage and is later assured by Dr. Collins that the baby is fine. She prepares for her mother’s arrival, but her peace is shattered by a phone call from Simon.
Key Moment: Kate finally forgives herself for the accident that killed her father. New Information: Simon has tracked Kate to the cottage and calls to tell her he’s found her.
Chapter 40: The Plume of Smoke
Altha attends the May Day Eve festival to check on Grace but only sees a vision of her bleeding. She secretly watches the Milburn farm and sees John dragging Grace by her hair. Altha encounters Grace in the market, but Grace warns her to stay away to avoid being hanged for poison.
Altha sees a plume of smoke from the farmhouse and feels a deep sense of dread. She climbs the oak tree to watch the farm with the crows. She realizes she can no longer just watch.
Key Moment: Altha witnesses John’s extreme physical abuse of Grace first-hand. New Information: Grace warns Altha that the doctor will recognize poison if John dies suddenly.
Chapter 41: The Crest of the Wave
Violet drinks the tansy mixture and waits for the pain to begin. The pain is overwhelming, and she feels as if something is fighting the draught. She experiences a “great flood” of blood and realizes she is finally free of Frederick.
She marvels at the bright color of the blood coming from her own body. She reaches the “crest of the wave” and falls into unconsciousness.
Key Moment: Violet successfully terminates her pregnancy in the cottage. New Information: The mixture of tansy was “acrid” and “stinging.”
Chapter 42: The Hiding in the Attic
Simon arrives at the cottage and attempts to break in, while Kate hides in the attic. She struggles to pull the heavy ladder up after her to hide her tracks. Simon stalks through the house, calling her name and slamming cupboards.
Kate manages to light candles and finds herself surrounded by Violet’s insect jars. She realizes her phone has no reception to call for help. She prepares to defend herself and her child at any cost.
Key Moment: Kate manages to pull the ladder into the attic just before Simon enters the house. New Information: Kate discovers a “W” carved into a locked drawer in the attic bureau.
Chapter 43: The Face at the Window
Violet wakes to find her blankets sodden with blood and her body weak. She sees a “face at the window” which turns out to be her brother Graham. Graham enters the cottage and is horrified by the amount of blood.
He tells her he found her note and heard their father talking to Dr. Radcliffe. Graham takes the bloodied sheets and the evidence of the tansy to bury them outside. He warns Violet that the doctor and their father are on their way.
Key Moment: Graham arrives to help Violet hide the evidence of her miscarriage. New Information: Graham was intended to be the “heir” while Violet was considered a “lost cause.”
Chapter 44: The Opening of the Locket
Kate uses the key from her necklace to unlock the bureau drawer in the attic. Inside, she finds Altha Weyward’s ancient manuscript. She reads the first line: “Ten days they’d held me there…”
As she reads, she feels a “molten” truth spreading through her body. She realizes that she and her child are part of a long line of powerful women. Outside, she hears hundreds of birds landing on the roof.
Key Moment: Kate discovers Altha’s original 17th-century manuscript. New Information: The locket Kate has worn for years contains a secret key.
Chapter 45: The Wildness Inside
Altha writes about the secret of the Weyward women: their deep bond with nature. She recalls her mother showing her how to ease a trapped rabbit’s death. Her mother warned her never to show this gift to men, who would use it or kill her for it.
The name “Weyward” was given to them by men because they would not submit. Altha’s mother made her promise to keep the gift hidden to survive. Altha now feels the desire to break that promise for Grace.
Key Moment: Altha identifies the source of her power as a “wildness inside.” New Information: Weyward women typically have only one female child to carry on the line.
Chapter 46: The Arrival of the Doctor
Graham helps Violet clean herself up just as their father and Dr. Radcliffe arrive. The doctor examines Violet and she lies, saying she had a natural miscarriage. Her father is suspicious but the doctor cannot prove she took anything.
Graham stays with Violet for a week, helping her mend the cottage and the garden. Violet tells Graham the truth about their mother’s death. They realize their father is a murderer and a liar.
Key Moment: Violet and Graham form a true alliance against their father. New Information: Graham fashions a small wooden cross for the site where he buried the “child.”
Chapter 47: The Descent from the Attic
Kate hears the birds clamoring on the roof and knows they are there because of her. She descends from the attic to confront Simon in the sitting room. Simon is terrified by the noise and yells at Kate for leaving him.
He attempts to strangle her, but Kate feels her “power” rising instead of panic. She calls to the creatures, and the window shatters as birds and insects flood the room. Simon is attacked and overwhelmed by the swarming wildlife.
Key Moment: Kate uses her heritage to summon a swarm of birds and insects to defeat Simon. New Information: Simon loses an eye during the attack.
Chapter 48: The Figure of Twigs
Altha recalls the winter of 1618 when the village was struck by fever. She watches John Milburn laughing while his wife is missing from church on Christmas. She finds Grace has been beaten so badly she can barely walk.
Adam Bainbridge delivers a gift from Grace: an orange and a twig figure of a woman with a child. Altha realizes Grace is pregnant again and is begging for help. She prepares to intervene, feeling “dark and powerful.”
Key Moment: Grace sends a secret message to Altha asking for help with a new pregnancy. New Information: Oranges were rare and expensive gifts in 1619.
Chapter 49: The Departure of the Father
Violet’s father returns and tells her he is sending her to a finishing school in Scotland. Violet refuses to go and tells him she is staying at Weyward Cottage. She focuses her energy and summons a swarm of bees that surrounds her father’s face.
Terrified, her father drops the front door key and flees in his car. Graham chooses to stay with Violet at the cottage. Violet realizes that she is truly her mother’s daughter.
Key Moment: Violet uses her power over bees to banish her father from the cottage. New Information: Graham gives up his inheritance to support his sister.
Chapter 50: The Survivor’s Stand
After the attack, Simon flees and the creatures leave the cottage. The police and Emily arrive to find Kate safe amidst a floor of feathers and glass. Kate realizes she is not a victim but a survivor.
Simon is arrested in London and charged with assault. Kate feels a new sense of peace and belonging at the cottage. She realizes that Simon can never hurt her again because she has lost her fear of him.
Key Moment: Kate stands tall as Simon cowers, ordering him to “get out.” New Information: Kate plans to write a victim personal statement for Simon’s trial.
Chapter 51: The Justice of the Field
Altha describes how she orchestrated John Milburn’s death. She perched in the oak tree and used her mother’s crow to drive the cows into a frenzy. The cows stampeded over John, killing him instantly.
Altha ran to Grace to tell her “it’s over.” She reflects on the “hard truth” that she is proud of what she did. Altha decides to stay in her home and face whatever comes.
Key Moment: Altha admits that she used her power to murder John Milburn for Grace. New Information: Altha intends to name her daughter after Grace.
Chapter 52: The Lullaby of Insects
Violet spends the rest of her life at Weyward Cottage, eventually making a living by helping farmers with animals. She learns that her father died of a heart attack and Frederick inherited everything. Frederick transfers the deed of the cottage to her name, which she accepts as her right.
She spends a full moon night focusing her energy on Orton Hall. She creates a permanent infestation of insects at the Hall to plague Frederick forever. Violet smiles, knowing that everything will be all right.
Key Moment: Violet curses Orton Hall with a perpetual swarm of insects to punish Frederick. New Information: Graham becomes a successful lawyer and fulfills his promise to help Violet.
Chapter 53: The Birth of Violet Altha
Kate’s mother arrives from London and they reconcile. Kate goes into labor on the kitchen floor of Weyward Cottage. She feels her body humming with “pain and power” as she brings the next Weyward girl into the world.
The baby is born in a rush of blood and mucus on the same floor where Kate found her strength. Kate names her daughter Violet Altha. She looks forward to showing her daughter the wild ways of the world.
Key Moment: Kate gives birth to her daughter at the cottage, continuing the Weyward line. New Information: The baby has eyes “dark as a crow’s.”
Hello! I'm Meed Touzani, a lifelong literature enthusiast and researcher with 25+ years of reading experience across fiction and non-fiction. As the creator of URSummary.com, I provide structured plot breakdowns and character guides to help readers navigate world literature.
