Weyward Reading Guide & Discussion Questions

Book Club Discussion Questions

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For supplemental discussion material see our Beyond the Book article, The Pendle Witches and our BookBrowse Review of Weyward.

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

1. Consider the evolution of the name "Weyward" and the way women in this novel receive it. Why and how do the Weyward women grow to accept and proudly own this name? Why do you think more recent versions of Macbeth have replaced "Weyward" with "Weird"?
2. "The Weyward women had lived safely in Crows Beck these last hundred years, and in that time had healed its people ... We could use our ability to heal without attracting too much suspicion. The people were grateful for this gift" (page 279). How does the knowledge of other Weyward women help Altha, Violet, and Kate heal when they need to? What role does nature play in healing these three Weyward women?
3. Consider the ways that witchcraft shapes all three narrative threads. Who does society deem to be a witch, and what are the factors that fuel that kind of accusation?

Unless otherwise stated, this discussion guide is reprinted with the permission of St. Martin's Griffin. Any page references refer to a USA edition of the book, usually the trade paperback version, and may vary in other editions.