The Weather Diviner by Elizabeth Murphy

Reviewed by Selena Mercuri

Elizabeth Murphy’s The Weather Diviner is, at first glance, a novel of meteorology and intuition, but beneath the surface, it is a sweeping portrait of Newfoundland at a moment of profound historical transformation. Set in 1942, when the island was not yet a part of Canada but already deeply entangled in the war effort, the novel follows Violet Morgen, a young woman from an isolated outport community who possesses an almost preternatural ability to read the weather. As American forces establish a growing military presence in St. John’s—bringing with them new technologies, foreign customs, and the uneasy promise of modernity—Violet arrives in the city, eager to contribute her skills to the war effort and forge an identity beyond the strictures of her upbringing.

Newfoundland in the 1940s was a liminal space—geographically, politically, and culturally—and Murphy captures this tension with impressive fidelity. The island’s quasi-colonial status, its economic struggles, and its uneasy relationship with both Britain and the soon-to-be Dominion of Canada are subtly interwoven into Violet’s personal journey. As she navigates the unfamiliar rhythms of urban life, forming tentative friendships with other young women working in wartime industries, she begins to see not only her homeland but also herself with new clarity.

The novel excels in its atmospheric rendering of wartime St. John’s. While much historical fiction about this period focuses on the grand narratives of war—battles, treaties, and the machinations of state—The Weather Diviner lingers on the quieter, more intimate consequences of geopolitical shifts. Through Violet’s eyes, we witness the complex intersections of gender, class, nationality, and religion that defined this era.

As a protagonist, Violet is neither an anachronistic feminist nor a passive figure swept along by historical currents; she is instead a young woman shaped by her circumstances, seeking agency where she can find it. Her struggle to be taken seriously in the male-dominated world of meteorology reflects broader frustrations experienced by women of her time. Violet is a protagonist whose ambitions, anxieties, and evolving sense of self feel entirely her own. In her combination of imagination, intelligence, and quiet determination, she bears a certain resemblance to Anne Shirley of Anne of Green Gables—another young woman whose ambitions extend beyond the confines of her small world, and whose perceptiveness about her surroundings is both a gift and a burden. Like Anne, Violet's journey is one of self-discovery and defying societal expectations, though her path is shaped more by historical urgency than by pastoral whimsy.

A particularly charming detail is Violet’s habit of carrying a barometer with her, a token of her scientific aspirations and a tangible connection to her meteorological instincts. In one scene, a young pilot she is seeing—a man more dazzled by her striking intelligence than entirely capable of understanding it—asks whether carrying a barometer around improves the weather. The question leads Violet to wonder: “Why had he asked such a silly question? Or did it seem silly because I was in a critical mood, angry at the world, at myself?” She answers the question by saying, “Not unless it’s a magical barometer.” Moments such as these depict Violet’s exasperation with men who trivialize her work, as well as the deeper sense of alienation that simmers beneath her ambition.

At its core, The Weather Diviner is about knowledge—who possesses it, who is believed, and how it is valued. Violet’s ability to read the weather is both a gift and a burden; though her predictions prove more reliable than those of some trained meteorologists, she must constantly fight for recognition. The novel thus raises questions about the relationship between formal expertise and embodied experience, between institutional authority and intuitive understanding. These themes resonate far beyond their historical setting, gesturing toward contemporary debates over scientific credibility, gendered labour, and the marginalization of non-traditional knowledge systems.

By the novel’s end, Violet’s journey mirrors Newfoundland’s own: standing at a crossroads, uncertain of the future but unwilling to be confined by the past. In this way, The Weather Diviner is more than just a compelling work of historical fiction—it is an inquiry into the nature of change itself, reminding us that history is not merely a collection of events, but a series of moments in which individuals, like weather patterns, shift and evolve in profound yet unpredictable ways.

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About the Author

Born and raised in Newfoundland, Elizabeth Murphy spent her professional career in a variety of educational roles as teacher, administrator, and professor. She completed her Ph.D. in Quebec, won awards for her research and writing while working at Memorial University, and served as a visiting professor in Bangkok. Nova Scotia is where she now lazes, reads, writes, and dreams of summer back home on the island and winter far away in Thailand. The Weather Diviner is her second novel.

Book Details

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Breakwater Books (Oct. 18 2024)

• Language ‏ : ‎ English

• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 264 pages

• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1778530311

• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1778530319