The Weather Diviner
ABOUT
THE BOOK
In 1942, with polished boots and bulging wallets, the Americans have come to defend a highly strategic location: Newfoundland, the Allies’ new transatlantic transportation hub. Like others chasing opportunity, Violet Morgen abandons her remote outport home and heads to the city. An amateur forecaster with a powerful sixth sense for the island’s tempestuous weather, Violet is determined to help the Americans fight the enemy—but is determination enough?
Set in a tragic, transformative year in an extraordinary place with larger-than-life characters, The Weather Diviner is a story of self-discovery—not only for one young woman, but for Newfoundland itself.
NOMINATING LIBRARY COMMENTS
Set in 1942, a pivotal moment when Newfoundland and Labrador remained a British dominion on the edge of joining Canada, The Weather Diviner by Elizabeth Murphy is a beautifully portrayed historical novel that captures the tension between tradition and transformation. Through the quietly determined Violet Morgen—a young woman from an isolated outport with an uncanny gift for reading the weather—Murphy brings to life a world where atmospheric shifts mirror social upheaval. As American forces establish a wartime presence in St. John’s, Violet seeks to forge a life beyond the expectations of her upbringing. Her journey into the city’s male-dominated world of meteorology becomes a compelling story of ambition, alienation, and resilience. Murphy’s prose is lyrical and assured, balancing rich period detail with the intimate psychology of a woman determined to be heard in a world that often doubts her. With vivid characters, historical nuance, and deep emotional resonance, The Weather Diviner explores what it means to possess knowledge others don’t yet trust—and how the search for identity can mirror a nation’s own. A standout contribution to Canadian historical fiction, this novel is at once timely and timeless. Based on its literary merit, thematic richness, and reader appeal, The Weather Diviner is a strong contender for recognition as a must-read library book of the year. (Newfoundland and Labrador Public Libraries)