A Student of Weather

As both a lover of fine literary fiction and a creative writing student, I read not only for enjoyment, but also to learn the craft of writing. Elizabeth Hay's novel is a truly fine and fulfilling example of both.Spanning four decades, and alternating between Canada and New York, A STUDENT OF WEATHER explores the relationship between Ernest Hardy, his favored and beautiful daughter Lucinda, her younger sister Norma Joyce, and of Maurice Dove, the young man whom Lucinda and Norma Joyce both love, and who ultimately comes between them.Unrequited love, sibling rivalry, betrayal and redemption are some of the themes that this novel explores. Rich in metaphor and written in lovely prose that reads almost poetically, A STUDENT OF WEATHER is an exceptional and unforgettable novel.

Beginning in the "dust-bowl" era in Saskatchewan, "A Student of Weather" brings us to the home of the Hardy family. There, we meet Ernest, a bitter man and the farmer-father of the family. His wife has died, leaving behind two sisters: Lucinda, literally the treasured one, and Norma Joyce, our heroine of the story, blunt and somewhat odd.When a student of weather arrives at their home, both Lucinda and Norma Joyce tumble into a love for him, and the story begins there.Norma Joyce is a wonderful character, and her character is often both a joy and hurtful to read. There is an extreme level of pathos and empathy to this work, and all of it important. The story meanders from Saskatchewan to Ottawa and even to New York as we follow Norma Joyce, and as the secrets of her family are uncovered, and her deceits and kindesses are explored, we find a woman of remarkable iron strength. For myself, the benchmark of a good solid work of literature will always be a strong character base, and "A Student of Weather" definately has that. Between the Hardys, and the student of weather, Maurice Dove, for which the novel is named, there are no weak characters here. I've re-read my copy a few times, and still find something new to its pages.If you are at all a fan of recent-historical fiction, or simply a lover of strong characters, especially strong women, then this is a book for you. Elizabeth Hay is a name to watch out for.

This little story was truly a wonderful surprise. I expected a cozy little family saga, but got much more. This quiet unassuming novel about ordinary people builds slowly into a gripping tale that once it gets going is impossible to put down.It begins in 1938 on a farm in Saskatchewan, Canada with two lonely motherless sisters, nine years apart in age and worlds apart in looks and personality. Norma Joyce is small, dark, wiry, homely, inquisitive, provocative, and restless, while older sister Lucinda is a ravishing redhead, quiet, serene, the hard working homemaker for father and younger sister. Although Norma is just a kid, when Maurice Dove, a 'student of weather' visits the farm, both sisters, each in their own way, fall desperately in love with him, a love to last a lifetime, but with tragic consequences. The presence of Maurice will be the wedge that drives the sisters apart and alters the family fate, although the personality of each character will also determine the outcome of the story, which later shifts to Ottawa and then alternates between Ottawa and New York City.What makes this novel stand out from the crowd aside from its careful plotting and lovely descriptive passages about foliage, flora, and of course weather, are the ways in which the author makes brilliant use of small details of personality and psychology to drive what would otherwise be an ordinary story into high gear and to create unforgettable complex characters. She gets it right on target, too, so much so, that the reader feels that he/she is a witness to real peoples' lives. This book is one of my top picks of the year!

Maurice Dove is a visitor to the Saskatchewan farm of widower Ernest Hardy and his two daughters: Lucinda and Norma-Joyce. Beginning in the Prairie Dust Bowl years of the 1930s and spanning the decades following World War II, this story of human emotions, obsessions, and self-discoveries moves back and forth between Ottawa and New York City in a beautifully written debut novel by Elizabeth Hay. Her descriptive text of the story's varied backdrops, the cast of eccentric and memorable characters; and her richly textured, physically emotional writing style combine to present a unique and satisfying work that lingers in the memory long after A Student Of Weather has been finished and set back upon the shelf. Also highly recommended is Small Change, Elizabeth Hay's collection of short stories.

This wonderful book is full of contrasts - the dust of Willowbend, Saskatchewan and the snow of Ottawa, Ontario; farm life in the dust bowl days and urban life of New York City; the "bad" sister and the "good" sister; remembering and forgetting. The details are so evocative that you can taste the grit, feel the scrape of a twig, smell the roses in the botanical garden. The best part, for me, were the unexpected little twists. I would think, from the author's hints, that I knew what was going to happen - that this was going to be just another trite "woman's book" - and time and again I would be wrong. And all the wonderful little details (such as Norma Joyce eating the rose) jump out and stick with you. It is primarily a book about character, and by the end of the book you love them all in spite of their very human flaws. After you are finished reading, you can't help thinking about the characters and whether they ever really knew each other, and by extension, you can't help wondering how well we understand the motivations and actions of those nearest to us.