The Diviners
 First edition | |
| Author | Margaret Laurence |
|---|---|
| Country | Canada |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | McClelland and Stewart |
Publication date | 1974 |
| Media type | Print (Paperback and Hardback) |
| Pages | 382 |
| Preceded by | A Bird in the House |
The Diviners is a novel by Margaret Laurence. Published by McClelland & Stewart in 1974, it was Laurence's final novel, and is considered one of the classics of Canadian literature.
The novel won the Governor General's Award for English language fiction in 1974. The protagonist of the novel is Morag Gunn, a fiercely independent writer who grew up in Manawaka, Manitoba. Morag has a difficult relationship with her daughter Pique and her Métis lover Jules Tonnerre, and struggles to maintain her independence.
The Diviners was adapted for television by Anne Wheeler, with a screenplay by Linda Svendsen, and aired on CBC Television in 1993. Sonja Smits starred as Morag, and Tom Jackson starred as Jules Tonnerre.
The book has been repeatedly banned by school boards and high schools, usually after complaints from Christian groups labelling the book blasphemous and obscene. It is a regularly featured book on the Canadian Freedom to Read campaign.
See also
References
- Freedom to Read Campaign
- Archived CBC coverage regarding the banning of the book
- James King. The Life of Margaret Laurence. Toronto: Knopf Canada, 1997.