Let's be clear from the start: A Medley of Weather Lore is not your typical book. You won't find a three-act structure or a cast of dramatic characters. Instead, what you get is a charming, slightly haunting compilation. The book is presented as a series of entries, grouping weather predictions by their sources: rhymes from farmers, advice from sailors, signs from animals, and interpretations of cloud shapes and celestial events.

The Story

There isn't a linear story. The 'narrative' is the cumulative effect of all these bits of wisdom. It opens with proverbs we might recognize, like warnings about mare's tails clouds, but quickly moves into deeply specific and local knowledge. You'll read about how the thickness of a squirrel's tail in autumn predicts the winter, or how the direction a cow lies down in can signal a coming storm. It's presented without modern scientific commentary, which is key. You're seeing the raw data of human observation, collected by an anonymous guide. The only through-line is the author's evident passion for preserving these fading snippets of practical magic.

Why You Should Read It

I loved this book for its atmosphere. Reading it feels like stepping into a different headspace. It’s a reminder of a time when people had a direct, intimate relationship with their environment. You start to see how these sayings weren't just folklore; they were crucial survival tools. The book also has this lovely, melancholic edge. M. E. S. Wright, whoever they were, was acting as a historian for a disappearing world. There's a quiet urgency in the collection, as if the author knew this knowledge was slipping away with the older generations. It made me look at the sky differently. Now, when I see a ring around the moon, I don't just think 'cirrostratus clouds'—I also think of the book's line: 'The moon with a circle brings water in her beak.'

Final Verdict

This is a perfect book for a specific mood. It's for the curious reader who enjoys nonfiction oddities, history buffs interested in everyday life, or anyone who finds solace in nature writing. It's a fantastic companion for a slow afternoon or a quiet weekend cabin trip. Don't go in expecting a thrilling plot. Go in expecting to be gently fascinated, to have your perspective shifted, and to spend some time pondering the mysterious M. E. S. Wright and the world they sought to save in these pages.