The Weir, written in 1943, takes place in a small island fishing village during the years before World War II and is set against a backdrop of hard work and struggle. Ruth Moore brilliantly and authentically captures the characteristics of coastal Maine and its people while using them to write a story of universal human drama featuring two primary families who feud, gossip, and struggle while being battered by the relentless tides of change sweeping over their community and their entire way of life.