What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedThe Water Diviner
Russell Crowe · Film · 2014
If you loved The Water Diviner, start with The Virtues (Shane Meadows, 2019) — a series on the same thread. Below: 4 books, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to The Water Diviner across media.
You connected with The Water Diviner because of its profound exploration of how grief and family bonds transcend war.
Books on the same thread
The Far Side of the World
Patrick O'Brian · Book · 1994
Explores: Naval Warfare, Friendship, Exploration.
If the historical weight and Russell Crowe's immersive performance in The Water Diviner captivated you, this narrative offers a similarly rigorous commitment to the intense realities of historical sea warfare.
Watership Down
Richard Adams · Book · 1972
Explores: Leadership, Courage, Hope.
While the setting differs, the spirit of resilience and the desperate struggle to protect one's family that Joshua Connor embodies in The Water Diviner resonates through this heroic quest.
One of Ours
Willa Cather · Book · 2007
Explores: alienation, disillusionment, search for meaning.
Much like the protagonist of The Water Diviner, the hero here finds his personal journey irrevocably intertwined with the trauma and disillusionment left in the wake of global conflict.
The Narrow Road to the Deep North
Richard Flanagan · Book · 2015
Explores: memory and trauma, moral ambiguity of war, unrequited love.
This novel mirrors the emotional gravity of The Water Diviner by examining the long-term psychological scars of war and the enduring power of memory across decades of human suffering.
Series on the same thread
The Virtues
Shane Meadows · Series · 2019
Explores: Childhood Trauma, Redemption, Grief.
The Water Diviner highlights the lengths a father will go to for his children, a desperate search for connection that mirrors the painful journey toward redemption found in this story.
Generation War
Philipp Kadelbach · Series · 2013
Explores: Loss of Innocence, The Horrors of War, Friendship Tested.
The Water Diviner examines the personal cost of war, and this series continues that exploration by showing how large-scale violence irrevocably shatters the lives and friendships of ordinary young people.
The War
Series · 2007
Explores: World War II, Homefront, Personal Accounts.
For those moved by the intimate, human-centered historical perspective of The Water Diviner, these personal accounts provide a powerful look at how sacrifice reshapes the lives of individual families.
Longmire
John Coveny · Series · 2012
Shares a thread with The Water Diviner: Grief and Loss.
Just as The Water Diviner follows a man rebuilding his life after profound loss, this series centers on a sheriff navigating his own grief while serving his local community.
Podcasts on the same thread
The Archers
Podcast
Explores: family life, community, farming.
If you appreciated the grounded, rural atmosphere that frames the beginning of The Water Diviner, you will find a similar focus on the complexities of community and daily life here.
Chats with Choc
Podcast
Explores: fatherhood, australian culture, masculinity.
The Water Diviner centers on the complexities of fatherhood and Australian identity, themes that remain at the heart of these candid discussions regarding the challenges of modern masculine roles.
Common questions
Is The Water Diviner based on a true historical event?
The Water Diviner is set in 1919 following the aftermath of the Gallipoli campaign. While the film depicts the fictional journey of Australian farmer Joshua Connor searching for his missing sons in Turkey, it is rooted in the historical context of the post-war search for fallen soldiers.
What is the primary plot of The Water Diviner?
The Water Diviner follows Joshua Connor, an Australian farmer who travels to Turkey in 1919. He seeks to discover the fate of his three sons who were reported missing in action during the war, attempting to find both the truth about their disappearance and his own personal peace.
Who directed The Water Diviner?
The Water Diviner was directed by Russell Crowe, who also stars in the film as the protagonist Joshua Connor. The 2014 movie focuses on his character's arduous journey across a war-torn landscape to locate his sons after the conflict concluded.
Does The Water Diviner take place during the war?
The Water Diviner takes place in 1919, which is after the fighting has ended. The narrative follows Joshua Connor as he navigates a war-torn landscape to find his three missing sons, focusing on the aftermath and the search for closure rather than active combat.