I read this book while reading a history of Iraq. That experience, paired with Shafak’s as always lyrical writing, made for an immersive experience. This is a superb multi-timeline novel that IMO is the best work from a supremely talented and beloved author. I was a little worried that Shafak writing books set in countries other than her native Turkey would lose some of its resonance but that’s definitely not the case. Her last two works have been my favorites.

Elif Shafak’s "There Are Rivers in the Sky" is a captivating novel that intertwines history, memory, and magical realism.

Spanning continents and centuries, the narrative explores the fluidity of identity and the interconnectedness of human experiences. Shafak’s poetic and emotionally rich storytelling blurs the lines between reality and imagination, creating a tapestry of voices that reflect both personal and collective histories. The novel features richly layered characters who navigate personal challenges while contending with broader social and political forces. From a scholar uncovering lost histories to a modern-day activist fighting for justice, each character’s journey is profoundly moving and relevant. Shafak’s deep understanding of human nature and empathy for her characters make this an emotionally engaging read.

Rich in philosophical reflections, the novel ponders the nature of time, memory, and storytelling. Shafak’s luminous prose and ability to weave complex ideas into a compelling narrative highlight her literary prowess.

"There Are Rivers in the Sky" is a testament to Shafak’s literary prowess, and invites readers to question the narratives they’ve been told and the histories they’ve inherited, offering a profound meditation on identity, heritage, and the power of stories.

There Are Rivers in the Sky is a breathtaking masterpiece by Elif Shafak that expertly intertwines three poignant stories, all anchored in the ancient city of Nineveh and bound by the theme of water. Shafak’s ability to merge historical fiction with deep emotional currents is simply unparalleled. From the brilliant mind of Arthur Smith, inspired by real-life Assyriologist George Smith, to Zaleekah’s introspective journey into the mysteries of rainfall, and Narin’s Yazidi heritage tied to the Tigris, each narrative thread is woven together beautifully. The novel transcends time and geography, offering readers a rich tapestry of history, memory, and human resilience. A must-read for lovers of thought-provoking, epic storytelling.

There was a lot going on in this book, a lot to track/follow. I want to re-visit it at another time when I can have a notepad in hand to try to track it--which makes it hard with fiction reading at times.

This enchanting story that crosses centuries to deliver multiple plot strings interconnected with a drop of water that is both conscious and transformative. Social and political themes and ideas surrounding humanity/the human experience tie together nicely – a credit to this heavily accomplished author’s expertise in storytelling, character development, and scene-setting. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and learned a great deal about ancient cultures and traditions - a wonderful reading journey!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an opportunity to review.

Thank you @netgalley for the eARC of There Are Rivers in the Sky by @shafakelif

I think it’s officially official: historical fiction is my favorite genre. I went into this book blind, thinking it was a fantasy. But I was surprised that it was actually historical fiction told from the perspective of a drop of water. I learned so much from this book about subjects I had never even heard of before, so I had to write them all down. Those things included the theory of water memory, ancient libraries, ancient civilizations of Mesopotamia, the Victorian era in England, hidden rivers, the Yazidi people, cuneiform (which are symbols that are not an actual alphabet but instead syllables that are combined to create words), Lamassu gods and different ways that myths and stories are passed down through centuries. I can’t explain how much I enjoyed reading this book. It takes you from the reign of Ashurbanipal in 600 BC all the way to “present day” 2018. It’s a well developed and well researched story of intertwining characters, connected through a drop of water. It is a heavy book, each character’s story is tragic in many ways, but it’s also strangely hopeful and healing like the water that is intrinsic to each of their stories. If you are looking for a great historical fiction that covers a vast array of subjects and cultures, There Are Rivers in the Sky is a perfect one to add to your TBR. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#thereareriversinthesky #bookreview #netgalley

I read somewhere that “beautifully written” is code for slow. Yes, I’m not going to lie, this is a slow book. It took me awhile to get through it. I even had to put it aside for a while. But it was absolutely beautiful. This is a story of an Assyrian King, an Epic Poem, a poor boy who can read cuneiform, a young Yazidi girl, and a hydrologist all connected over thousands of years by a single drop of water.

This is a masterfully crafted, intensely researched book that explores the human condition and a homeland, passion and persecution, an ancient language, the memory of water, and the birth of civilization. This took me down a hundred Google rabbit holes and made me exclaim “huh” out loud more than once. It taught me things and left me pondering about others. While this book made me work for it, I will most likely be thinking about this for awhile. If you like deeper, slower books that really dive deep into history, teach you something you might not have known before, and makes you think a little harder, I highly recommend this one.

Some books are character driven: they feel as though the author sets a group of people loose on the page and follows their story. Some books are plot driven: the characters feel like chess pieces being moved around the board to satisfy the needs of the story. And some books are idea driven: the characters and plot exist to help the author explicate concepts and ideas. Most books are some combination of these categories, and great books blend character, plot, and ideas together so perfectly that you never sense the author behind the curtain.

"There Are Rivers in the Sky" is mainly an idea book - big ideas about water, especially rivers, and its centrality to humans; about Middle Eastern history; about European colonialism; about religious intolerance. The characters are not terribly convincing. Shafak mostly tells us what her characters are thinking and feeling, rather than showing us, and archetypical secondary characters pop up when needed to explain a Big Idea or provide history or science explication. Even Charles Dickens makes a cameo appearance as a fairy godfather.

The writing is often lovely, and the Ideas the book is organized around are genuinely Big Ones, but at the end I felt slightly cheated.

There Are Rivers in the Sky is a gift to historical fiction fans. The focus is the Thames and the Tigris rivers and how the water in those two disparate waterways meet and meld and wrap around time. I loved each protagonist - their stories were nuanced and complex, with meaningful growth arcs. What absolutely blew me away, though, was all the Mesopotamian history, especially that of the Yazidi people. Few books have driven me down Google rabbit holes like this book did. It's always a plus when historical fiction pushes me to dive deeper. I did not want this book to end.

Many thanks to the author for sharing this extraordinary story. And thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an eBook version in exchange for a review.

Booker Prize finalist Elif Shafak's mesmerizing novel explores centuries and cultures through the lives of three remarkable characters — and a single drop of water.
Elif Shafak's novel There Are Rivers in the Sky follows three disparate individuals separated by time and location. Arthur Smyth (whose full name is "King Arthur of the Sewers and Slums") is born in the stinking muck along the Thames River in 1840. Narin is a nine-year-old Yazidi girl growing up on the banks of the Tigris River in 2014, shepherded by her grandmother. And thirty-year-old Zaleekah Clarke is a hydrologist living on a houseboat in London in 2018, trying to move beyond her failed marriage. As the characters' lives unfold on the pages of this remarkable book, readers gradually learn how they're tied together, with the last pieces falling into place at the very end of the story.

Shafak begins her tale with a sentient drop of water falling on King Ashurbanipal of Ninevah (reigned 669–631 BCE):

"Dangling from the edge of the storm cloud is a single drop of rain — no bigger than a bean and lighter than a chickpea. For a while it quivers precariously — small, spherical and scared. How frightening it is to observe the earth below opening like a lonely lotus flower. Not that this will be the first time: it has made the journey before — ascending to the sky, descending to terra firma and rising heavenwards again — and yet it still finds the fall terrifying."

This tiny observer appears throughout the novel, present at various times in history (the same drop appears at Arthur's birth, and later makes up one of Zaleekah's tears). Indeed, the variability yet permanence of water is a major theme. "While it is true that the body is mortal," the author writes, "the soul is a perennial traveler — not unlike a drop of water." Later, "Many kings have come and many kings have gone…never forget the only true ruler is water," and, "Women are expected to be like rivers — readjusting, shapeshifting." Shafak's writing is lyrical, bordering on poetic, as she weaves this theme into her narrative.

The author's focus varies between her characters, making the experience of reading about each almost like reading three different books. By far the most detailed and appealing story is Arthur's; it fits squarely in the realm of historical fiction as Shafak takes a deep dive into life for the lower classes in Victorian London. Based on George Smith — a self-taught Assyriologist who was the first to translate the Epic of Gilgamesh into modern language — this remarkable man rises from tosher (someone who scavenges in the sewers) to expert on cuneiform (see Beyond the Book). The section is crammed with tiny details that bring the period to life. For example, Arthur buys eel pies as a treat for his brothers and reads by the light of the moon because his family has no money for lamps or candles.

Narin's role in the story allows the author to portray the Yazidis, a Kurdish religious minority whose beliefs include elements of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Often persecuted throughout history, people from this sect were victims of genocide by the Islamic State from 2014-2017. Yazidi experiences, wisdom, and values are depicted through the character of Narin's grandmother. While this part of the novel is set in more recent times, some of the concepts it contains are ancient.

And finally, Zaleekah epitomizes the struggles of many modern women still trying to establish a place for themselves in the world. She's at a crossroads in her life, wrestling with depression and unable to move forward. Her story might be the least interesting simply because it's so familiar to many of us; she's a typical woman on a voyage of self-discovery. This part of the novel is primarily bildungsroman. Zaleekah's overbearing uncle and a tattoo artist who only works in cuneiform add color.

One of the brilliant aspects of the novel is the author's ability to merge these three completely different storylines into a compelling whole.

I truly enjoyed Shafak's writing, but periodically she itemizes rather than describes:

"Whatever is unwanted is discarded into the river. Spent grain from breweries, pulp from paper mills, offal from slaughterhouses, shavings from tanneries, effluent from distilleries, off-cuts from dye-houses, night-soil from cesspools and discharge from flush toilets…all empty into the Thames, killing the fish, killing the aquatic plants, killing the water."

These lists are unnecessarily exhaustive; they're included with enough frequency that the technique starts to grate. And while I was enthralled by each character's story, I became impatient waiting for the threads to start coming together. The tie-ins are ultimately brilliant but the author takes her time.

Those complaints aside, There Are Rivers in the Sky is a superb work of literary and historical fiction, and I highly recommend it to most audiences. It reminded me very much of Anthony Doerr's excellent novel Cloud Cuckoo Land, and readers who enjoyed that title will likely relish this one equally. It would make an excellent book group selection.

Reviewed by Kim Kovacs
This review will run in the September 4, 2024 issue of BookBrowse Recommends

There was so much about this I loved. Beautifully well-rounded characters, dreamy full circle moments, an inspiring theme of resilience. Mesopotamia is a character in its own right, weaving in and out of each character’s story, which is what makes this book so engaging. Gorgeous read. Fully recommend!

Thank you to Netgalley and Knopf for the opportunity to read this ARC. I loved Shafak's The Island of Missing Trees and was excited to read her newest. Absolutely loved this book. It is heartbreaking and ambitious, set on two different rivers - the Thames and the Tigris - and following the lives of several main characters centuries apart. There are several love stories, family sagas, ancient myths, and history. Shafak's characters bring to life current-day issues in some of the war-torn countries that MSM rarely talks about. This book is a treasure. #ThereAreRiversintheSky #NetGalley

This book is a beautiful work of literature, with the themes of rivers, water, the Epic Gilgamesh, and strong women running throughout three timelines and tying them all together. Well-researched and well-developed characters. Fabulous!

Such a unique concept for a book, Elif Shafak follows one drop of water and 2 rivers through centuries, weaving the story among three different characters. The river Tigres and the river Thames come alive as characters here, as we learn about the fates of the lives intertwined by the water.Starting in Mesopotamia, we meet King Ashurbanipal, who builds a library that gets destroyed, save for one poem, 'The Epic of Gilgamesh'. 
Then we are sent to London in the 1800s, where a publisher is mesmerized by the ancient poem. We then travel to Turkey, under siege by ISIS, where a young mother wants to baptize her daughter in the Tigres river to heal her deafness. 
Then we go back to London in 2018, as a hydrologist on a houseboat decides to take her life, until she finds that special poem.
All these characters have the rivers in common, and the poem that inspires and moves them to change their lives. The author takes lots of subject matter from her own upbringing and life in Turkey as a young girl. She addresses war, global warming, and the effect on our water and tributaries. This is a beautifully written epic story that will stick with you for quite some time.

I loved this book. It will definitely rank as one of my favourites for this year. As an author she blows me away with her story telling especially with an epic tale. Absolutely mesmerising. I listened to qanun music, I looked up the geography, I looked at images of the artefacts and downloaded the Eoic of Gilgamesh. It's the sort of book that inspires you to read more history.

Wow! This book is a work of art! Smart, beautifully written…. A mix of art and (well researched) science.. it profound and heartfelt and addresses many important topics through our history through 3 beautiful stories. I can’t stop recommending this book to people who love a well crafted book.

3.5 stars
This book was beautifully written. I’m not always a fan of books with plots that make it feel more like a collection of short stories than a continuous novel. So the rating is more me than the book itself. I found it hard to connect and stay invested but I’m sure I’ll be in the minority.

Elif Shafak weaves a rich tapestry of interconnected stories that explore themes of identity, belonging, and the complexities of human relationships. I was particularly drawn to her lyrical prose and the way she brings her characters to life, each with their own struggles and dreams. The dual narrative structure, alternating between past and present, kept me engaged, revealing layers of history and emotion that added depth to the story.
However, at times, I found the pacing a bit uneven, with certain sections feeling overly drawn out, which slightly detracted from the overall momentum. Despite this, Shafak's ability to evoke vivid imagery and her insightful commentary on cultural divides made the reading experience worthwhile.
Overall, it's a beautifully crafted novel that resonates long after the last page is turned.

In There Are Rivers in the Sky, Elif Shafak has written a masterly work tying together the lives of people over centuries and civilizations through the medium of water, generally through rivers, the Thames and the Tigris, and specifically through the lifetime of a drop of water. This drop of water is tracked from its presence at the destruction of an ancient civilization in Mesopotamia through to the beginning of a 19th baby’s life beside the Thames and on to the lives of a young Yazidi girl in Turkey and a British woman, both in the near present day. Their individual stories are linked to water, to one or both of these famous rivers that have influenced civilizations.

Perhaps my favorite story is that of 19th century Arthur, also known as King Arthur of the Sewers and Slums. This title hints at his origins but it’s the course of his life that becomes so special. He has a special mind that is actually recognized while he is still young leading to opportunities well beyond his rank in life. He will become enamored of Gilgamesh and his tale and seek to translate it. Narin is a 9 year old Yazidi girl ready for baptism but her grandmother wants this to happen in a special place in Iraq. ISIS is gaining ground in Iraq…will it be safe to go there? Meanwhile, a dam is being built that will flood historic Yazidi towns and the Tigris itself. Life is changing for this harassed group who aren’t accepted by others in the Middle East. And in London, Zakeelah, a hydrologist studying water issues around the world, can’t find stability in her personal life as her marriage has ended and she doesn’t know what is ahead.

From these stories and lives, Shafak has created a novel of searching, seeking, and sometimes finding what the world has to offer people who open themselves to it. I do recommend this, not as a quick read but as an enveloping one that is rich in both ancient and modern history.

Thanks to Knopf and NetGalley for an ARC of this book

I didn't get too far into this one but it might just have not been what I was in the mood for.

The theme of the book is cycles and connectedness, especially related to water. A raindrop fall from the sky far in the ancient past, in Victorian London, in mostly modern Turkey. The raindrop bears witness to what happens to the people that it sees and/or touches.

I just had a hard time attaching. I've read "The Island of Missing Trees" by this author and it took a while to really attach to as well, although I ended up really enjoying it. This time I had less patience and it looks like at least one of these storylines is going to be pretty brutal.

The vastly different characters and settings jarred me from the story whenever they switched. I can often handle multiple timeline books with no problem and even enjoy them most of the time, but this book just wasn't for me. I'd like to try more of the author's work, though.