If you’re looking for a creative historical fiction novel that’s beautifully written, spans centuries, weaves together the stories of very different characters in very different time periods - and also punches you right in the gut - Elif Sarak’s got you, boo.

THERE ARE RIVERS IN THE SKY is told from the fascinating perspective of a drop of water, and reveals the ways in which the element connects us all through time and space.

You might wonder how the stories of a ruthless Metsopatamian king; a young boy born in the slums of England in the 1800s; a young girl fleeing ISIS in 2014; and a modern hydrologist come together. But by following the journey of a single drop of water, Shafak accomplishes this, and much more.

Yes, there were a few times where I feel some editing would have benefitted the story. Some of the historical explanations were a bit encyclopedic and I got a little dazed. In addition, I admit I was invested in Arthur and Narin’s stories more than Zaleekah’s.

The most important thing I’ll take away from this novel is Narin’s story, which details the atrocities committed against the Yazidi people, and the rise of ISIS in Iran. This is why I read historical fiction - to better understand other cultures, which always leads to increased awareness and empathy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for an early digital copy of THERE ARE RIVERS IN THE SKY in exchange for my honest feedback.

A beautifully written novel surrounding The epic of Gilgamesh - the first “book” ever written on a stone tablet in ancient Mesopotamia. The story follows three different characters - a girl living in present day Turkey, a young woman studying rivers living on a houseboat in London and the man from humble beginnings who devoted his life to deciphering the stone tablets in the early 19th century. Just like in the “Covenant of Water” the ending comes together so well. Highly recommended.

Shafak wrote a complex, multi-voiced novel about human connections and their ties to our growth and success as well as the cost to our personal lives as well as our climate. Much of the book was rich and fully-developed. She can place me in settings and embracing characters like few writers can.

The last ten percent of the book, however, seemed rushed and choppy. The author had created a wealth of voices in this book, and then it felt like perhaps she had run into a page deadline and had to cut details that weren't "absolutely necessary." I wish they had been included. The gaps made a book that already had a dark tone feel harsh and incomplete. Perhaps that was the point. But it didn't work well for this reader.

I adore Elif Shafak’s writing - flowing, eloquent. I absolutely loved The Island of Missing Tress. This one I liked but didn’t love. The storyline seemed to stall and attempt to cover too much. At times it felt like one huge data dump. I did enjoy the characters, particularly Arthur and his unique ability. Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Elif Shafak’s There Are Rivers in the Sky has just taken its place as my favorite book of the year thus far and as one of my all-time favorites. Opening the story in ancient Nineveh, once the world’s largest city, Shafak sets the scene that will reverberate throughout the book. King Ashurbanipal—the Emperor of the Four Quarters of the World, the Librarian King, the Educated Monarch. the Erudite Ruler of Mesopotamia, but also a brutal tyrant—surveys his city on the Tigris as a storm builds. Trying to shake off feelings of dread brought on by prophesies of destruction, he feels a single raindrop fall on his head. To avoid the approaching storm, he enters his vast library, prized more highly than all his military and political victories. Massive half animal-half human protective statues called lamassus guard the entrance. Surrounded by his literary collection comprised of thousands of clay tablets, he opens a box containing one special fragment of the already ancient Epic of Gilgamesh, inscribed on lapis lazuli. Yet something other than the precious stone causes him to shut this tablet away to be seen by no one, for it might inspire rebellion. Violence quickly ensues, and the scene is set for three converging narratives that comprise the remainder of the novel.

Divided into five sections titled “Raindrop,” “Mysteries of Water,” “Restless Rivers,” Memories of Water,” and “Flood,” the rest of the novel alternates between three individual, yet connected, narratives. The oldest of the three opens in winter 1840 on the Thames as a group of poor “toshers” search the polluted river for any small item of value, perhaps even a button. Amidst the filth, a baby is born and named King Arthur of the Sewers and Slums. He will prove a gifted child and, as the years pass, the fictional version of an historic scholar. . The second narrative opens in 2014 on the Tigris in Southeast Turkey as drops of sacred water fall on the brow of Narin, a Yazidi girl surrounded by her Yazidi elders. Bringing an end to her baptismal day, a bulldozer forces the group away as it starts work on a dam that will eventually flood the area. The story of Narin, her grandmother, her musician father, and their Yazidi neighbors dramatizes the fate of the Yazidi people. The third narrative returns to the Thames, now 2018, as Dr. Zaleekhah Clarke, a hydrologist, or water scientist, moves into a rented houseboat, in the process, breaking the glass statue of a Mesopotamian lamassu given to her by Uncle Malek, who raised her following the accident that killed her parents. Zeleekah's back story and friendship with a tattoo artist known for her cuneiform tattoos provide a look at modern day London..

Gradually, the beautifully written individual narratives of Arthur, Narin, and Zaleekhah converge in unexpected ways, reminding me of two of my other favorite books, Anthony Doerr’s Cloud Cuckoo Land and Abraham Verghese’s The Covenant of Water but telling a unique story.

Thanks to NetGalley and Knopf for an advance reader egalley of this unforgettable new novel from Elif Shafak.

Thank you NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage and Anchor for the gifted eARC

4.25 Stars

I went into this one blind, as I so often do, and imagine my surprise when I realized it’s not a fantasy novel 😂 I’m not entirely sure why I told myself it was fantasy but alas, it was not.

What it was, was an absolutely beautifully written historical fiction novel. The writing and prose were so poetic with so many quotable lines, my kindle highlight feature was put to work. There is no doubt that Elif Shafak is an extremely skilled and well researched writer.

Told from three POV over three different timelines, the author utilizes the theme of water and water memory as a means of tying together the three main characters. Little by little we see how their lives and stories converge in other, often times heartbreaking, ways.

This is a heavy read. The writing was stunning but the subject matter is devastating. Racism, classism, religious persecution, slavery, human trafficking, cultural appropriation, and colonialism are just some of the societal issues covered here.

I am so glad I had my buddy reading friends for this one. Often times historical fiction paints a bleak picture but ends with a sense of hope. This one left me sitting with a heavy heart. Emotional support and a fluffy palate cleanser to follow are recommended.

Thank you Knopf for a powerful read and PRH audio for the audiobook. I really valued the writing and story shared in There are Rivers in the Sky and note excellent, nuanced voice acting in the audiobook.

The complexity of a time expansive story written with such clarity, a story that reaches out that says this is sad but important, writing that says let's explore and talk about the world around us, an author that can take such themes and make them reach out from the page to capture a reader... it's impressive. A heart wrenching powerful read that also left me feeling uplifted. A single rain drop with never ending potential to make a story sing.

Shafak is one of the most eloquent writers of modern times. I don’t think I’ve highlighted more passages in a work of fiction since, well, ever I suppose. I love how the author weaves the powerful characteristics of water - strength, sorrow, love, tenderness, chaos, memory, and more - through beautiful and varied descriptions, especially rivers: the Thames, Tigris, and Euphrates, along with the invisible rivers that tie us together in the present as well as across time and place. I loved the thread from Mesopotamia that was pulled through the late 1800s, 2014, and 2018, and the threads that were pulled between those three time periods. Each of the protagonists from the different periods were brilliantly devised, each with their own unique story full of hope and full of sorrow - the true human experience. My only regret is my timing. Gearing up for school to start (I’m a teacher) made it difficult for me to savor the text, and, wow, does this one want to be savored. I definitely plan to revisit Zaleekah, Narin, and Albert when I have time to read their stories slowly, put the book down for days at a time and mull over the brilliance and profundity, and, like a river does to a stone, allow it to smooth my edges and gentle me and my experiences in the world.

Thank you to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor: Knopf, Netgalley, and the author for early access to this outstanding novel.

What a beautiful story! Thank you, NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor | Knopf books for this ARC for review. I was first introduced to Elif Shafak with the Reese Witherspoon Book pick and Booker Prize Finalist, The Island of Missing Trees which I really liked. This book I loved so much more. This is a sweeping tale of the water that binds us all. The story journeys along the River Tigris in an ancient city, to 1840 London where there is the cholera outbreak and the River Thames, to Turkey in 2014 and baptism, and to 2018 London again and living on a houseboat. I loved the intertwining of the stories.

Make the time to read and savor this epic and heartbreaking novel that links three people-Arthur in the late 1800s, Narin in 2014, and Zaleekah in 2018-and the epic poem Gilgamesh. Arthur, born literally on the banks of the Thames to grinding poverty, becomes fascinated with Ninevah and uses his incredible mind to advance at the Museum because he, unlike almost no one else, can read the tablets brought to London from Assyria. It won't be clear immediately how he links to Narin, a young Yazudi girl who is losing her hearing and her home. Or to Zaleekah, a hydrologist who was raised by her uncle after her parents died. These three characters- and all those they meet- will linger in your mind. Shafak has taken on the export of cultural and religious items to the UK and, more importantly, the abuse of the Yazidi and done it in a way that echos and pulls. This is beautifully written, emotional, and thought provoking all at once. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I can't recommend it more highly.

In this powerful, poetic, and utterly heart wrenching tale, Elif Shafak intertwines three narrators with two timelines, two rivers, and one ancient Mesopotamian Epic. Based on the intriguing premise that a single drop of water has been present some way in all of these scenarios, Shafak creates a unique novel exploring huge philosophical questions about the nature of humanity and humanity's place in nature.

Arthur, born by the river Thames in 1840, is gifted with an incredible memory. Through circumstance and sheer determination, Arthur rises from obscurity to become a famed scholar and expert on the lost culture of Ninevah. His tale is reminiscent of the best of Dickens' novels.

Zaleekah, a Turkish-British hydrologist, moves to a houseboat on the Thames in 2018 to work through depression, an ending marriage, and past tragedies. Her experiences lead to deeper understanding of her cultural heritage, her personal identity, and her passions in a tale reminiscent of quality contemporary women's fiction.

Narin, a 10-year-old ethnic minority with a rare medical condition, travels with her grandmother in 2014 from Turkey to her family's homeland to be baptized along the Tigris River in Iraq. Her tale is fraught with danger and oppression, reminiscent of Khaled Husseini's The Kite Runner.

Running in the background of each of these narratives is the Epic of Gilgamesh, the most ancient of human epic poems, along with issues of family, poverty, culture, storytelling, and science that exist across millennia and geography. The three stories act as tributaries which all flow into a great river of a unified story as the reader is led to a satisfying and surprising connection among the three protagonists.

There are Rivers in the sky by Elif Shafak

Phenomenal storytelling! There are Rivers in the Sky has three POVs from different locations and different time periods which are connected to Mesopotamia and a single drop of water. The author seamlessly ties the plot together. I learned so much about history and geography which influenced me to do further research of my own.

It is beautifully written and the stories are quite emotional and there are heavyweight issues throughout the story. I was fascinated about the history of Mesopotamia, cuneiform writing and the two rivers: Tigris and Thames.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

4 stars!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#NetGalley #thereareriversinthesky #elishafak

"Island of the Missing Trees" was one of my favorite reads of the prior year, so I eagerly jumped at the chance to get an advance copy of her latest novel. This is a wholly different story than the former, but is nonetheless woven with Shafak's eloquent prose and adeptness at crafting complex, larger-than-life characters.

Told across alternating perspectives and timelines, the storyline begins in ancient Mesopotamia, where King Ashurbanipal rules from the city of Nineveh with a keen, yet brutal hand. He's accumulated a substantial library filled with works and epics amassed from all corners of his reign, but instigates the destruction of his own empire by fire. Centuries later, a singular raindrop that falls in his time connects the lives of seemingly disconnected individuals...

In 1840 London, Arthur is born in poverty to a depressed, struggling mother and a distant, alcoholic father. Known as King Arthur of the Sewers and Slums, he grows up in the most unfortunate and destitute of situations, but his incredible memory and intelligence see him carry him through childhood, where his fascination with the artifacts of Mesopotamia garner him a chance to work at the British Museum and to travel to Nineveh to search for the missing passages from the Epic of Gilgamesh.

In 2014, young Narin leaves Turkey with her family and returns to her homeland in Iraq for a chance to be baptized in the waters of the Tigris River. She's been diagnosed with a life-changing condition that will cause her to lose her hearing in less than a year which makes the journey even more pressing - but the geopolitical situation in Iraq puts her entire family in danger, especially with the looming threat of ISIS and the targeting of the Yazidi communities in Iraq.

In 2018 London, Zaleekah abruptly leaves her seemingly perfect marriage and moves onto a houseboat on the Thames River with a small box of belongings. Orphaned as a young child and taken in by her aunt and uncle, Zaleekah has a complicated relationship with her family, and they in turn have difficulty understanding her actions, but try to support her as she tries to find her footing. Zaleekah befriends her new landlord Nen, a tattoo artist specializing in the cuneiform script, and as their relationship deepens, she learns more about her Uncle Malek and his actions to try and save his grandniece, who needs a kidney transplant and is running out of time.

This is an incredibly ambitious novel, and I'm incredibly impressed with how much Shafak has been able to condense into its pages. She covers an incredible amount of history, highlighting just how overlooked Mesopotamian artifacts and literature had been, and the controversial ways these items had been excavated and bought and sold to private collectors. There's also a heavy focus on current events, with the recent Iraq War and the lingering after effects across the Middle East that continue to this day, as well as the importance of waterways and rivers over the years. I especially loved the passages focused on Arthur's storyline, modeled after the life and history of George Smith, an English Assyriologist who first discovered and translated the Epic of Gilgamesh; in his character, his love of literature and learning truly shined through and laid the groundwork for his later accomplishments and actions. While the connections across all these characters and storylines pushed the boundaries of science, I thought they were beautifully interwoven and well-paced across chapters.

Very much a recommended read for 2024 - especially as "There are Rivers in the Sky" is published today!

Water is the central motif of Women's Prize winner and Booker Prize finalist Elif Shafak’s transportive novel. The story opens in the town of Nineveh by the Tigris River in 640 B.C. in Mesopotamia. King Ashurbanipal is a cruel ruler who denied his subjects water and poisoned their wells, but he was highly literat. His favorite written work was the Epic of Gilgamesh, but the scribe who had recorded the poem on lapis lazuli tablets had defied the rules by revering a forbidden goddess in the inscription so the tablets were concealed

A raindrop in King Ashurbanipal’s hair becomes a snowflake that alights on a child born in squalor on the Chelsea waterfront in 1840 (the day that Queen Victoria gives birth in very different circumstances). Arabella wants to drown the baby she cannot afford to keep, but her band of good-hearted toshers (those who scour the “liquid world” searching for valuables) intervene, dubbing the infant “King Arthur of the Sewers and the Slums.” Despite his Dickensian origins (Charles Dickens himself makes a cameo) Arthur, who is a gifted with an extraordinary memory and synesthesia, perseveres. He apprentices at one of England’s leading printing and publishing houses (which publishes “Nineveh and Its Remains,” the then-popular book written by the traveler, collector, diplomat, and archeologist who discovered Nineveh, Austen Henry Layard), and then works at the British Museum, where his facile mind enables him to decipher ancient tablets from Nineveh, including tablets containing the Epic of Gilgamesh. It becomes Arthur’s life work to unearth the secrets of ancient Nineveh.

On the banks of the Tigris River in 2014, Narin, a 9 year old Yazidi girl, is losing her hearing to a rare medical condition. Her mother died in childbirth, and Narin is being raised by her grandmother, Besma, a water dowser. Only 12 Yazidis remain in Narin’s village, as the community has dwindled through decades of deprivation, migration and forced conversion. Narin and her family will soon be displaced as the Turkish government has determined that their ancestral land will be flooded to accommodate a new dam, obliterating 12,00 years of history. Besma is determined to take Narin to Iraq for her baptism just as the first whispers of the terrorist group ISIS echo across the region.

The last of the principal characters is Zaleekah, a hydrologist, whose maternal ancestors hail from Mesopotamia. Zaleekah, an orphan since she was a child, was raised by a wealthy aunt and uncle in London, and is devoted to the study of the conservation of water. She obtains a copy of “Nineveh and Its Remains” from her uncle who is researching a proposed purchase of a lapis lazuli tablet from King Ashubanipal’s library. Zaleekah has left her husband and is renting a houseboat docked on the River Thames where she continues to pursue a dubious theory posited by her late mentor that water has memory. Zaleekah’s sections are crammed with information about water, such as how the existence of “lost rivers” throughout the planet because mankind did not treat the water with care.

Shafek’s dazzling feat of epic storytelling traces a single drop of water across time and place. The central characters live along two rivers, the Thames and the Tigris, that connect cultures across centuries. Shafak masterfully unites her trio of disparate characters using the Epic of Gilgamesh and that single drop of water. This enchanting, fable-like tale is grounded in a variety of resonant themes: ecology, persecution, class systems, alcoholism and mental health. Shafak beautifully braids history and nature throughout the novel. Thank you Knopf and Net Galley for an advance copy of this rapturous feat of storytelling.

"Water is the consummate immigrant, trapped in transit, never able to settle"

This is an incredibly rich novel connecting the power of stories and water. This was my first introduction to Elif Shafak's writing, and I am eager to read more of her work. The language is consistently evocative and beautiful. She has woven together three very different characters in three dramatically different settings. But she uses water to effectively connect the journeys of these seemingly disparate characters. I understand that Arthur's life and history serves as the background for the contemporary figures, but I would have enjoyed a little more balance in the perspectives. I would have liked seeing Narin and Zaleekhah foregrounded more.

Overall, I found this novel beautiful and heartbreaking, and I definitely recommend it.

There are some very tough topics and horrific acts touched on, so be prepared when reading this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf - Pantheon for providing me an eArc for my honest review.

There Are Rivers in the Sky by Elif Shafak is an ambitious book that takes on important topics with three separate timelines. There is much to love about this book. The writing is strong and lyrical and I appreciated the way water was woven into each of them to provide an additional thought-provoking connection. I was much more drawn to the 19th-century story than to the two contemporary ones and felt the book bogged a bit in the middle and could have been a fair amount shorter. Part of this is I felt there was a bit more "info-dumping" than I would like, especially in the two contemporary storylines. That said, it was all information that was worth having and generally contributed to the story-telling. I'll definitely recommend this to readers who like historical fiction, especially those with multiple and intersecting timelines.

This novel follow three characters: one in Victorian London, one in modern London, and one in modern Turkey and Iraq. The three are connected by a single drop of water, as well as the story of Gilgamesh. The book takes a long time to get going, and even then the connections between the three characters are not particularly compelling. There are also long paragraphs where the author basically info dumps large amounts of information that don’t advance the plot or characters.

🕧 Title: There Are Rivers In The Sky
Author: Elif Shafak
Publication Date: August 20th, 2024 🕧

🫅 Synopsis:

There Are Rivers in the Sky is set in different timelines and in different cities. Arthur’s fascination with a historical figurine in the 1800s, Narin’s perilous journey in modern-day Iraq, and Zaleekhah’s quest as a hydrologist are all connected by the enduring legacy of Mesopotamia and the flowing rivers that carry memories across time. The book’s exploration of water as a bearer of memory and the lost culture of Mesopotamia offers a profound meditation on history, nature, and the interconnectedness of all things. 🫅

🥰 My opinion:

As the narrative unfolds across time and space, I found myself deeply moved by the way the author intertwines the characters’ fates with the rivers that have shaped civilizations. This is not just a story—it’s an experience that lingers long after the last page.

This book might put in a reading slump. I have not read a book until now that has ever connected with me this way. This is probably one of the best books that I have read. It's lyrical, it's mesmerizing with the stories, it's oppressive with the descriptions of the cruelty that is shown towards the Yazidis, but at the same time, there's hope. It exposes human ignorance towards the unknown and the tendency to destroy the cultures, beliefs, and traditions if it clashes with their own. If you’re looking for a book that challenges your mind, touches your soul, and leaves you pondering the mysteries of time and nature, There Are Rivers in the Sky is an unmissable journey. 🥰

CW: This book is heavy on triggers like depression, suicidal thoughts, some descriptions, and torture, so please check them out.

I wish I could swim in a sea of Elif’s beautiful prose. Her writing style is rich and engaging in There Are Rivers in the Sky. This is an absolute gem and by far Shafak’s best work. I cannot wait to own a physical copy. 100% go buy this treasure immediately.

Elif Shafak has been one of my favorite authors for quite some time. I enjoy her prose because it's bold, brave and beautiful. In her latest book, three characters living along two of the world's greatest rivers, are separated by time and space, yet connected by a single drop of water.

The premise of this novel was so attractive! When I began to realize that these complex, very interesting characters are tied by a common thread, the puzzle pieces started to come together. True to her style, the author weaved in a topic of social injustice, introducing us in this book to indigenous Yazidie population that suffered so much throughout history. The story of Narin is heartbreaking, brutally honest and thought-provoking. Arthur, another main character, was simply fascinating! I was captivated by his life story and how miraculously it became connected with Narin's.

This read is a fabulous mix of historical and literary fiction. It's poetic, sad and hopeful, and full of emotion. It takes your thought to a whole new philosophical level of how a single drop of water is capable to connect us all in this universe.