Elif Shafak’s There Are Rivers in the Sky is a thought-provoking novel that intertwines three compelling storylines, each with the potential to become a separate book. The narrative spans across Mesopotamia and England, where Shafak explores themes of loss, resilience, and the complex connections between human cultural decline and environmental destruction. The stories are sad, but in the end is a sense of hope that not everything is lost. The book beautifully emphasizes the importance of living in harmony with the world around us. For me, this is Shafak’s best work brilliantly capturing the intersection of personal and global struggles.

Where can I start? The story of three distinct characters Arthur, Zaleeka and Narin spanning from water dropped in Ancient Mesopotamia, through the 19th Century to modern day. Two rivers,Thames and Tigris and the text of Gilgamesh are what flows through their stories.

From the opening sentence to to last word Elif Shafak took me on a journey that will life in my heart. The beautiful writing had me mesmerised. Themes of love and loss and how we can be healed from our hurts.

A five star read and I don’t want to explain too much, as it is an epic novel you need to read with as little information to be taken on a journey that will touch your heart.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC for an honest review.

Thank you to Penguin Viking Books and to Netgalley for this advance copy of 'There are Rivers in the Sky'.

I'm going to be honest here - I'm late in writing this review for There are Rivers in the Sky, because, as usual: Elif Shafak ripped my heart out through her glorious prose. I read this book in little bursts, fearing my heart would truly be ripped from my chest. And I love the fact I read it slowly, as I got to savour every little detail. Shafak is so good at the little details.

This book is an ode to the little unassuming details we see everyday, and Shafak turns them into protagonists and the foundations of her stories; like trees, like water. It's beautifully written as always, and ventures from Ancient Nineveh to London in 2018. This book deals with heavy topics, like ISIS and other terrorist organisations, as well as tackling other hard topics such as deafness and the destroying of rivers and other bodies of water.

Instant 5 stars. Another Shafak book that will stay with me for a longggg time.

Water remembers.

It is humans who forget.

I am a massive fan of Elif Shafak so there was never any doubt that I was going to love There Are Rivers in the Sky. I don't even know where to begin when reviewing this beautifully written novel.

The book begins with the reader following a single raindrop as it falls onto the ancient city of Nineveh in the region of Mesopotamia.

"Remember the drop, inconsequential though it may be compared with the magnitude of the universe. Inside it's miniature orb, it holds the secret of infinity, a story of it's own. When it finally musters the courage, it leaps into the ether. It is falling now fast, faster. Gravity always helps."

The raindrop falls upon the head of King Ashurbanipal as he looks upon a tablet inscribed with an ancient poem about a hero called Gilgamesh. Both the raindrop and the poem will appear time and time again within the novel, threads woven throughout, linking the different timelines together.

'King Arthur of the Sewers and Slums' was born into a poor family in Victorian London. He was gifted with an extraordinary memory and remembers everything, including the very moment of his birth. When he is given an opening as an apprentice at a prestigious printers Arthur is able to open his horixzons and began to explore the world around him.

"Arthur Smyth is gifted with an extraordinary memory - visual, verbal and sensory. Just as of rain or a pellet of hail, water in whatever form will always remember, he, too, will never forget. What he sees or what he hears or what he feels, even once, he retains forever. A blessing from God, others may hasten to add. But also a terrible curse, as he will soon find out."

The second timeline takes place in 2014, with Narin, a young Yazidi girl, waiting to be baptised. Indeed every timeline within the book takes place with some body of water in the background, whether it be the Thames, or in this case the River Tigris.

Over 80 thousand people have been displaced in the area and foreign companies have pulled out of investments in the area due to concerns about human rights, cultural heritage and environmental destruction.

"A 12,000-year-old history will be obliterated by a dam that will last 50 years - the lifespan of a mule. This region - home to churches, chapels, mosques, monasteries, synagogues and shrines - has already lost so much heitage. Most local populations have migrated to cities, near and far, where they have been swallowed by the currents of urban life, severed from the traditions that always sustained them."

I loved the relationship between Narin and her grandma Besma, how she shielded her as much as possible from the persecution of the Yazidis.

Since time immemorial, the Yazidis have been misunderstood, maligned, mistreated. Ours is a history of pain and persecution. Seventy-two times we have been massacred. The Tigris turned red with our blood, the soil dried up with our grief - and they still haven't finished hating us.

The final timeline takes place in 2018 in London with a hydrologist named Zaleekhah moving into a houseboat on the Thames after the breakdown of her marriage. She was orphaned at an early age and her uncle has taught her the very important lesson that immigrants can't afford to fail, a lesson she has internalised. Zaleekhah has spent her life feeling like she has to prove herself to be worthy of her uncles generosity within her life.

There wasn't a single aspect of this novel that didn't move me in some way. I absolutely loved it.

When you have set your eyes on the journey

Let your heart have no fear, keep your eyes on me.

It took me a while to finish this book but wow… all I can say is that Elif Shafak outdone herself. This is such a special, magical book. The power of a drop of water…

A stunning story spanning centuries, faraway lands, and different cultures and peoples. The stories of the protagonists are all sewn together by the common factor of water. A single drop of rain traverses rains, rivers, and oceans, giving and taking life. People forget, but water always remembers. Absolutely beautifully crafted story. #thereareriversinthesky #elifshafak #netgalley

Honestly, a bit disappointed in this one. Stories were, ok, a too detailed in my opinion, but I just couldn't connect with any characters. Not a bad book, Just....an ok one.

There are Rivers in the Sky begins with water, and it’s water that weaves throughout the times, locations, and characters of this novel — rising from a single drop to a torrent to a mighty (and emotional) ocean.

This was a gorgeous novel written by a true contemporary master of fiction, writing at the top of her game. Shafak takes ancient Mesopotamia and the Epic of Gilgamesh, London (both in 2018 and in the Victorian age), and 2014 Türkiye to guide us through interlinked characters, histories, memories, and relationships. Some of the subject matter is challenging, but it’s all handled sensitively, and the way Shafak tells stories is mesmerising. A truly beautiful and evocative tale, with vivid characters and, at the centre of it all, an homage to water in all its mercurial magic and glory.

I received an e-ARC from the publisher, Viking, through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis —-In the ruins of Nineveh, that ancient city of Mesopotamia, there lies hidden in the sand fragments of a long-forgotten poem, the Epic of Gilgamesh.

In Victorian London, an extraordinary child is born at the edge of the dirt-black Thames. When his brilliant memory earns him a spot as an apprentice at a printing press, the world opens up far beyond the slums and across the seas.

In 2014 Turkey, Narin, a Yazidi girl living by the River Tigris, waits to be baptised. The ceremony is cruelly interrupted, and soon she and her grandmother must journey across war-torn lands in the hope of reaching the sacred valley of their people.

In 2018 London, broken-hearted Zaleekhah, a hydrologist, moves to a houseboat on the Thames to escape the wreckage of her marriage – until an unexpected connection to her homeland changes everything.
In Victorian London, an extraordinary child is born at the edge of the dirt-black Thames. When his brilliant memory earns him a spot as an apprentice at a printing press, the world opens up far beyond the slums and across the seas.

In 2014 Turkey, Narin, a Yazidi girl living by the River Tigris, waits to be baptised. The ceremony is cruelly interrupted, and soon she and her grandmother must journey across war-torn lands in the hope of reaching the sacred valley of their people.

In 2018 London, broken-hearted Zaleekhah, a hydrologist, moves to a houseboat on the Thames to escape the wreckage of her marriage – until an unexpected connection to her homeland changes everything. living in a house boat on the Thames.

My thoughts - I am ashamed to say I started this book in June in kindle format and dipped in and out because of it ! So a different format a different month this was a great read again from this author...  Following three different people in years apart from each other the story is narrated through the eyes of 
1.Arthur king of the slums a young boy/man who has an interest in NIneveh and the museums, 
2.Zaleekah a young woman estranged from her In the ruins of Nineveh,
3. Nasim a young Yazidi girl living with her grandmother on the banks of the Tigris.

The water is a fundamental part of the story , the history , and the individuals all intertwined in a beautiful woven story told by a first class story teller.
A heart felt story with some lovely characters Arthur my favorite, a historical novel of importance is it long yes is it worth it yes!
'Water remembers it is humans who forget '

Excellent historical epic from an exceptional storyteller, beautifully drawing together ancient legends, religions and cultures, and spanning continents and centuries.

Fragments of an ancient poem, the Epic of Gilgamesh, are discovered in the ruins of Nineveh; an ancient city of Mesopotamia, lost to flooding but which gradually re-emerges, revealing its secrets. These ancient tablets create bonds across centuries and continents, intertwined throughout by the water and its many memories.

In Victorian London, a remarkable child is born into abject poverty and against all odds becomes devoted to deciphering these ancient tablets.

In Turkey in 2014, Narin is only 9 years old. She carries a revered gift and affinity with water, passed down from her grandmother, but she is drawn into unimaginable horror by oppressive regimes.

In 2018, Zaleekhah is a water scientist, heartbroken and living in London where she moves to a houseboat while she considers ending it all. She has a great interest in quietly proving her colleague's ridiculed theory that water has memory, not least because of the tragic events which befell her as a 7 year old.

Many difficult subjects are covered, but the well drawn characters and skilfully woven storyline shine through.

Elif Shafak is such a great storyteller, I have loved everything I read. I love the way she weaves different stories together with different times and places, with the thread of water bringing the story together. Not only does she write beautifully but the history she brings to life makes reading her books a joy.

An astonishing, epic novel- the story of a drop of water and so much more: the power of religion to break apart communities and individuals; of family and enduring connections; of the continuous search for knowledge and enlightenment amongst artefacts from previous times and the people involved. Elif Shefak has researched widely gathering stories of water and The Epic of Gilgamesh and drawing the strands into this incredible book. Each story within the book was beautifully written with vivid protagonists that you immediately aligned yourself with- and rooted for as their stories took darker turns.

There is heartbreaking content within these pages and an important message to a world that never seems to listen- the need to live peaceably alongside those from whom we differ- and to try and avoid making the lives of others ( near and far) more difficult in travelling along our own timelines. To counterbalance there is love, compassion , connection , loyalty and kindness here too. The stories of Arthur, Narin and Zaleekhah will remain with me.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this book. I would strongly recommend it to other readers.

There are Rivers in the Sky starts with a single drop of water and becomes an epic of a story. I've become a big fan of Elif Shafak and love the way she can write a line or phrase. I loved the story of Arthur and enjoyed the stories of Narin and Zaleekah and the way that their stories intertwined over the different periods. I was so interested in the Mesopotamia, the Lamassu and coniform I went to the British Museum to take a look for myself! I really enjoyed this book and was a bit sad once it ended. It has has an important story of the Yazidis and what happened to them and I think this will be a book that stays with me for some time.

Another absolutely stunning novel from Shafak, who beautifully weaves together history and nature to tell this mesmerising story of human connections.

Elif Shafak's writing is as stunning as ever, and this was a true epic of a book. Intertwining storylines of three main characters that means there's always someone you want to root for. In fact, there wasn't a stand out character between the three - the storylines felt very equal, which is hard to achieve. (Often with multiple PoVs, you're secretly wanting to get back to another character but this wasn't the case here.)

It's a hard book to describe; you really have to read it! The beautiful and ancient city of Nineveh is almost another character it is so central to the narrative. This ancient storyline is interwoven so successfully with the three characters' lives and journeys from the beginning and feels so natural.

Elif Shafak at her finest.

Follow the river as you go deep into the populations it runs past, twisting and turning, entwining itself with the people's lives of the past and the present. The book weaves together historical facts and storytelling like a tapestry of words that feed the mind.

The book is evocative, full of emotion on one man's journey to discover the meaning of a tablet. There's the question of antiquities that presents itself along with religion and different cultures. This is what the man sees and the river flows through. People's lives aren't all they appear and some are rather messy through relationships, wars, travel. The river is in contrast to human life. The river is the constant and giver of life in all that it runs past and its importance is apparent throughout this sweeping, scenic literary read.

Oh my goodness what a wonderful book. I honestly think Elif Shafak is one of the world's greatest contemporary writers; her writing is beyond beautiful, just exquisite and so moving. This is such a lovely and clever story, weaving together three characters from different eras / countries. Absolutely superb.

A beautifully crafted historical fiction, Elif Shafak is becoming one of my favourite writers. It did take me a little while to get into it and follow the connections but once I did I really loved each character's story.
She brings to life some fascinating times in history and most heart breaking the ongoing story of the Yazidi people as well as some modern ethical issues sensitively explored.
I am going to have to take a look at that section of the British Museum again...

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Elite Shafak writes in such a way, that my entire personality becomes what she shares.

I have previously read (and loved!) the island of missing trees, so I knew when I saw this I just had to read it.

Intriguing, inspiring, though provoking and endearing. There are rivers in the sky left me so connected to the characters - I have nothing but completely brilliant things to say. Make space on your shelf for this. It’s stunning.

Immersive, illuminating, inspiring, devastatingly evocative, and utterly breathtaking in vision, There Are Rivers in the Sky is a sweeping, triumphant blend of research, imagination and storytelling, the like of which I’ve never seen before.

Spanning millennia, from ancient Mesopotamia to Victorian London and on to modern times, from the banks of the Tigris to the banks of the Thames, this exceptional novel tells the story of the lost poem, the Epic of Gilgamesh, and one man’s mission to find and translate the missing tablets on which it was inscribed.

I found myself transported by the stories of the book’s three protagonists: Arthur, born into poverty next to the Thames in 1840, but with a brilliant mind that sees him become an expert on Gilgamesh; Narin, an 8-year-old Yazidi girl in 2014 Turkey; and Zaleekhah, a hydrologist, living on a Thames houseboat in 2018. I was invested in all of them.

Thoughout, Shafak’s prose is mesmerizing in its richness, her characters bold and vibrant, her research so compelling that I spent hours on Google trying to satisfy my curiosity about events and people I’d never heard of. It was this sublime weaving together of historical fact and fiction that made for such a spectacular read.

Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of the book, however, is the multitude of topics it explores, from the preservation of antiquities and cultural heritage to religious conflict and the destruction of the planet, among others. It’s a lot to unpick, and Shafak shines a light on some horrific events, including the Sinjar massacre of 2014, of which I was ignorant.

The overarching theme, though, is that of water, as the giver of life and as the millennia-old constant that bridges both time and place. I loved the way Shafak ran this imagery like a silver thread through the narrative, even as it switched from one character to another.

It isn’t until the end that the stories of Arthur, Narin and Zaleekhah eventually come together, and they do so in a breathtaking final flourish of Shafak’s magic wand.

A novel of absolute perfection that stands head and shoulders above all my other five-star reads of the year.