Ancient and modern this book felt like reading a fairy tale. I was enraptured from the beginning – the beginning where we meet a tiny raindrop. Here is my book review There are Rivers in the Sky by Elif Shafak.
Blending Magic and Reality
Shafak captured me with her 2021 novel The Island of Missing Trees, placed on the island of Cyprus. I’m in love with Cyprus and this book was a wonderful read. She has a fragile and lyrical writing style. She also is committed to truth and honesty…read her bio here, where you will learn that the Turkish government (she is part Turkish) prosecuted her for “insulting Turkishness” with her novel the Bastard of Istanbul. That novel addresses the Armenian genocide, which the Turks pretend did not happen. I’m definitely adding that to my TBR. See my recent blog post about Armenia.
Blending magic and reality in There are Rivers in the Sky, Shafak takes us on a remarkable journey that spans both decades and the globe from Iraq to London. By sheer coincidence I was reading this book while traveling through Armenia, Azerbaijan and The Stans. Many of these countries border or have relations with Turkey, Iran and Iraq. The coincidence gave me the opportunity to learn more deeply about the entire region and it’s history.
Characters to Fall in Love With
There are Rivers in the Sky uses water; raindrop, snowflake, the Tigris and the Thames, to connect the characters of this story. But beautifully she also uses an ancient poem the Epic of Gilgamesh to tie the characters together.
Arthur is born on a snowy day along the River Thames in London, 1840. His brilliant mind will propel him out of poverty and eventually to search out and study Ninevah and the Epic of Gilgamesh.
Young Narin is excited to be baptized as a ten-year old Yazidi girl. But in 2014 the families ancient ancestral lands in Iraq are being destroyed and it might be too dangerous and too late.
Zaleekah is a London hydrologist in 2018 who has been raised by her wealthy uncle, who refuses to talk about their shared ancestral history or the deaths of Zaleekah’s parents. Zaleekah’s recent divorce has her depressed, but a new friend and an eye-opening new book about Ninevah will give her life purpose.
Connections
These characters are connected in many ways, and especially through water. The Thames and Tigris bring both life and death into this spectacular tale.
*****Five stars for There are Rivers in the Sky by Elif Shafak. One of my favorite books this year. Can you say Pulitzer? Thanks for reading my book review There Are Rivers in the Sky by Elif Shafak. See last week’s book review First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston. We love it when you share and pin our book reviews. Thank you.
