Author: Elif Shafak
Publisher: Viking
Genre: Historical Fiction, Magical Realism, Literary Fiction
Synopsis:
This is the story of one lost poem, two great rivers and three remarkable lives - all connected by a single drop of water. In the ruins of Nineveh, an 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 River Thames. Arthur's only chance of escaping poverty is his brilliant memory. When his gift earns him a spot as an apprentice at a printing press, Arthur's world opens up far beyond the slums, with one book sending him across the seas: Nineveh and Its Remains.
In Turkey in 2014, Narin, a Yazidi girl living by the River Tigris, waits to be baptised with water brought from the holy Lalish in Iraq. The ceremony is cruelly interrupted, and soon Narin and her grandmother must journey across war-torn lands in the hope of reaching the sacred valley of their people.
In London in 2018, broken-hearted Zaleekhah, a hydrologist, moves to a houseboat on the Thames to escape the wreckage of her marriage. Zaleekhah foresees a life drained of all love and meaning, until an unexpected connection to her homeland changes everything.
A dazzling feat of storytelling from one of the greatest writers of our time, Elif Shafak's There are Rivers in the Sky is a rich, sweeping novel that spans centuries, continents and cultures, entwined by rivers, rains and waterdrops:
'Water remembers.
It is humans who forget.'
My Review:
Elif Shafak’s exploratory and spiritual storytelling blends historical fiction and magical realism seamlessly. She expertly uses fiction as a gentle but impactful form of activism, giving a voice to the silenced. A strikingly emotive narrative that highlights the ugly and beautiful truths of humanity.
‘There are Rivers in the Sky’ is a sweeping epic of a novel crossing continents and centuries, through the extraordinary lives of Arthur, Zaleekha and Narin. In vastly different characters, locations and times we find connection and resonance.
‘Most of Grandma’s stories feature water-surging, searching. She says, just like two drops of rain join on a windowpane, weaving their paths slowly and steadily, an invisible thread connects those who are destined to meet.’
Shafak’s beautifully written and heartfelt prose never shies away from the profoundly important issues. A delicately layered and deeply moving plot unfolds alongside the journey of a single drop of water, characters leap from the pages and tug at your heartstrings. She writes with a combined voice of empathy and outrage, which translates to an emotional rollercoaster for the reader.
‘Just like the 3 atoms join to form water, three characters connect across borders of time and place and together they make history…’
Loosely based on the life of an Assyriologist called George Smith. Arthur really is the oxygen of this story. The odds are stacked against him from the start. Born into poverty and surviving the cruelty that comes along with it, he manages to change the course of the future; and impact the ideologies of society with his talent, curiosity and dedication. In translating the cunieform tablet that predates the bible, he opens up a huge debate. Arthur’s character pulled me into the story and kept me completely invested. His vulnerability and resilience captured my heart.
‘For every displaced person understands that uncertainty is not tangential to human existence but the very essence of it.’
All the characters in the novel add texture and nuance. There are no shortage of themes and ideas being brought to the forefront. It is an attentive and highly informative piece of literature. The importance of water as a healer and life source that needs to be protected, aquatic memory and how it connects us; both scientifically and spiritually. The narrative weaves in the effects of displacement, hidden rivers, sisterhood, fundamentalist cruelty, ancient civilisations, and the colonisation and ownership of history.
‘The superiority of the West had to be established not only via warfare but also via science, art and literature.’
The Epic of Gilgamesh, the oldest known written poem that Arthur is working on, and the stories from Narin’s Grandmother (Besma) represent the resilience and longevity of words. The importance of oral and written storytelling, its effect on collective memory and its responsibility to both expose and preserve culture and history, instead of glossing over global inequality and injustice. It is something that needs to be protected.
‘Water is the consummate immigrant., trapped in transit, never able to settle.’
The story is slow/medium-paced, allowing you to sink into the rich world Shafak creates.
Intriguing, informative and hopeful storytelling that engages, enthrals and educates. Literature such as this, works to remove the ‘us vs them’ mentality. It asks us to go within, which can be a humbling experience in which we are less certain of our own truths and therefor open to understanding more.
‘It takes a fierce fight inside to remain peaceful on the outside.’
There is much to learn from this novel. An extraordinary concept that has been extensively researched and presented in a narrative that flows effortlessly, like a body of water. It will inspire further reading and much consideration. Arguably it is Shafak’s most important work yet, ‘There are Rivers in the Sky’ will be read and studied for many years to come. I predict the impact of the story will be vast, starting conversations that are urgent and necessary.
I am a huge fan of Elif Shafak’s work and highly recommend this book to any literature, historical fiction or magical realism fans, ‘Especially for those…endowed with a restless heart.’
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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