There Are Rivers in the Sky: A novel

I must say , I am profoundly and forever changed by this book. If I could give it a 100 stars I would. How do I begin a review ? This book checked all boxes for me for what I adore in a story. Multiple protagonists and storylines that connect beautifully that I was deeply invested in their lives , I know I will think about their characters long after I finished the book. Extensively researched and based on true horrific events , I learnt so much new history that I embarrassingly had no idea about ; the Yazidi genocide, organ trafficking, ancient Mesopotamian culture and literature , the devastating effects of urbanization on rivers and waters of the world and the deploring plight and livelihoods of people burdened by poverty and mental illness. And what can I possibly say about the exquisite poetic incredibly lyrical writing except that if you ignore to read this book , it’s truly at your own loss. Usually I don’t read for the same author twice to be open to new reading territories but Elif Shafak is definitely an exception to this rule . Cheers

4.5 stars, really, but I've decided to round down instead of up. I read "The Architect's Apprentice" last year and was enthralled. The author's ability to take me to another world and time, and to write so beautifully and captivatingly were astonishing. So when I saw the great reviews this book received, particularly on Amazon, I was sold. In "There Are Rivers in the Sky" Ms. Shafak does it again; she is a fabulous story-teller, and once again she takes us to other worlds and times - and in this case it's multiple worlds and times: London in the 1800s, Mesopotamia in pre-history and at various other times, etc., and brings the stories together more or less seamlessly. Her writing is lush and engrossing. I can see how she may become one of my favorite authors. So why not a 5? Well, the work is a bit too much; it is too full of metaphors and similes, using several where one or even two would suffice. Also, Ms. Shafak seems insistent to make all sorts of points, particularly in the last section of the book, where organ "harvesting" and other issues are brought into the plot. While they are worthy subjects, introducing them in the final pages comes across as an afterthought that just doesn't work. Finally, there are sections of the book that seemed a bit overlong and pointless. Still, it's a very VERY worthwhile book that I encourage others to read and savor, and I will continue to read her books.

an exceptional book by a superlative writer!! My bookclub read it and the votes were unanimous. and I have passed it on and recommended it to several others.

Great read, fascinating story, it moves back and forth in time, I found it easy to follow, lots of fun facts

I read this book and simultaneously listened to the audiobook, using whichever method I was able given place and time. The audiobook is well read. While the narrator didn’t change her voice much from character to character, I felt she did a lovely job. The historical fiction bits are clearly well-researched and probably my favorite part. Frankly, I could have stayed with Arthur for the whole of the book and been quite satisfied. The two women characters do not feel as flushed out or three dimensional as Arthur. They fell a bit flat for me. I enjoyed the book. It’s very well written. I’ll read more from this author. But holy cow, the water motif is so repetitive! Sixteen hours of water! I agree with another reviewer who felt it trite. We get it! Water binds all things! Enough already! Please don’t be discouraged from reading. It IS a good book. I’d give it 3 1/2 stars if I could. But it’s not a 4-star book. And I’m sick of water analogies.

There Are Rivers In The Sky is one of the best books I’ve read in over sixty years. Even the most educated- and I’m not one- will immediately realize how much there is yet to learn, to understand and Shafak helps melts the tip of the iceberg with her vast knowledge. Loved it!

This is my first novel by Elif Shafak, and for much of it I was caught in its current. The novel explores three different lives in three different historic times, interweaving and interconnecting the three main characters' shared interests in Ninevah, Mesopotamia, The Epic of Gilgamesh, cuneiform and, most importantly, water. Rivers and water play a huge role in this novel, as do culture, the socioeconomics of time and place, and the negative impact that the human race has on our ecosystems, especially rivers. Arthur is born in Victorian London in the 1800's and is christened Arthur of the Sewers and Slums. Though he lives in squalor, he has an uncanny memory and is fascinated by cuneiform and The Epic of Gilgamesh. His journey from the Thames to the Tigris is a fascinating picture of obsession and diligence. In 2018 London, Zaleekah lives in a houseboat on the Thames. She is in the midst of a divorce and feels depressed and in limbo. She was raised by her aunt and uncle after the death of her parents when she was a child. Narin is a Yazidi girl in 2014 Turkey, waiting to complete her baptism. She is persecuted because of her religion and must flee her home. The Turkish population, especially ISIS, believe that Yazidis are devil worshipers. Narin and her grandmother have the gift for finding underground water wherever it flows. Their stories and gifts are passed down from generation to generation through oral narrative. The author writes beautifully. She carefully constructs her narrative, portraying everything that occurs as being related to the first drop of water that falls on Arthur's head shortly after his birth. Every character is touched by the same water, be it mist, a snowflake, or a splash from the river. Water is the universal sustenance. Though we may not be aware, it gives us all life and meaning. The reason for a rating of 4 instead of 5 is the length of the book and my personal belief that it needed more perspicacious and effective editing. Towards the end, it dragged on and my interest waned some.

What a beautiful book about connectivity, loss and perseverance, storytelling and a glimpse into a time and culture I knew little about. I think Arthur has made it onto my list of one of my favorite literary characters. I’ll be recommending this book.

There Are Rivers in the Sky by Elif Shafak is a beautifully layered novel that flows across time, memory, and geography like the rivers it evokes. Shafak gently weaves history, mythology, and the human longing for belonging, offering a rich glimpse into Middle Eastern culture, spirituality, and storytelling traditions. The characters feel deeply human, carrying the weight of history and identity. By the end, it leaves a quiet book hangover—that lingering feeling where the story stays with you, like an echo of distant waters and ancient lands. Poetic, thoughtful, and deeply immersive. 🌊📚

Oustanding book with an unforgetable story and characters.

Imperdibile!!!!

Evidently, the author conducted extensive research while writing this book, and that is undeniably impressive. However, the result feels like an overwhelming regurgitation of all that research—every fact, note, and piece of knowledge the author gathered seems to have been crammed into the book. This approach makes the reading experience, firstly, quite dull, and secondly, detrimental to the storytelling and character development. The book suffers from a lack of good editing. Much of the content on Mesopotamian history is repetitive and, frankly, boring. By the end, I found myself increasingly irritated by yet another story about water this, goddess that, Gilgamesh this, and Gilgamesh that, all lacking depth or purpose. The same artifacts—clay tablets, Lamassu, book on Nineveh etc.—pop up relentlessly in nearly every paragraph. I get it: clay tablets and Lamassu are significant. But must every character encounter them, dream about them, love them, own them, dig them up, or draw them? By the book’s conclusion, I half expected a Lamassu to be served at Uncle Malik’s dinner on a clay tablet. The characters are underdeveloped and feel two-dimensional, serving primarily as placeholders for the barrage of research, facts, and stories crammed into the pages. There’s little room for the characters to breathe or come alive. Only Arthur offers any meaningful insight into his life, his experiences, and his motivations. The rest are bland and, at times, outright annoying (which feels harsh to say, given the tragedy of Narim’s life). They offer little in terms of thoughts, dialogue, or purpose. Zalikah gets up, eats breakfast, looks out the window, runs, and is depressed. Narim watches flies and eats food lovingly prepared by her grandmother while we’re reminded for the hundredth time that they are healers despised by others. I understood that the first time—no need for endless repetition. The King of Nineveh makes a fleeting, meaningless appearance with no insight into his story. Most characters are impossibly virtuous, so saintly and tragic that it becomes grating. There’s also little connection between them. The shared elements—the drop of water, the Lamassu, clay tablets, lapis lazuli, and the recurring book—feel contrived and, frankly, unbelievable. Then there’s the book’s central premise—the drop of water—which is absurd. A single drop of water doesn’t travel through space and time. A drop contains about 1,670,000,000,000,000,000,000 molecules, which will never come together again in the same way. The concept tying the characters with a drop of water is, quite honestly, nonsense. Other inconsistencies should have been caught by a good editor. For example, milk dripping from newborn Arthur is biologically implausible—he would have drunk a few drops of colostrum at most. Baking biscuits in the oven for 40 minutes? That suggests the author hasn’t baked anything herself. And an infant remembering their own birth? Not possible, no matter how genius or savant the baby might be. The book is chaotic. The extensive research would have been better left in the background, allowing more focus on the characters and their stories. Narim’s tragic history takes 200 pages of flower-smelling and water-pondering to unfold, but the actual tragedy is presented in just a few pages. What a lost opportunity. Zalikah and her friend contribute little beyond drinking lavender coffee (mentioned at least five times), drawing Lamassu, tatooing ancient symbols and baking cakes—not enough to sustain good literature. Malik’s family is barely fleshed out, and we learn nothing meaningful about the King or the everyday lives of Nineveh’s people. Leila seems erratic and one-dimensional, defined only by sleepwalking and divining. What truly binds these characters together? The answer, it seems, is nothing substantial. In summary, this book felt like an over-researched, sprawling collection of facts that ultimately amounted to very little.

Fantastic read.