I tried so hard to make There Are Rivers in the Sky last longer, but I couldn’t actually put it down. I kept finding myself utterly lost in the worlds of King Arthur of the Sewers and Slums in the late 1700’s, Narin’s experiences as a Yazidi child in 2014, and Zaleekah’s life post-marriage-breakdown.

Water is a central theme: the two rivers, the Thames and the Tigris, run throughout, as does the memory of water. A single drop that first exists as a raindrop on the head of King Ashurbanipal, then a snowflake on the tongue of a newborn on the mudflats of the Thames, and in to the future of a thirsty Yazidi child and a woman living on the Thames.

These stories were interwoven, and I was completely immersed in their lives.

There’s much to think about in this: the morality of archaeology during the British Empire, where artefacts were ‘kept safe’ (stolen) from their original countries; the treatment of ethnic minorities, in this case the Yazidi people. This was the part that affected me the most. Their treatment in the name of someone else’s God has been, and continues to be, horrific. Mental health is also a central theme: the fact that we may all need help and understanding at some point.

And bringing all of this together is Elif Shafak’s beautiful writing. It’s poetic when looking at the beauty of the world, knowledge, and the care that people can have for one another. At times it was graphic when describing the horror of what humans can do to each other.

This book is perfection, and I can’t recommend it enough.

Elif Shafak is a word wizard. She has the magical ability to pull a reader across different times, places and circumstance and make you really care about characters and their outcomes. I loved Arthur's story, and all the characters, but there was something so alive about being born next to the Thames in the 1850s. How all the characters stories weave together is so clever, all submerged in the fascinating theories about water. There is a definite touch of magic with this book.

I have read a few of Elif’s previous books and have loved them all. Based loosely on historical events, There are Rivers in the Sky is told in three different timelines and involves three main characters, all linked in some way to water/rivers/Nineveh.
Of all of the eras and characters, I feel my favourite was those surrounding “King” Arthur.

I have learned a great deal about the hidden and forgotten rivers and water from this book. It really is food for thought.

I loved this book. It’s one of my top reads of 2024. A truly emotional read - the easiest 5⭐️ rating

An absolutely stunning cover for an absolutely stunning book by Elif Shafak. This novel follows three seemingly disparate characters. Arthur is born into poverty on the banks of the River Thames in 1840. He has a phenomenal memory, becomes fascinated by an Abyssinian tablet he sees at the British Museum, and goes on to become a self-taught scholar, travelling to Constantinople in search of the tablet's missing fragment. In Turkey in 2014, Narin, a young Yazidi girl, and her grandmother are making a risky pilgrimage along the River Tigris so she can be baptised in a sacred Iraqi temple. And in 2018 Zaleekha, a newly separated hydrologist, is living in a houseboat on the Thames but contemplating suicide. Shafak seamlessly links their stories via a single drop of water, Assyrian poetry, and sometimes a little bit more. There's lots of factual information in here - water, Assyrian history, the genocide of the Yazidi, cultutral approporation and colonsiation in the context of museums, loss of homelands to development, human trafficking of live organ donors - which may turn off some readers but for me it enhanced the story rather than taking me out of it.This book was clearly impeccably and deeply researched but never felt info-dumpy. I love it when a book leaves me with lots to think about, and this book delivered in spades while never letting the issues take priority over the story. Characters and settings were all richly realised and while I had a soft spot for Arthur and his very Dickensian start to life I never felt regret when shifting to another character and timeline; rather it was a welcome reacquainting with old friends. There was plenty going on plotwise, and in some hands it could have felt too much, but Shafak balanced it all beautifully, deftly weaving all the different strands together. As in her previous novel The Island of Missing Trees Shafak draws strong links between humans and the natural world, and highlights the idea of nature remembering the human past, although here with the drop of water it felt a little more real than it did for me with the fig tree. She also demonstrates how we humans are connected to each other and the commonalities we share. A beautifully written novel, replete with many rich layers; one I loved and can wholeheartedly recommend.

In this captivating novel, three seemingly disparate lives intertwine against the backdrop of ancient Nineveh. Arthur Smith, inspired by Assyriologist George Smith, is a man of exceptional memory who becomes fascinated with Nineveh after encountering lamassu sculptures at the British Museum. Zaleekah, recently divorced and living on a houseboat, rekindles her interest in cuneiform after meeting a tattooist. Narin, a young Yazidi girl, embarks on a spiritual journey to be baptized in the Valley of Lalish.

The author masterfully blends the rich history of Nineveh, a city destroyed by fire after civil war, with the personal stories of these characters. The novel tackles heavy themes such as the rise of ISIS and the destruction of cultural heritage, yet remains beautifully told and emotionally resonant. A must-read that leaves you inspired to delve deeper into history.

Excellent as always- such an outstanding writer and I will forever read everything that Shafak releases.

Another gem from Shafak - as we have come to expect. So deft and meaningful yet so readable. A stunning read

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC

This is, as all other Shafak books, an absolute gem. There is no doubt she is one of the most skilled storytellers of our time. The interweaving stories are well researched, lyrical and sensitive, and it’s impossible not to get swept up into the various characters’ lives and destinies, which all cleverly come together through a common thread. Personally, I liked Arthur and Zuleekha’s storylines best, and would have liked to see more -indeed, I wouldn’t have minded two separate books for each of them! As much as I adore the interspersed mythologies and historical tidbits, I do find that sometimes they steal away time we could have spent with the main characters, and I found myself hurrying through some parts to get back to the storylines. But these are minor things, and more of a personal preference. Reading anything by Elif Shafak is a gift, and I am grateful for yet another one.

Three strands bringing a whole aspect to this well researched historical novel. A joy to read and much to learn from this skilfully written book

💧 REVIEW 💧

There Are Rivers in the Sky by Elif Shafak
Release date: 8th August

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5

📝 - 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, 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. Arthur’s only chance of escaping poverty is his brilliant memory. When Arthur’s world opens up far beyond the slums, one book sends him across the seas: Nineveh and Its Remains. In 2014 Turkey, Narin, a Yazidi girl living by the River Tigris, waits to be baptised with water brought from the holy sit of 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 2018 London, 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.

💭 - I really loved this book, Elif Shafak does not disappoint. A real ode to water, and its importance in culture, biology, and sustaining life everywhere. I don’t always enjoy books with jumping timelines, as there are often unrealistic coincidences but in this case, I really enjoyed the recurring themes throughout the storylines. While each timeline stood on its own, the connections between them were well thought out, and really evidenced the amount of research that had gone into this. I learnt a lot about the Yazidi culture, including recent attacks that have unfortunately never really surfaced in western news media. I did sometimes find some of the narrative a bit overdone, but overall, a really enjoyable read. The authors note at the end also brings everything together and really shows the work that has gone into this novel.

I’m seeing Elif Shafak talk at the beginning of September and after reading this I am absolutely buzzing for it!

This wonderful novel weaves together through place and time the lives of three people, taking the passage of a single drop of water as their connector. Over the time-frame of the novel (from the times of the Assyrian Empire around 650 BCE to the near-present), the reader travels with the raindrop from Mesopotamia to the River Thames and back to the River Tigris.

The plights of displaced and disadvantaged people, such as a lack of fresh water, ethnic cleansing, and the suppression of women, and global hydrological problems are some of the themes that run through this rich, compelling novel.

There Are Rivers in the Sky
By Elif Shafak

"Water is the fundamental principle of life'

Shafak's writing always examines themes across different points in time, and from the perspective of different cultures. You know when you pick up one of her books that you are about to get lessons in history, politics and the human condition. In "There Are Rivers in the Sky" the themes are very different from anything else she has published; the water cycle, Cuneiform and Assyrian culture, the appropriation of historical artefacts and the arguments presented in justification.

She is simply a marvelous storyteller, incorporating real life characters and actual events with supposed narratives and poetic license to create a truly compelling tale that both sweeps you away and sparks investigation.

Ranging from 630 bce Nineveh, through mid nineteenth century London and Mesopotania to the 21st century where exploitation still exists, this is so well researched, particularly the life and work of George Smith who was the inspiration for the character of Arthur, and the Yadizi people of Kurdistan who have been subjected to persecution by virtually every neighbouring culture, most recently by ISIS.

This is a full-circle narrative which serves as a stark reminder that, like water, war, persecution, hate and exploitation also move in cycles.

If you are the kind of reader who loves to go down rabbit holes, this book provides so much material, so much food for thought, in a smartly conceived structure that will appeal to those who love history embellished with powerful imagination and philosophical meaning.

Dark and poignant.

Publication date: 8th August 2024
Thanks to #NetGalley and #VikingBooksUK for the ARC

I’ve read a lot of books this year and this has got to be my favourite so far. I rarely give 5 stars, but this truly deserves all 5 of them.
The story starts with a raindrop falling on the head of King Ashurbanipal in the city of Nineveh, many centuries ago.
This same drop of water connects the 3 main characters, Arthur, Narin and Zaleekhah as we follow their heartbreaking stories along the Rivers Tigris and Thames.
So well researched and beautifully told, the characters will stay with me for a long time along with The Epic of Gilgamesh.
With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

"There are Rivers in the Sky," skilfully intertwines a three-part narrative that merges historical elements with the present. The novel delves into significant themes such as the plundering of cultural artefacts throughout history, the human impact on water resources, and the suffering endured by certain groups due to their beliefs.
Arthur is by far my favourite character. His backstory is compelling and provides a strong basis for his humanity and empathy towards other cultures. I would have liked Narin's story to be a little more fleshed out, it was difficult for me to get a sense of her place in the world until nearer the end of the story. Zaleekhah likewise was a bit of a mystery and I found her difficult to relate to. Although her divorce was mentioned many times it didn't really seem relevant to the story. It was clear that Zaleekhah herself was struggling with finding out what her motivations were but it felt a bit disjointed at times and her personality seemed to just be "scientist" although the story focused on her personal life and not her career.
The structure of the book was important to the narrative and helped to keep the separate plots somewhat connected until their paths conjoined towards the end. The section titles helped to set the scene for that particular part of each story and made it clear how the tension could be expected to rise and fall throughout the novel.
Overall, This was a brilliant read that I struggled to put down. I would find it hard to describe to others but will be recommending it far and wide.

Elif Shafak’s long awaited novel comes out on the 8th August, and I was lucky enough to have the chance to read an early copy. So here is your spoiler free review, of There Are Rivers in The Sky, a breathtaking lyrical exploration centering around one lost poem. Not just any poem in fact, but The Epic of Gilgamesh. For literary nerds like myself, having this vivid reimagining of how society came to know about The Epic, and seeing people connected across time and culture by the beautiful words of the ancient work, is an incredible feeling.

We have three very different characters, whose stories are all extraordinary in their own way. We also have two beautiful rivers, the River Tigris and the River Thames, and finally we have one single drop of water. The premise is that water remembers, humans forget, but water never does, and as the story plays out we see that again and again. Humans repeat the same mistakes, give into the same vices, perform the same unspeakable human cruelty. Yet humans also develop beautiful new things, show kindness and compassion, live remarkable lives. Through it all, it’s the same drop of water again and again. H2O. So let’s talk about our three characters, our three molecules of the most precious element, of the most valuable and underrated resource on earth. Arthur, a child born quite literally on the banks of the River Thames in Victorian London, amongst the pollution and grey from sewage, the child is named King of the Sewers and Slums by a group of jovial toshers, who unexpectedly found themselves delivering a baby on another danger fraught exhibition. He’s born into poverty, but determined to break the cycle. He will not be like his alcoholic abusive father or his depressed mother. He is different from the start, possessing a brilliant memory bordering on a fairytale. He vividly remembers every detail, every moment of his life. From the taste of the snow that fell when he was born, to the specifics of any day in any year. A memory like that is a blessing and a curse. Like water, Arthur never forgets, and this earns him an apprenticeship at a printing press. More literary connections. The printing press prints some of the very classics we love and admire today. There are rivers in the sky is filled with literary references, for the attentive and well read reader spotting these Easter eggs alone will be a fascinating experience. So Arthur works at the printing press always the most hard working apprentice, knowing he cannot afford to fail, the survival of him and his family depend on his income. Particularly he is drawn to one special work, Nineveh and its Remains. Nineveh calls to him. He dreams of leaving London, and travelling to the lands he read about. A chance encounter at the British Museum may be his gateway and his key.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the world we have Narin. A young Yazidi girl living on the banks of the Tigris, with the person she loves most, her grandma. The other person she loves, her father, is a travelling musician, and she does not often see him, but for her birthday the family decides to travel to the holy Lalish valley site in Iraq to baptise the girl as per her beliefs. Narin is excited, if nervous, as she knows that due to a rare illness she is losing her hearing with each day, and will soon go completely deaf. Nevertheless she waits for that journey, and the family happily begins their travel, only to find themselves stuck in war torn lands, as ISIS militants begin to carry out a mass genocide, brutally murdering every Yazidi and calling them devil worshippers. So Narin and her family find themselves in danger, and separated. The year is 2014, and they also find that they have nowhere to return, as their home is threatened by the construction of a dam, which will flood the historic city and bury many of their ancestor graves under water.


Fast forward four years later, to 2018, to our final molecule, our third character, a hydrologist called Zaleekhah who finds her life in shambles as her husband files for divorce. Forced to move out she decides to live in a houseboat, in contrary to the wishes of her rich uncle, who had supported her financially and emotionally since the death of her parents when she was young. But is his financial support also a golden cage? Unlike the other two protagonists, Zaleekhah’s struggles are emotional and internal rather than external. It makes for a good balance, to have all the characters fight different battles. Yet they are all united by something. Shafak often has themes of division and then connection, so in that regard all the elements you love the Turkish- British writer are for sure present here. When the three molecules, our three characters metaphorically come together, it is an incredibly poignant moment for us to witness.

As always Shafak weaves her narrative with the utmost care and precision, the attention to detail is wonderful, the novel follows three very different lives, managing to balance their unique perspectives and voices very well. However, as is often the case with books which follow three different points of view, occasionally a certain character is far more interesting than another, which makes the novel drag somewhat in places, we lose our interest and our attention wanes as we find ourselves eagerly awaiting the return of that one beloved character’s voice. But the short length of each chapter, and the stunning elements of the narrative, from the wondrous description of the characters’ world as they know it, to the astounding historical supplementary knowledge, makes this a book you are nevertheless unable to put down, if only out of curiosity for what will happen next and what new information you’ll be able to find out about the world.

In the acknowledgements, Shafak wrote: “This novel is where my heart led me. This novel is my love song to rivers- those still living and those that are long gone.” Truly some of the most beautiful descriptions in the novel are about bodies of water and other elements of nature. It is clear that a lot of research has gone into this novel and for me that was both a strength and a weakness. A weakness not in the research but in the execution. There is so much detail and information about every little thing, every tiny aspect. In the characterization this is without doubt a strength, with every character living and breathing. We wait with bated breath to see if Narin and her family will survive, we ache with Zaleekhah at the loss of her parents, we wonder with Arthur at the descriptions of the Mesopotamian treasures. We are completely transported to their various settings, to the daily life, as we have minute details about every job, like the toshers I mentioned, or facts about the British empire. But, occasionally the book tips into the realm of nonfiction with lengthy paragraphs describing news that are contemporary for the characters, or major events, like the Great Exhibition. It’s incredible to read about all these historical events don’t get me wrong, but it’s just a bit jarring. It almost seems like Shafak is too excited about all the information she learned and then she pours it all out, forgetting that there is a plot, or an emotional moment, or characters, etc. This is a book that is so ambitious in its scope, travelling across lands, cultures, time, and for the most part it does this very well, but this is a lengthy work, and a difficult one, so having these moments of textbook like switches, where the tone switches from lyrical to describing facts in an emotionless way, makes it a bit exhausting to continue. I love Shafak’s works because they always have that perfect balance of depth and breadth, and I feel like within this work it was unfortunately a little more off than usual.

Perhaps also because of this, after all there is much to fit into the pages, and for the majority of the story it follows a very concrete and limiting structure, there is less fluidity and flexibility than in Shafak’s usual work. It would have been beneficial to see more exploration of the “bad characters”, like the alcoholic father, to see what made them this way, There are Rivers in the Sky lacked the usual nuance, and as a result some characters fell flat, failing to go beyond the black and white distinction, and serving just as a way to advance the plot and make the protagonists stand out. Don’t get me wrong, the main characters were certainly very sympathetic and exciting to follow, the mixture of plot and character is well carried out, the side characters being better is just wishful thinking on my part, it was not the biggest weakness. In general I think this work is extremely hard to review because there are just so many things to love about the work, but also so many areas where you can’t help but feel “okay, but even better if.” It doesn’t fall definitively on the side of new favourite book, but it is a work that I immensely enjoyed.

It is also a work I would recommend as an example of great fiction, and what I mean when I say fiction is more effective than other attempts to get people to care. If someone told me there was a 2014 Yazidi massacre, I’d memorize that information as an example of terrible actions that humans have done to each other. But with stories like this, there is emotional involvement. It ceased to be a statistic and it becomes a story. People say one death is a tragedy while a hundred is a statistic. That is why I think stories have the power to change things, truly change things, as it startles us out of that statistic mentality. It makes us realise that it’s 100 different lives that have been tragically ended rather than just another terrible event, to remember and then to forget. Shafak deals with such heavy issues extremely well, the work never pushes us to be sentimental or emotional, it simply shows us why we should be, with striking prose. A pleasant bonus of this is of course that it’s a conversation starter. About who history belongs to, what role explorers play in other regions, and how can mass genocides like that in 2014 be avoided. Conversations lead to change, and for a book club this will for sure spark fierce discussion. This is a book to make you angry, sad, happy, amazed. Above all it is a journey, and a journey at the end of which you feel a multitude of things all at once, but also keep thinking about this work again and again. If you’re willing to be patient, and are a fan of Shafak’s other work, I’d give it a read. If not, I personally feel this is one of her weaker works, and would recommend reading The Island of Missing Trees instead.

I had so many high hopes for this book because I absolutely loved The Island Of Missing Trees and whilst I loved the historical theology and the background and lives of the characters to me it just felt like there were too many aspects all at once and threads to follow, it is a really really long book and did me right now it was just not the book for me, maybe its one i xan return to and reread another time and appreciate more

There are rivers from the Sky by Elif Shafak is the first book from the author that I have read, and it won’t be my last.
The story invoves three main characters Arthur who was born into poverty in the 19th century and lived near the River Thames. He was known as King Arthur of the Sewers and Slums. He has a great memory for remembering things and has a fascination with the city of Ninevah after seeing some sculptures at the British museum.
Its 2018 Zaleekah is scientist interested in rainfall and she lives on a houseboat after splitting from her husband.
Then we have Narin, a young Yazidi girl who lives on the banks of the Tigris. Her grandmother is adamant that she will be baptised in the valley of Lalish in Iraq. But they occur problems when the come across ISIS on their travels.
All three characters are linked in some way to water.
This is a beautifully written, historical novel that will resonate with me for some time. It is richly descriptive, lyrical prose and the author has greatly researched this. And at first, I thought if this wasn’t for me, and I did think it was quite a lengthy read. But I am so glad I kept reading as I think this is quite a masterpiece. I will now endeavour to check out the other books this author has written. 5 stars from me.

This book tells the story of three people: Arthur, poor boy born in London in the 19th century, Narin, a Yazidi girl in 2014 about to face genocide from ISIS and Zareeyah, living in London in 2018. They are bound together by an interest in a great library in Nineveh which housed tablets, including one telling the story of a great flood. Water is a character of its own through the book and I particularly found the idea of buried rivers fascinating. None of the stories are happy and there is a melancholy throughout the book. The story is as beautifully written as other books I have read by the author and incredibly well researched. Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC.

When I started to read this book I wondered what I had actually decided to read as it was not what I was expecting and I thought that I may not finish it. However I persevered and eventually I began to be absorbed into the stories.
This story is told in three different timelines, following three main characters called Arthur, born into poverty during the Victorian period by the Thames but a genius, in fact, Arthur is based on a real Victorian gentleman, Narin, a deaf Yazidi girl who managed to survive a genocide in 2014 but was kept in slavery after capture and Zaleekhah, a hydrologist living in London in the current day.
Small clues are littered throughout the work that draws all of their stories together and each character is well drawn, if melancholic.
You can tell that an enormous amount of research has gone into this novel but occasionally I did feel I was being lectured to.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this intriguing and thought provoking book.

Loved this book. Fascinating topic - water to delve into and across three time periods with three essential characters. Arthur, Narin and Zaleekah. Plus the backdrop of two rivers, the Tigris and Thames. Shafak has such a touch with words, the nuances are brilliant.