This wonderful book is Dr Moudhy Al-Rashid's love song to cuneiform, the oldest form of writing that came out of ancient Mesopotamia, the birthplace of our history.
She tells a contextual history of the region, focusing on a collection of ancient objects found in the palace of the priestess Ennigaldi-Nanna. She uses these objects to tell us about the history of the area and, more importantly, the lives of the people who lived between the great rivers of the Tigris and the Euphrates.
The scope of the book covers everything from astronomy to childcare, and is as much about the everyday people as it is about the rulers. Everything always comes back to the cuneiform tablets that have left a wealth of information about these people. Time and again I had to keep checking the dates because the things described were so relatable that I couldn't believe they were being written about so many thousands of years ago. The author is a wonderful communicator, relating these ancient words to her own experiences, her own highs and lows. This makes them so much richer and brings them closer to our own civilisation.
I'm sure many people will be drawn to this book after reading Elif Shafak's beautiful novel 'There are Rivers in the Sky'. That inspired a trip to the British Museum to see the huge Lamassu from Nimrud. Whilst there we stumbled into a corridor showing the great lion hunt, which Al-Rashid so vividly describes. The curators were experimenting with using video and sound to bring some of the carvings to life and I stood there enthralled as the ancient world came to life around me. This book had the same effect. It brought an ancient civilisation back to life and has opened my eyes to this rich and beautiful part of our history.
I can't wait for this book to be published and I'd like to thank Hodder Press and NetGalley for the chance to read a preview copy of this book.

As someone who didn't have much knowledge of ancient Mesopotamia, I found this book to be a really nice entry to the subject and it has for sure encouraged me to explore the subject further.

You could tell it had been written by an academic, but it was still really accessible and enjoyable to read. You felt like you really got to know the individuals highlighted in the books, and I felt there was a good review of available evidence. It felt like you were in safe hands.

There was a really wide range of subjects covered, but I particularly enjoyed th chapters on astrology and women lives.

Between Two Rivers is a fascinating look at ancient Mesopotamia, through the lens of nine objects each discovered at a so-called museum at Ur. It’s a great introductory book, for anyone who’s never read anything about the region or time period, and Al-Rashid recounts the various stories in an engaging and accessible way. The only thing I would say is that it could do with pictures of the objects, so the reader can see what she’s describing, but I assume that’s more likely to appear in the finished version.

Between Two Rivers is a truly fascinating read.

Many history books can become bogged down in too much academia or dry in prose but Mouthy Al-Rashid writes with passion and from the heart.It is almost as though you are with her making a presentation in which she is talking directly to you. Personal reference points in her life and connections to modern life and life in Mesopotamia are made providing further accessibility.

This is a book about communication - the way through which interpreting past lives are made through examining and understanding the little rolls or drums of clay covered with cuneiform writing. ( initially with 2000 signs then many more!) They unlock the world of the Sumerians, Babylonians and Assyrians.

Daily lives are opened to the reader; rulers and royals are explored; architecture and construction unpicked. The recognition of blending myth and history to create stories prevails- but also Mouthy Al- Rashid makes us question how modern history could be interpreted in the future.

Having recently read Elif Shafak's superb There Are Rivers In The Sky, Between Two Rivers felt like the perfect companion book.

Rather like Bethany Hughes and Michael Scott, Moudhy Al-Rashid's writing brings history to life in an entertaining and highly informative way. A brilliant read- highly recommended