There are Rivers in the Sky
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By Elif Shafak
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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 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 soon sending 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.
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.’
‘Elif Shafak is a unique and powerful voice in world literature’ Ian McEwan
‘An extraordinary novel, fresh and cleansing, like the rain bouncing off the metal roof of our lives.’ Colum McCann
‘Make place for Elif Shafak on your bookshelf. Make place for her in your heart too. You won’t regret it’ Arundhati Roy
‘One of the best writers in the world today’ Hanif Kureishi
‘A brilliant, unforgettable novel’ Mary Beard
© Elif Shafak 2024 (P) Penguin Audio 2024
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Elif Shafak’s There Are Rivers in the Sky is a breathtaking tapestry of interconnected lives spanning centuries, bound by a single drop of water. From ancient Mesopotamia to modern London, Shafak’s lyrical prose immerses readers in the journeys of Arthur, a Victorian-era scholar; Narin, a Yazidi girl fleeing ISIS; and Zaleekah, a hydrologist grappling with her past. The novel’s ambition—melding history, myth, and climate urgency—is matched only by its emotional depth, particularly in its haunting portrayal of Yazidi persecution .
Shafak’s storytelling is spellbinding, blending meticulous research with magical realism. The recurring motif of water—as memory, lifeblood, and destroyer—elevates the narrative into a meditation on resilience and interconnectedness. While some critics found the multiple timelines disjointed , others (like myself) were swept away by its poetic grandeur and the vivid humanity of its characters, especially Arthur’s rags-to-riches arc and Narin’s heartbreaking odyssey .
Verdict: A luminous, unforgettable novel that cements Shafak’s place as a literary virtuoso. If you loved The Island of Missing Trees, this is her finest work yet .
