There Are Rivers in the Sky spans centuries and continents to tell the story of one lost poem, two great rivers, and three remarkable lives, all connected by a single drop of water. From a brilliant child born into poverty on the banks of Victorian London's Thames, to a young Yazidi girl fleeing war-torn lands by the River Tigris in 2014, to a heartbroken hydrologist living on a houseboat in 2018 London, the novel weaves together loss, memory, and the ancient Epic of Gilgamesh into something vast and quietly devastating.
My Review
Elif Shafak’s There Are Rivers in the Sky is an extraordinary, sweeping novel that masterfully intertwines history, mythology, and contemporary issues through the eternal journey of a single drop of water. From the banks of the Tigris in ancient Nineveh to the sewers of Victorian London and the war-torn landscapes of modern Turkey, Shafak crafts a breathtaking story that flows through time and across continents, connecting the lives of three unforgettable characters.
“Words are like birds, when you publish books you are setting caged birds free. They can go wherever they please. They can fly over the highest walls and across vast distances, settling in mansions of gentry, in farmsteads and laborers’ cottages alike. You never know whom those words will reach, whose hearts will succumb to their sweet songs.”
Arthur, a 19th-century orphan turned scholar, embarks on a lifelong quest for sacred Mesopotamian tablets. Narin, a young Yazidi girl in 2014, dreams of her baptism in the Tigris, a ritual that ties her to a persecuted heritage. Zaleekhah, a water scientist in 2018, unravels the impact of climate change and human intervention on the world’s rivers. Through these voices, Shafak delivers a powerful meditation on the sacred and destructive forces of water—how it gives life, carries memory, and is wielded as a weapon of control.
“It is an odd thing, to lose faith in the beliefs you once held firmly. How strange it is to have carried your convictions like a set of keys, only to realize they will not open any doors.”
Shafak’s storytelling is lyrical and immersive, seamlessly blending deeply researched history with the intimate struggles of her characters. The prose is as fluid as the rivers it follows—harmonious and heartbreaking, filled with longing, resilience, and the search for meaning. The novel tackles themes of displacement, faith, colonialism, and environmental crisis without ever feeling heavy-handed. Instead, it is deeply human, reminding us of the interconnectedness of past and present, land and water, belief and betrayal.
“people fall into three camps: those who hardly, if ever, see beauty, even when it strikes them between the eyes; those who recognize it only when it is made apparent to them; and those rare souls who find beauty everywhere they turn, even in the most unexpected places.”
The amount of historical depth in There Are Rivers in the Sky is staggering, yet it never overwhelms. Instead, it enriches the story, making it as informative as it is moving. Narin’s journey, in particular, is haunting—a reminder of the atrocities Yazidis have faced throughout history, while Zaleekhah’s insights highlight how water has been manipulated and commodified by those in power.
This is a novel that lingers in the mind long after the final page, much like the journey of the water itself. An unforgettable, deeply resonant read. Highly recommended!
“Home is where your absence is felt, the echo of your voice kept alive, no matter how long you have been away or how far you may have strayed, a place that still beats with the pulse of your heart.”
