There Are Rivers in the Sky

De: Elif Shafak

Narrado por: Olivia Vinall, Elif Shafak

Brought to you by Penguin.

This audiobook is read by Olivia Vinall, and Elif Shafak reads the Note to Reader at the end of the story.

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

©2024 Elif Shafak (P)2024 Penguin Audio

Where history, world conflicts and environmental issues met.

I have always loved Elif Shafak’s writing ever since The Forty Rules of Love. The way that she tells her story, you can’t differentiate the fine line between fiction and real events. And this book also leave a great impact on me as a reader, where I become a bit knowledgeable on those three important topics of history, humanity issues and environment sustainability.

A fascinating story , lacklustre Characters.

The book is written by a master story teller at the height of her powers. I flows beautifully dealing with a range of related topics all sewn into a big tapestry. It covers too many human aspects and themes to be easily summarised but basically it has a single uniting commonality that weaves it together. I don’t believe in spoilers so I’ll let the reader find out for themselves.

There is plenty of information to learn and psychological commentary to fascinate. However, there is for me one major flaw, albeit not a fatal one: The characters are dreary they are all unhappy all depressed and all living in a glum state. Which becomes irritating and eventually boring given that they all live in lively exciting worlds with opportunity always knocking.

This must have been a deliberate choice by the author. I found it wearying but the story and the their world was fascinating enough to make me want to continue.

Brilliant storytelling.

Three stories, equally intriguing, intertwine. Beautifully crafted imagery brings all three stories to vivid life. History, myth and storytelling woven together brilliantly, with some ancient wisdom to treasure.

There Are Rivers in the Sky

There is poetry in her prose. Elif Shafak weaves a sublimely written narrative which casts a spell. I am envious of her intuitive story-teller instincts and her ability to paint a picture with words that linger in the mind and on the tongue, long after the story has ended. It was my first Shafak novel so I am so happy to be able to feast on more.

The magic of water, and words, and the ways of humanity combine to make this story memorable, substantial and extraordinary. Just a glorious read.

Fascinating

Extremely good read. Writer did extensive research which enhanced the enjoyment. Will highly recommend this book.

Fascinating read

Throughly enjoyed this read as I knew very little about Mesopotamia and its history. I loved the manner in which the 3 stories came together - kept you hanging until the end.

My favourite author!

Elif Shafak is a poet and artist, and I am always captivated from her first sentence to last fullstop.

What a beautiful, heartbreaking, mesmerizing tale.

Poetical narration of complex subjects

The book beautifully weaves the tales of nature and ecology, a recent genocide, the complexity of family, feelings of belonging, divide, hope and desperation, the topic about art in museums that were created by different cultures, rather than the museums they are in. All wrapped in a poetical narration that both soothed, saddened and put smiles in my spirit.

The intricate beautifully woven stories

Liked the descriptions and the whole concept of the novel - and the obvious knowledge by the author of the changing times and places described.