There are Rivers in the Sky: The beautiful Sunday Times bestseller from the author of The Island of Missing Trees & BBC Between the Covers Book Club pick

I've read several books by this author and have enjoyed them all so was keen to read her latest when it was published in paperback. Whenever I hear Elif Shafak is being interviewed I always try to listen as I love her voice - it has a gorgeous velvety quality that always sounds soothing. This book was first published in 2024. It has 470 pages split into five parts. We see the story from the perspective of three (four?) characters who take turns to be the main focus of the narrative. The writing is beautiful and you can sink into it - soaking up very glorious detail. And detail is a huge part of this author's style, taking time to show us in luxurious depth. Along with seeing, you also smell, feel, hear and sometimes even taste what is around. As you are reading there is a temptation to speed ahead to find out more but take your time and go with the flow of the narrative. Every so often the author gives lists of words which always seem to demand that you slow down and that will make the book seem at its best. Amongst the rich language there is also plenty of perceptive observations from the natural world and the humans that inhabit it. I often paused to contemplate a particular sentence. This is a perfect book to read slowly and thoughtfully - encouraging heart rate and blood pressure to reduce. Wound through the main narrative there is much for the reader to learn. The portrait of Victorian life is very visual and the Mesopotamian history is fascinating. We get to know each of the three characters gradually. All are in their separate worlds and very different from each other. Time and locations become closer as connections are revealed showing the beauty of humanity if we take the time to look. Of course, water is used for many metaphors and remains as a strong theme throughout the novel. I loved researching some of the ancient stories as I worked my way through the book - it is almost unbelievable that this civilisation existed such a long time ago but the proof is there. The book is a perfect example of fiction's ability to explain facts. At the end of the book, the author opens up her research and tells how she has used real documents by bending their stories for the narrative of the novel. I love this book and eagerly await her next one.

This is one of those books which satisfies the inner curiosity and you come away having learned something, After reading it I was prompted to find out more about the Epic of Gilgamesh which I'd heard of but didn't really know anything about. Three different timelines yet blended together into a beautifully written whole. Having grown up in London I was able to feel the environments described, the old offices and the new, the British Museum exhibits that were part of the stories and characters in different ways. A wonderful book.

Beautifully written and very descriptive- can be hard to follow as switches between characters and times but worth sticking with it . Nearly 500 pages

Absolutely loved and highly recommend ‘There are rivers in the sky’. Elif Shafak is amazing - I deeply appreciate the extensive research she has done in writing this book. The three main characters- Arthur, Zaleekhah and Narin and their unique connections with water are fascinating. Before reading this book, I knew nothing about Thames toshers, water-dowsers, subterranean streams, Nineveh, Lamassu, epic of Gilgamesh, Yazidis, and more. This book made me curious to look them all up. I loved how Shafak brought characters and stories from different timelines, cultures, myths and tied them all together so beautifully! “How can anyone assume they will please the Creator by hurting His Creation” and yet the repeated inhumanity towards Yazidis in the name of a religion without a book and most recently by ISIS in 2014 - horrified me. Planning a trip to the British museum soon to appreciate how lucky we are to have safe access to historical treasures and the incredible stories behind their discoveries. “ Life is full of the unexpected, my friend. As if we are walking in a river of mud, and we dare to dip our hands every now and then, searching for a button of hope, a coin of friendship, a ring of love. We are mudlarkers, all of us.”

One of the best novels I have read. And I have read a lot over 5 decades... Multiple stories in one, that intertwine. A learning journey about Mesopotamia, Gilgamesh, water memory, lost rivers and the Yazidi.

Interesting writer, very good quality book

An amazing and moving book creating world's from the ancient and modern and stitching them together skillfully. Highly recommended.

This is a story that needed to be told & I am left awestruck & horrified in equal measure that this latest genocide occurred in 2014 & I knew nothing about it !!! How is that even possible & yet despite our many channels of media we are only told what the “powers that be “ decide to tell us us !!! It shocks & appalls me that 3,000 Yazidi women & girls are missing into slavery now !!! How is this possible ???? This is a beautifully written story of love & passion, compassion & total brutality …. We need to be aware of these stories of how people are abused in the name of religious beliefs cloaked in greed & ignorance. I wish I had the vocabulary to more eloquently express how this book has left me feeling so if you reading this review I urge you to read this book ….

There Are Rivers in the Sky by Elif Shafak is a beautifully layered novel that flows across time, memory, and geography like the rivers it evokes. Shafak gently weaves history, mythology, and the human longing for belonging, offering a rich glimpse into Middle Eastern culture, spirituality, and storytelling traditions. The characters feel deeply human, carrying the weight of history and identity. By the end, it leaves a quiet book hangover—that lingering feeling where the story stays with you, like an echo of distant waters and ancient lands. Poetic, thoughtful, and deeply immersive. 🌊📚

Oustanding book with an unforgetable story and characters.

The best novel I read in a long while. I am a big fan of Elif Shafak’s and this book now has a very special place in my heart. The fluidity of the stories over centuries connect us all. The author says: People forget, but water never forgets. Read this amazing tale from the view of a water drop and try not to be amazed. Good luck!

Imperdibile!!!!

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