“There are Rivers in the Sky ” by Elif Shafak
“There are Rivers in the Sky ” by Elif Shafak
Many of our group were eager to read this book because we had enjoyed the author’s previous novels. We had high expectations and were keen to see how this story would compare ……. and for the majority of us, it did not disappoint.
There are Rivers in the Sky is a beautifully written and thought provoking novel that weaves together multiple timelines and characters with great skill The story follows the lives of three people: Arthur Smith from 1840, Narin, a Yazidi girl in 2014 and Zaleekah, a modern Turkish/English girl who are linked by a single raindrop and by rivers. These two things become a symbol of how water connects people through generations and memories.
The book explores many different themes, and the author raises several important topics: who do ancient artefacts in museums belong to?, problems of damming large rivers and the horrific treatment of the Yazidi people by different dominant groups, amongst other questions.
The whole group enjoyed Elif Shafak’s beautiful and descriptive writing; something she has excelled in with her previous novels. Her characters are memorable and Shafak’s clever writing brings all the stories together; her vivid language is a joy to read. Some descriptions of events can make uncomfortable reading, but the majority of the group felt that these events contributed to the clever intertwining of the characters and their lives. If you don’t enjoy storylines moving between different timelines and characters, this may not be for you.
The majority of our group thought this book was outstanding and said that the story and the characters will stay with them for a long time. When rating the book, most gave it scores between 8 and10 out of 10 and almost all would recommend the novel to others to read.