There Are Rivers in the Sky by Elif Shafak

In Elif Shafak’s mesmerizing new novel, “There Are Rivers in the Sky,” water becomes more than just a substance—it’s a character, a force of nature, and a keeper of memories. Shafak, known for her ability to weave intricate tales that span cultures and centuries, has outdone herself with this ambitious work that flows between three timelines, connecting disparate lives through the enduring power of rivers.

As I turned the pages, I found myself swept away by the currents of Shafak’s prose, sometimes gentle and reflective, other times rushing with the urgency of a flood. The book’s central theme—that water remembers while humans forget—ripples through the narrative, creating a haunting resonance that lingers long after the final page.

A Symphony of Three Lives

Shafak orchestrates her tale through three main characters, each bound to a river and a time:

1. Arthur, born in 1840 London beside the polluted Thames, gifted with an extraordinary memory that becomes his ticket out of poverty.
2. Narin, a young Yazidi girl in 2014 Turkey, facing imminent deafness and the destruction of her ancestral lands along the Tigris.
3. Zaleekah, a hydrologist in 2018 London, who retreats to a houseboat on the Thames after her divorce, grappling with thoughts of ending her life.

These three stories, separated by time and geography, are masterfully interwoven, creating a rich tapestry that explores themes of memory, loss, and the enduring power of water to shape our lives and histories.

The Rivers as Characters

The Thames and the Tigris are not mere backdrops in this novel; they are living, breathing entities that influence and reflect the lives of the characters. Shafak’s description of the Thames in Arthur’s time is particularly vivid:

“What they call a river is actually multiple rivers flowing in one. Running deep within the same body of water are several currents, like layers of skin that remain hidden to the eye but are scarred by the same wound.”

This personification of the rivers adds depth to the narrative, turning them into silent witnesses to human struggles and triumphs across centuries.

Echoes of Ancient Epics

At the heart of the novel lies the Epic of Gilgamesh, one of the oldest known works of literature. Shafak uses this ancient poem as a thread to connect her characters across time. Arthur becomes obsessed with translating the epic, Narin’s grandmother tells her stories inspired by it, and Zaleekah finds unexpected solace in its verses.

The inclusion of the Gilgamesh epic adds a layer of mythological resonance to the story, reminding us of the timeless nature of human experiences and emotions. As Arthur reflects:

“Empires have a way of deceiving themselves into believing that, being superior to others, they will last forever. A shared expectation that tomorrow the sun will rise again, the earth will remain fertile, and the waters will never run dry.”

The Power of Memory and Forgetting

One of the most compelling aspects of the novel is its exploration of memory—both individual and collective. Arthur’s photographic memory is both a blessing and a curse, allowing him to escape poverty but trapping him in painful recollections. Narin, facing the loss of her hearing, desperately tries to memorize the sounds and stories of her culture. Zaleekah grapples with memories of her parents and her failed marriage.

Shafak poignantly illustrates how memory shapes our identities and how its loss can be devastating. The idea that water retains memories while humans forget serves as a powerful metaphor for the transience of human existence and the enduring nature of the natural world.

A Critique of Colonialism and Cultural Appropriation

Through Arthur’s storyline, Shafak offers a nuanced critique of British colonialism and the appropriation of cultural artifacts. As Arthur becomes involved in the excavation of Nineveh, we see the complex dynamics of power, knowledge, and ownership play out. The author doesn’t shy away from addressing the ethical implications of removing artifacts from their native lands:

“Arthur is beginning to suspect that civilization is the name we give to what little we have salvaged from a loss that no one wants to remember. Triumphs are erected upon the jerry-built scaffolding of brutalities untold, heroic legends spun from the thread of aggressions and atrocities.”

The Yazidi Struggle

Shafak brings attention to the often-overlooked plight of the Yazidi people through Narin’s story. The descriptions of the ISIS attacks on Yazidi villages are harrowing and heartbreaking, shedding light on a tragedy that deserves more attention. The author’s empathy for her characters shines through, making their suffering palpable to the reader.

Prose That Flows Like Water

Shafak’s writing style in “There Are Rivers in the Sky” is nothing short of mesmerizing. Her prose flows with the rhythm of a river, sometimes calm and reflective, other times rushing with urgency. She has a gift for vivid imagery that brings her settings to life, whether it’s the squalor of 19th-century London or the sun-baked landscapes of Iraq.

Take, for instance, this description of Constantinople:

“Constantinople … such an elusive place, hard to grasp. An eel of a city—just when you think you have caught hold of it, it slips out of your hands.”

A Few Minor Tributaries

While the novel is undoubtedly a masterpiece, there are a few minor issues that might give some readers pause. The multiple timelines and large cast of characters can sometimes be challenging to keep track of, especially in the early chapters. Additionally, some readers might find the pacing in certain sections a bit slow, particularly when Shafak delves into historical details.

However, these are small tributaries in an otherwise magnificent river of a novel. The payoff for patient readers is immense, as the threads of the story come together in a deeply satisfying conclusion.

Conclusion: A River Worth Diving Into

“There Are Rivers in the Sky” is a triumph of storytelling, a novel that manages to be both epic in scope and intimate in its portrayal of human experiences. Shafak has created a work that is at once a historical saga, a contemporary drama, and a timeless meditation on the power of water and memory to shape our lives and our world.

This book will resonate with fans of Shafak’s previous works, such as “The Forty Rules of Love“, “The Island of Missing Trees”, and “10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World.” It also shares thematic similarities with other novels that explore the intersection of history, memory, and identity, such as “Cloud Atlas” by David Mitchell or “The God of Small Things” by Arundhati Roy.

In the end, “There Are Rivers in the Sky” is a novel that, like its subject matter, will stay with you long after you’ve finished reading. It’s a book that invites multiple readings, each time revealing new depths and currents. As Shafak writes:

“Water is the consummate immigrant, trapped in transit, never able to settle.”

The same could be said for the reader of this remarkable novel—once you’ve entered its flow, you’ll find yourself carried along, unable to settle until you’ve reached the last page. And even then, like water, the story will continue to shape and reshape your thoughts, leaving an indelible mark on your literary landscape.