There are Rivers in the Sky

By: Elif Shafak

Narrated by: 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


© Elif Shafak 2024 (P) Penguin Audio 2024

Critic reviews

It will make you think, cry, rage – and hope. It is Elif Shafak at her best

Gloriously expansive and intellectually rich... a magnificent achievement

Richly evocative. A fascinating stream of storytelling.

Engrossing. I turned the pages hungrily, carried by Shafak’s energetic prose and confident that it was heading towards a coherent and rewarding ending. As ever, Shafak did not disappoint.

An absorbing novel. Shafak is a novelist whose interest in mapping the intricately related world and its history goes beyond literary device.

Elif Shafak is a unique and powerful voice in world literature (Ian McEwan)

Shafak makes a new home for us in words (Colum McCann)

A writer of important, beautiful, painful, truthful novels (Marian Keyes)

A brilliant, unforgettable novel, which raises big ideas of 'who owns the past' with nuance and complexity. Elif Shafak ties together diverse time periods and places in a way that seems both natural and wonderfully unexpected. (Mary Beard)

Bright, vivid and timeless like rivers. (Philippa Gregory)

Incredible Story and beautiful narrator!

Loved the story, and it was very beautifully narrated!
It was a rollercoaster of emotions, beautiful depth.

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.

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.

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.

Enthralling and enlightening

This exquisitely crafted novel will touch your heart and mind in unexpected ways. Through thorough historical research blended with a gift for compassion, Elif Shafak both transports and educates you through the lives of these three riveting characters. A must listen!