There are rivers in heaven
By Elif Shafak
penguin
ISBN: 978-0241435021
464 pages.
Acclaimed author Elif Shafak’s 19 novels include The Forty Rules of Love, 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World and The Island of Missing Trees. She frequently deals with topics such as international politics, right-wing populism, pluralism and democracy.
Known for her outspoken criticism of the Turkish government and a strong advocate for women’s rights and free speech, Shafak’s works were charged as “crimes of obscenity” by Turkish prosecutors in 2019, prompting her to live in self-imposed exile in London.
Shafak’s latest book, There Are Rivers in the Sky, is a detailed and sprawling narrative that explores centuries, continents and cultures. The story revolves around a lost poem, two great rivers and three individuals – all connected by a single drop of water.
The book spans different eras – more precisely the 19th century and modern times – and, in the genre of the historical novel, deals with largely opposing phenomena such as love and disgust, memory and forgetting, tragedy and joy.
Elif Shafak’s latest novel tells the story of three lives through time and space, connected by history, myth, experience and a drop of water
The story begins in the ancient city of Nineveh on the Tigris, where the learned but ruthless King Ashurbanipal of Mesopotamia has established a great library. With a vivid image of a single drop of water falling on his head, the story continues as the drop evaporates and returns to earth over the centuries, carrying fragments of memory with it. Thus the three seemingly unrelated narratives gradually become interwoven, in three different times with three different characters.
Although this library eventually perished with the collapse of the king’s empire, it left behind a timeless treasure: the “Epic of Gilgamesh,” a poem that connected two rivers, the Tigris and the Thames. As the story progresses, we discover that these conspiracies go much deeper.
The first and central story: Arthur Smyth is born in London in the 1840s, near the dirty, sewage-polluted Thames. The street sweepers who had gathered around his mother at his birth gave him the name “King Arthur”. He was also called “King Arthur of the sewers and slums”. With a violent, alcoholic father and a mentally ill mother, Arthur was only able to escape poverty through his extraordinary photographic memory. He devoted himself to deciphering the ancient tablets of the Epic of Gilgamesh. This talent secured him an apprenticeship with a well-known publisher, which would change his life forever.
Among the many books he discovers, Nineveh and Its Remains stands out the most. He is fascinated by Mesopotamia, especially the ancient artifacts brought to the British Museum by archaeologists at that time.
The second story: In 2014, Narin, a ten-year-old Yazidi girl in Turkey, is diagnosed with a rare disease that will soon leave her deaf. Narin’s grandmother is determined to have her granddaughter baptized in a holy Iraqi temple beforehand, but she faces the growing threat of ISIS and the destruction of her ancestral lands along the Tigris, putting her under time pressure.
The third: In London in 2018, Zaleekah, a recently divorced hydrologist, moves into a houseboat on the Thames to get away from her ex-husband. Zaleekah was raised as an orphan by her rich uncle and plans to end her life in a month. However, a fascinating book about her homeland completely changes her outlook.
There Are Rivers in the Sky weaves these stories through time and space. Water has always been the essential element of life and evolution. Rivers like the Tigris and the Thames serve as both sources of life and omens of death, transcending history and fate.
At 464 pages, the book is a little slow in places. But that shouldn’t deter the eager reader. What could happen, however, is something else. While Shafak succeeds in incorporating numerous elements into her work through thorough, meticulous research, it’s also possible that readers may feel overwhelmed by the sheer volume of information, which may lead them to feel that the narrative is more cluttered than balanced.
Tackling difficult topics and complex issues such as war, climate change, socioeconomic disparities, the looting and theft of Middle Eastern artifacts, religious divisions, and genocide can sometimes be overwhelming for readers. Shafak creates a dense narrative that requires careful attention and could also lead to some polarization, especially given current geopolitical developments.
The inclusion of magical realism adds another layer of complexity and can confuse those who prefer a more straightforward plot. This can result in a reading experience that feels more challenging than exciting. If not handled well, it can alienate readers rather than captivate them.
However, the beautiful prose, powerful analogies, well-crafted characters, and the different levels of meaning attributed to each element make up for it all. Filled with ancient anecdotes and descriptions of what prevails long after civilizations have been destroyed, There are Rivers in the Sky is definitely a history lesson. More than the characters, it’s the beautiful settings full of past and cultural significance that stand out.
Ancient Nineveh, with its grandeur and mysticism, is brought to life here. This city is located in Mosul in modern-day Iraq, at the confluence of the Tigris and Khosr rivers, from where Noah’s Ark set out. It was once an epicenter of innovation, where Mesopotamian scribes carved the earliest cuneiform script on clay tablets. The area is still known for its beautiful architecture and monuments. The bustling streets and monumental buildings reflect the bygone era, as if the walls themselves hold the secrets of ancient wisdom and myths.
Likewise, the Yazidi villages, rich in culture, are brought to life. The traditions and rituals of these communities are not just elements of the story, but dynamic forces that shape their world. Every festival, traditional practice and detail of daily life in these villages is portrayed with great depth and is as memorable and impactful as the characters themselves.
The backgrounds show how they are interwoven with human experience and drive the story forward through symbolism and resonance, becoming an essential part of a great read.
The reviewer is a content lead at a communications agency.
You can reach her at [email protected]
Published in Dawn, Books & Authors, August 18, 2024
