Elif ?afak

Elif ?afak Instagram – “it is rare for such an extraordinary book to be written in these times, but these times are exactly when we need it the most.” Thank you for this beautiful book review (and the matching dress!) @kashafreads Reposting with love and gratitude: “There Are Rivers in The Sky is a poignant and the latest novel by one of my most beloved authors, Elif Shafak. The story flows in 3 timelines: we are introduced to Arthur Smyth, a poor but intelligent boy born in 19th century London, Narin, a holy child living on the banks of River Tigris in 2014 who faces apartheid due to her unpopular faith, and Zaleekha, a depressed hydrologist residing in London in the year 2018.
As the writer said in her note, this book is a love letter to rivers, especially to the mighty and arcane Tigris and Euphrates.
From Mesopotamia to Constantinople to the banks of the River Thames, the story covers the multiple life cycles of a single raindrop, and the everlasting conquest for a poem lost to the waves of time, The Epic of Gilgamesh. As someone who grew up fascinated by archaeology and ancient civilizations, I was completely enthralled at all times. I always say that reading is a political act and I was stunned by everything I learned from this book. Elif Shafak’s end note is extremely important as she elaborates with proof all the gruesome events that are mentioned in the story.
The writing was beautiful, as always. I kept Googling stuff simultaneously and just marvelled at the amount of research that went into this book.
It is rare for such an extraordinary book to be written in these times, but these times are exactly when we need it the most. This, THIS is my kind of literature. Informative and vivid and poetic. Plus, just how intricate the cover is! This is one of the most beautiful books I own. 10/10
•It was an ocean of knowledge and I desperately drank every word like water.” #thereareriversinthesky #literatureislife #literaryfictionbooks #novelists #bookreviewsbyabooklover 📚📚📚 O kadar güzel ve içten bir edebiyat incelemesi yazmış ki okurum, gerçekten çok teşekkür ediyorum her bir kelimesine; kitap kapağıyla elbisenin uyum içinde olması ayrıca hoş bir sürpriz, sağ olun | Posted on 27/Mar/2025 23:58:29