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There Are Rivers in the Sky

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There Are Rivers in the Sky

Written by: Elif Shafak
Narrated by: Olivia Vinall, Elif Shafak
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About this listen

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


©2024 Elif Shafak (P)2024 Penguin Audio
Historical Literary Fiction World Literature

What listeners say about There Are Rivers in the Sky

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outstanding

I loved the story connecting people across time and continents. How people are displaced and eradicated in name of religion and politics , is rather sad.

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Amazing read

Elif Shafak has given one more wonderful read. Combining history and her imagination, this book is a journey of 3 people in different timeline and their connection.

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Everything

‘There are Rivers in the Sky’ by Elif Shafak, and it’s undoubtedly one of her most impressive works. The depth of the characters, combined with the rich historical elements, makes this book truly stand out. I especially appreciated her focus on the Yazidi people, a community often overlooked, and the insightful exploration of cultural heritage ownership. As someone from India, the themes resonated deeply with me. A thought-provoking and beautifully crafted read! Thank you, Elif Shafak, for yet another masterpiece.

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Heartfelt narrative

Beautiful writing by Emif Shafak again. Interplay of human emotions and nature which spans over different decades

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Epic tale

Ms Elif Shafaq takes you across continents and time. With her heartfelt words, all three characters come to life and one feels urge to visit the river Tigris and nineveh . Must read!

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Brilliant

What a powerful, poignant and poetic book about one lost epic Poem ( Gilgamesh) two great rivers, (Tigris and Thames) and three remarkable lives (The genius savant Arthur and from England, Zaleekhah, a hydrologist, and a Yazidi girl in Syria and Iraq) all of them interconnected by a single drop of water. This fascinating narrative spans centuries, continents, cultures, communities that are all magnificenty entwined.

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