Elif Shafak is a great storyteller and I found myself looking forward to each time I could sit down and continue her epic story, There Are Rivers In The Sky.
Elif is also a teller of history, and in this book, history based on the lands of the ancient region of the Mesopotamia. I love it when a great story also opens my eyes to countries and cultures I know little about.
Through her three main characters, Elif transports us from ancient to modern times. The story moves from Arthur who grew up in the slums of London in the mid 1800s to Narin, a young Yazidi girl who lives by the River Tigris in 2014 and travels to Iraq. Then we go back to London but this time in 2018 with Zaleekhah. The three character’s lives become intertwined. Some of the connections I found somewhat farfetched, but this did not spoil the book for me. Elif’s spotlight on Yazidi culture was important to read.
Sometimes authors use fiction to tell truths. We are so lucky to have authors such as Elif who do a tremendous amount of research and can turn this into a great book. On that note, how lucky are we to have our libraries, filled with so much knowledge for us to gain and for all to have access to!
