There Are Rivers in the Sky

The latest from Turkish British Booker Prize finalist Shafak (The Island of Missing Trees) starts with a single drop of rain in the ancient city of Nineveh on the banks of the River Tigris. The water connects three people from different eras whose lives are part of an endless hydrologic cycle. Born in 1840 London, Arthur overcomes poverty with his prodigious memory and a thirst for knowledge, eventually embarking on an archaeological quest in Nineveh. Narin is a 10-year-old in Turkey whose grandmother wants her to be baptized in the Tigris. They make their way to Nineveh just as the self-styled Islamic State asserts its power in the area. In London in 2018, hydrologist Zaleekah leaves her husband and moves onto a Thames houseboat where she contemplates suicide. Shafak interweaves the three stories while reflecting on critical human conflicts of the past and present. With a musical and compelling voice, narrator Olivia Vinall brings the three main characters to life, giving each a distinctive voice while jumping between perspectives and timeframes. Shafak narrates the afterword, discussing her meticulous research process in a clear voice.