There are Rivers in the Sky

This was one of those reads: a story which grips and takes you under. Straddling centuries, travelling the course of two rivers, the Thames and the Tigris, following intertwined lives across continents, and then one epic, poem, The Epic of Gilgamesh, Elif Shafak has conjured worlds and ideas with such beauty and depth I could have drowned. ‘There Are Rivers in the Sky’ helped me sink into thoughts about the clutch of colonial influence, the patriarchal shaping of historical and cultural narratives, and I think most crucially, about erasures: whose voices are we missing, who gets pushed to the margins and whose story ultimately gets to be told. 


Through it all I learned about hydrology, cuneiform script, Yazidi traditions, the Mesopotamian Goddess of writing, Nisaba, while being brought to bear witness to the brutalities of genocide and the intergenerational traumas which ripple as a result. 
While aided by the vast scope of her research, I think what makes this book so rich, is the quality of Shafak’s heart; clearly one which goes beyond the realm of description and instead into empathy- seeking to place herself, and the reader, into the lives of the other, so we may each be returned expanded, richer, shaped by the very forces of storytelling through which she captivates.


As I closed the last page, I know I’ll be travelling with her words and characters for a long time yet, grateful for the writers who lead the way, and for the stories masterfully crafted in their stewardship.

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Hello. I'm Clare

I'm a writer, educator and facilitator, living in beautiful West Cork, Ireland. I love to share resources and learning to help harness the regenerative power of words, place and story. I hope my work offers nourishment for mind and soul. Thank you for being here. Clare x