Gifted by the publisher.

7th Century BC. Nineveh, on the Banks of the Tigris River. The erudite but ruthless King Ashurbanipal collects literature far and wide to showcase in his library.

1840. London. Arthur is born on the banks of the sewage-filled River Thames to absent parents. His only chance of escaping is his brilliant mind.

2014. Turkey. Narin, a ten-year-old Yazidi girl, and her grandma travel to Iraq for her baptism as political instability rises.

2018. London. Newly divorced hydrologist Zaleekah moves into a houseboat on the Thames to find meaning in her life.

Sometimes you read a book and everything is precisely your taste. The writing is captivating, the plot is fascinating, and the characters are realistic. While there is pain, you finish the book feeling hopeful. Yet, with a profound sense of loss because you don't want the story to end. You know you'll never be able to read this book for the first time again. RIVERS is ✨this book✨ for me.

Weaving multiple characters across millennia into an enchanting tale, RIVERS is a captivating story of history, literature, humanity, love, nature, and everything that defines us. Structurally, it reminds me of CLOUD CUCKOO LAND (Anthony Doerr), while the sprawling writing is reminiscent of THE COVENANT OF WATER (Abraham Verghese). These two books are my all-time favorites, and I'm so happy to add RIVERS to this stack!

I admire Shafak's research on various historical and cultural settings, painting vivid pictures of each timeline and the characters' surroundings. Nonetheless, RIVERS always keeps its pace and never reads info-dumpy. At almost 500 pages, the story flows perfectly because of Shafak's engaging storytelling.

I deliberately made this review vague because it's one of those books that one should know as little as possible. Just trust that Shafak will deliver the epic of your lifetime, enjoy this unparalleled story, and feel every emotion alongside the characters. What