The Bookshop Recommends: There Are Rivers in the Sky

There Are Rivers in the Sky by Elif Shafak is a beautifully written, deeply emotional novel that crosses time and continents to explore memory, exile, and human connection. At the center are three unforgettable characters: Arthur, a Victorian-era boy with an extraordinary memory; Narin, a Yazidi girl shaped by silence and loss; and Zaleekhah, a contemporary scientist trying to make sense of her grief. Using the idea of water as “aquatic memory,” Shafak shows how the past flows through us all, shaping who we are and how we see the world. It’s a powerful, poetic story—rich in compassion, full of beauty, and grounded in a deep understanding of what it means to be human.