We meet Arthur Smith who is based on a real person (Assyriologist George Smith), and follow his journey from incredibly tough, humble beginnings in Victorian London to his obsession with cuneiform that sees him spending an inordinate amount of time in the British Museum. He eventually ends up working for a publisher, and his life takes unexpected turns.
It is 2018, and Zaleekhah, a hydrologist, has experienced much sorrow. When faced with a marriage that stifles her, she does not see any future for herself and moves onto a riverboat where she makes surprising acquaintances that change her existence in ways she could not predict. Her arc is chiefly concerned with finding meaning in her life while dealing with her profound sorrow.
Then there's Narin, a Yazidi girl, who lives by the Tigris River in the year 2014. We gain a glimpse of Narin's rich cultural heritage but hers is also a world that is torn apart by socio-political strife, and she is soon imperilled. Her journey to safety is fraught and she faces many perils.
But what do all these vastly different lives have in common? At the heart of it is water. Arthur is born to a mother who's a mudlark, on the banks of the Thames. The river that should provide the lifeblood of the city is heavily polluted. Beyond the obvious, with Zaleekhah's career is heavily involved with water, the very fact that she seeks to finish her life on the river – a return to the waters – is telling. And in Narin's culture, she seeks baptism in the holy water of Lalish. Water is the thread that connects all in an endless cycle of birth, baptism, and evolution. It cleanses but it also kills. It brings life but can also cause devastation.
Shafak's writing is filled with wonder, her careful observations of people and their behaviour astute and poignant, if sometimes difficult to read (in a good way!). How she threads together so much history in a way that makes me curious to learn more is absolutely magical, her prose poetic and lyrical. This is also a book that I've recommended hard to many, and it's got a permanent spot on my shelf.
