There Are Rivers in the Sky

“He wished to conquer death and so he travelled to the ends of the world—but he failed. He did not see that the only way to become immortal is to be remembered after you have gone, and the only way to be remembered is to leave behind a good story.”

Ashurbanipal’s teacher reflects on the character Gilgamesh from the eponymous epic. The ancient text is an important recurring motif throughout the book, influencing the story narratively and thematically. In this instance, the reference to Gilgamesh underlines the power of literature, in a nod to the theme of The Impact of Ancient Texts on Modern Lives. As Ashurbanipal’s teacher asserts, Gilgamesh, or rather his story, does remain immortal: It is powerful enough to speak to people even millennia later as characters like Arthur and Nen, and even Shafak in crafting her story, connect with it.

“Arthur Smyth is gifted with an extraordinary memory—visual, verbal and sensory. Just as a drop of rain or a pellet of hail, water in whatever form, will always remember, he, too, will never forget.”

One of the protagonists of the book, Arthur is born with perfect recall; this gift elevates his affinity for language and allows him to decipher the cuneiform tablets containing The Epic of Gilgamesh. Memory is explored as both a gift and a curse throughout the book. Arthur’s extraordinary memory helps his work along but also prevents him from forgetting the hardships of his life. This is true for other characters as well: Zaleekhah cannot let go of the traumatic memory of her parents’ deaths, while Leila is unable to shake the memory of her prediction that her community will face a massacre.