char

another banger by elif shafak.

shafak has a knack for writing lush, evocative, sweeping historical fiction and this book might be one of her best yet. she so seamlessly connects themes of water, history, ecology, identity and culture that it feels obvious. a singular drop of rain falls on the ancient king ashurbanipal, and that's all shafak needs to weave mesopotamia, victorian england, the takeover of Iraq by ISIS, and current water conservation efforts. she's that good.

the research in this novel is also scrupulous and expansive. i learnt so much about nineveh and the yazidis (who are still being persecuted today), but the book never felt preachy or encyclopedic, it's never too dense. instead it gently submerges you into its world and gives you just enough information to want more, which is exactly what you need from a novel like this. shafak approaches her character writing in a similar manner: letting you in so you deeply feel for and understand them, but from far enough away so as to maintain an air of mystery, and the desire to keep reading their story.

it's been a while since i read a book so thorough, yet delicately and meticulously woven. i don't know if this is my favourite shafak novel ('10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World' made me cry like a baby), but it's definitely her most ambitious - and i would say she succeeded with flying colours.