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River Spirit
When Akuany and her brother Bol are orphaned in a village raid in South Sudan, they’re taken in by a young merchant Yaseen who promises to care for them, a vow that tethers him to Akuany through their adulthood. As a revolutionary leader rises to power—the self-proclaimed Mahdi, prophesied redeemer of Islam—Sudan begins to slip from the grasp of Ottoman rule, and everyone must choose a side. A scholar of the Qur’an, Yaseen feels beholden to stand against this false Mahdi, even as his choice splinters his family. Meanwhile, Akuany moves through her young adulthood and across the country alone, sold and traded from house to house, with Yaseen as her inconsistent lifeline. Everything each of them is striving for—love, freedom, safety—is all on the line in the fight for Sudan.
Through the voices of seven people whose fates grow inextricably linked during the Mahdist War of nineteenth-century Sudan, Leila Aboulela’s latest novel illuminates a fraught and bloody reckoning with the history of a people caught in the crosshairs of imperialism. River Spirit is a powerful tale of corruption, coming of age, and unshakeable devotion—to a cause, to one’s faith, and to the people who become family.
Through the voices of seven people whose fates grow inextricably linked during the Mahdist War of nineteenth-century Sudan, Leila Aboulela’s latest novel illuminates a fraught and bloody reckoning with the history of a people caught in the crosshairs of imperialism. River Spirit is a powerful tale of corruption, coming of age, and unshakeable devotion—to a cause, to one’s faith, and to the people who become family.
320 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 7, 2023
172 people are currently reading
7595 people want to read
About the author
Leila Aboulela
38 books912 followersLeila Aboulela grew up in Khartoum, Sudan where she attended the Khartoum American School and Sister School. She graduated from Khartoum University in 1985 with a degree in Economics and was awarded her Masters degree in statistics from the London School of Economics. She lived for many years in Aberdeen where she wrote most of her works while looking after her family; she currently lives and lectures in Abu Dhabi.
She was awarded the Caine Prize for African Writing in 2000 for her short story The Museum and her novel The Translator was nominated for the Orange Prize in 2002, and was chosen as a Notable Book of the Year by the New York Times in 2006.
She was awarded the Caine Prize for African Writing in 2000 for her short story The Museum and her novel The Translator was nominated for the Orange Prize in 2002, and was chosen as a Notable Book of the Year by the New York Times in 2006.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 248 reviews
November 8, 2022
It took me a while to get into the story, but once I did I was able to completely immerse myself in it. This is a feast for literature connoisseurs!
The story takes place in 19th century Sudan. Akuany and her little brother Bol have been orphaned in a village raid and taken in by their late father’s friend, a young merchant Yaseen. First living with Yaseen’s sister, later enslaved, Akuany has to adjust to her frequently changing circumstances. At the same time a self proclaimed Mahdi prepares to claim power, and people around Akuany end up on different sides of the conflict.
When Akuany gets older her relationship with Yaseen evolves. The Mahdi revolution keeps tearing them apart, yet they are drawn to each other and stay close against all odds.
The writing is absolutely magical; it is descriptive yet not entirely direct. We learn about the atrocities of war but they are presented in a way that is not overly explicit or dramatic.
There are a few POVs and the narrative is switching between the first, third and even second person. The characters represent various combinations of national and religious background, political views and involvement in the conflict. It is a brilliant way to describe the events from different angles and show how they impact the lives of everyone affected.
It is not a light and easy read but I am glad and grateful that I picked it up. Highly recommended to all historical fiction lovers!
Thank you NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
The story takes place in 19th century Sudan. Akuany and her little brother Bol have been orphaned in a village raid and taken in by their late father’s friend, a young merchant Yaseen. First living with Yaseen’s sister, later enslaved, Akuany has to adjust to her frequently changing circumstances. At the same time a self proclaimed Mahdi prepares to claim power, and people around Akuany end up on different sides of the conflict.
When Akuany gets older her relationship with Yaseen evolves. The Mahdi revolution keeps tearing them apart, yet they are drawn to each other and stay close against all odds.
The writing is absolutely magical; it is descriptive yet not entirely direct. We learn about the atrocities of war but they are presented in a way that is not overly explicit or dramatic.
There are a few POVs and the narrative is switching between the first, third and even second person. The characters represent various combinations of national and religious background, political views and involvement in the conflict. It is a brilliant way to describe the events from different angles and show how they impact the lives of everyone affected.
It is not a light and easy read but I am glad and grateful that I picked it up. Highly recommended to all historical fiction lovers!
Thank you NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
September 20, 2024
Set in the Sudan in the late eighteenth century, this was a real eye opener for me as I know nothing of Sudan's history and next to nothing about the Ottoman empire.
Adding to that, while I've read a lot on the slave trade in the Americas, I have never given much thought to that trade in the Middle East.
I love a book that takes me back through history, though actual events in a fictional setting, which is what the author has created here.
I didn't know how Egypt and Türkiye, along with the British (of course the British), had their noses poked into Sudan during this period and the impact of those occupations.
Overall, I found this very assessable and a decent page turner.
Four stars.
Adding to that, while I've read a lot on the slave trade in the Americas, I have never given much thought to that trade in the Middle East.
I love a book that takes me back through history, though actual events in a fictional setting, which is what the author has created here.
I didn't know how Egypt and Türkiye, along with the British (of course the British), had their noses poked into Sudan during this period and the impact of those occupations.
Overall, I found this very assessable and a decent page turner.
Four stars.
February 8, 2025
4.25 stars
“Instead, the silky water. She had missed it. Carrying heavy pots of water from the river was no longer one of her chores; Salha deemed it too strenuous and unfitting. Oh, how she missed it and could never feel settled in a town where people could not feast their eyes on the moving blue or set sail or eat fish. Her merchant, her river—she yearned for them both.”
This is a novel about the Mahdist uprising in Sudan in the late nineteenth century. Aboulela was born in Sudan and it’s about time I read more of her work; it’s been a while since I read Minaret. She takes a look at British and Turkish Imperialism as well as some of the outworkings of religion when it becomes extreme and cruel.
Aboulela puts women at the centre of the novel and we have a number of narrative voices, seven in all (there are some men as well), although not that of the Mahdi, our interactions with him are through the main characters. The novel follows the rise of the Mahdi, from its small beginnings and the reasons for it:
“the Mahdi has coalesced the nation’s sense of injustice.”
The strongest character is Akuany, later renamed ZamZam when she is a slave and Aboulela describes how she found her in the Sudan archive at Durham University in a bill of sale and petition for a runaway slave. One of the male characters paints her and the painting and its subsequent history play a part in illustrating the way womanhood is perceived.
Aboulela looks at the way the Mahdi attracted the level of fanaticism and loyalty that he did with the character of Musa, one of the Mahdi’s followers:
“the Mahdi was now my family and my home; I lived for him and no one else. My wife and newborn daughter were indeed my responsibility, but they did not distract me from him.”
For me the differing perspectives helped to hold the narrative together. It sheds light on a part of Imperial history that is not so well known. It is set at the time of that most Imperialist of films (and novel) The Four Feathers. The author doesn’t paint any of the characters as one-dimensional and I really enjoyed this
“Instead, the silky water. She had missed it. Carrying heavy pots of water from the river was no longer one of her chores; Salha deemed it too strenuous and unfitting. Oh, how she missed it and could never feel settled in a town where people could not feast their eyes on the moving blue or set sail or eat fish. Her merchant, her river—she yearned for them both.”
This is a novel about the Mahdist uprising in Sudan in the late nineteenth century. Aboulela was born in Sudan and it’s about time I read more of her work; it’s been a while since I read Minaret. She takes a look at British and Turkish Imperialism as well as some of the outworkings of religion when it becomes extreme and cruel.
Aboulela puts women at the centre of the novel and we have a number of narrative voices, seven in all (there are some men as well), although not that of the Mahdi, our interactions with him are through the main characters. The novel follows the rise of the Mahdi, from its small beginnings and the reasons for it:
“the Mahdi has coalesced the nation’s sense of injustice.”
The strongest character is Akuany, later renamed ZamZam when she is a slave and Aboulela describes how she found her in the Sudan archive at Durham University in a bill of sale and petition for a runaway slave. One of the male characters paints her and the painting and its subsequent history play a part in illustrating the way womanhood is perceived.
Aboulela looks at the way the Mahdi attracted the level of fanaticism and loyalty that he did with the character of Musa, one of the Mahdi’s followers:
“the Mahdi was now my family and my home; I lived for him and no one else. My wife and newborn daughter were indeed my responsibility, but they did not distract me from him.”
For me the differing perspectives helped to hold the narrative together. It sheds light on a part of Imperial history that is not so well known. It is set at the time of that most Imperialist of films (and novel) The Four Feathers. The author doesn’t paint any of the characters as one-dimensional and I really enjoyed this
November 1, 2023
Set in Sudan in the late 19th century, this book tells a fictionalized historic story of the real Mahdist Wars and the Sudanese colonial past. The author employs seven narrators who convey their personal stories, and through whom the reader begins to understand the complexities of the time, including the ongoing political, religious, economic, and social changes. The main character is Akuany (later called Zamzam). At age eleven, she and her brother are orphaned. They are taken into the home of Yaseen, a young Muslim merchant and scholar. Akuany experiences trauma and hardship. As the war encroaches on her village, she must flee northward, and the storyline follows her changes in fate. It is not only a story of war, but also a love story.
During this time, a self-proclaimed Muslim leader, called the Mahdi, rises to power, and appeals to the poor and oppressed tribal communities to join him in a revolution. The country is ravaged by war and violence, and the characters must determine whether or not to support the Mahdi, who is viewed by a segment of the population as a false prophet. The resulting wars pitted the Ottoman-Egyptian colonial forces (later allied with the British) against the followers of the Mahdi. This brief synopsis cannot do justice to the situation, but the author provides enough background via the storyline to give the reader the required information.
Themes include colonialism, the slave trade, religion, the importance of names, and so much more. This is a multi-layered novel that questions the manner in which history is written by the victors, while also illustrating that the truth lies much deeper than words on a page. It is a thought-provoking work that has inspired me to do more reading about the country and its history.
During this time, a self-proclaimed Muslim leader, called the Mahdi, rises to power, and appeals to the poor and oppressed tribal communities to join him in a revolution. The country is ravaged by war and violence, and the characters must determine whether or not to support the Mahdi, who is viewed by a segment of the population as a false prophet. The resulting wars pitted the Ottoman-Egyptian colonial forces (later allied with the British) against the followers of the Mahdi. This brief synopsis cannot do justice to the situation, but the author provides enough background via the storyline to give the reader the required information.
Themes include colonialism, the slave trade, religion, the importance of names, and so much more. This is a multi-layered novel that questions the manner in which history is written by the victors, while also illustrating that the truth lies much deeper than words on a page. It is a thought-provoking work that has inspired me to do more reading about the country and its history.
May 16, 2023
River Spirit is a unique work of historical fiction set in 1890's Sudan, at a turning point in the country's history, as its population began to rise up again the Ottoman Empire that ruled it, only the people were not united, due to the opposition leadership coming from a man who claimed to be the "Mahdi" - a religious figure that many Muslims believe will appear at the end of time to spread justice and peace.
The appearance of 'the Mahdi' or 'the false Mahdi' created a division in the population and provided a gateway for the British to further a desire to expand their own Empire, under the guise of ousting this false prophet. However for a brief period, this charismatic leader would unite many who had felt repressed by their circumstances, inspiring them to oust their foreign occupiers by whatever means necessary, even if it also set them against their own brothers and kinsmen.
It is against this background that Leila Aboulela tells the story of orphan siblings, Akuany and Bol, their young merchant friend Yaseen, a friend of their father; their parents were killed in a slave raid on the village, the merchant made a promise to protect these two youngsters, forever connecting their lives.
The story is told through multiple perspectives, mostly in the third person perspective, from Akuany (who becomes enslaved to both an Ottoman officer and a Scottish painter at various points and is renamed Zamzam) and Yaseen's point of view, as well as one of the fighters of the Mahdi, Musa.
The change in perspective and the lack of a first person narrative keeps the characters at a slight distance to the reader as we follow the trials of Zamzam's life and her dedication to being a part of Yaseen's life. However, it takes the reader on a journey through the shifting viewpoints of all parties implicated and affected by the approaching conflict, those of fervent belief, the skeptical, outsiders with ulterior motives, and the innocent, the women and children trying to live ordinary family lives amid the power struggles of patriarchal dominance and colonial selfishness.
Yaseen decides to become a scholar, a decision that changes his life and opportunities; he meets the Mahdi and is unconvinced, an opinion that will become dangerous and have repercussions for him and his family.
Once Akuany and her brother leave the family village, most of the story takes place in Khartoum, a city that is at the confluence of the Blue Nile and the White Nile, two major rivers that join to become the Nile proper, the longest river in the world, that continues on through Egypt to the Mediterranean.
The river is part of Akuany's story, part of her being and a symbol of her twin selves, one free, one enslaved, of twin occupying forces, the Ottoman and British Empires, of the many aspects in the story where twin forces clash, mix and become something new. It represents her devotion to her brother and to the merchant Yaseen, to a focus that drives her forward through the changing circumstances of her life. The two rivers arrive from different sources in a city that is full of many coming from elsewhere, where agendas often clash and local people get caught on the crossfire of inevitable conflict.
One of the things I particularly enjoyed about the story, was the focus of the story coming from characters within the population, that we witness things from within, through the eyes of both a simple, loyal servant girl and through a young educated man, but both of whom are from that land. They are living in turbulent times and are witness to the effect various powerful influences have on their city.
The novel was published on March 7th, a mere month or so before two Generals in 2023 again plunged Sudan into armed conflict with devastating consequences for civilians and civilian infrastructure, especially in Khartoum and Darfur. At least 676 people have been killed and 5,576 injured, since the fighting began. (14 May, UN source)
Over 936,000 people have been newly displaced by the conflict since 15 April, including about 736,200 people displaced internally since the conflict began, and about 200,000 people who have crossed into neighbouring countries, including at least 450,000 children who have been forced to flee their homes.
The appearance of 'the Mahdi' or 'the false Mahdi' created a division in the population and provided a gateway for the British to further a desire to expand their own Empire, under the guise of ousting this false prophet. However for a brief period, this charismatic leader would unite many who had felt repressed by their circumstances, inspiring them to oust their foreign occupiers by whatever means necessary, even if it also set them against their own brothers and kinsmen.
It is against this background that Leila Aboulela tells the story of orphan siblings, Akuany and Bol, their young merchant friend Yaseen, a friend of their father; their parents were killed in a slave raid on the village, the merchant made a promise to protect these two youngsters, forever connecting their lives.
The story is told through multiple perspectives, mostly in the third person perspective, from Akuany (who becomes enslaved to both an Ottoman officer and a Scottish painter at various points and is renamed Zamzam) and Yaseen's point of view, as well as one of the fighters of the Mahdi, Musa.
The change in perspective and the lack of a first person narrative keeps the characters at a slight distance to the reader as we follow the trials of Zamzam's life and her dedication to being a part of Yaseen's life. However, it takes the reader on a journey through the shifting viewpoints of all parties implicated and affected by the approaching conflict, those of fervent belief, the skeptical, outsiders with ulterior motives, and the innocent, the women and children trying to live ordinary family lives amid the power struggles of patriarchal dominance and colonial selfishness.
Yaseen decides to become a scholar, a decision that changes his life and opportunities; he meets the Mahdi and is unconvinced, an opinion that will become dangerous and have repercussions for him and his family.
Once Akuany and her brother leave the family village, most of the story takes place in Khartoum, a city that is at the confluence of the Blue Nile and the White Nile, two major rivers that join to become the Nile proper, the longest river in the world, that continues on through Egypt to the Mediterranean.
The river is part of Akuany's story, part of her being and a symbol of her twin selves, one free, one enslaved, of twin occupying forces, the Ottoman and British Empires, of the many aspects in the story where twin forces clash, mix and become something new. It represents her devotion to her brother and to the merchant Yaseen, to a focus that drives her forward through the changing circumstances of her life. The two rivers arrive from different sources in a city that is full of many coming from elsewhere, where agendas often clash and local people get caught on the crossfire of inevitable conflict.
One of the things I particularly enjoyed about the story, was the focus of the story coming from characters within the population, that we witness things from within, through the eyes of both a simple, loyal servant girl and through a young educated man, but both of whom are from that land. They are living in turbulent times and are witness to the effect various powerful influences have on their city.
The novel was published on March 7th, a mere month or so before two Generals in 2023 again plunged Sudan into armed conflict with devastating consequences for civilians and civilian infrastructure, especially in Khartoum and Darfur. At least 676 people have been killed and 5,576 injured, since the fighting began. (14 May, UN source)
Over 936,000 people have been newly displaced by the conflict since 15 April, including about 736,200 people displaced internally since the conflict began, and about 200,000 people who have crossed into neighbouring countries, including at least 450,000 children who have been forced to flee their homes.
November 10, 2022
In the late 1900s in Khartoum, a man had proclaimed himself to be the Messiah, the promised Mahdi who would separate the truth from falsehood. His declaration at that time, broke up relationships, divided families, and exposed the deep crevices behind the solid façade of the ruling colonists.
This brilliant novel put together on the foundations of truth narrates the story of multiple characters whose lives were thrown into disarray by the False Mahdi and the best they could do to salvage the remains of their lives.
When Akuany and her brother Bol become orphaned in a village raid, Yaseen, a visiting young trader and an aspiring student of Islam decides to take them home with him but unexpected circumstances along the way call for a change of plans and he leaves them in the care of his sister, promising to return for Akuany. The promise sets off what seems like a delicate celestial dance between them with the powerful attraction of love bringing them closer while societal constraints and constantly shifting circumstances keep pulling them apart.
This captivating story provides readers with many perspectives from every conceivable angle that add to the richness of the plot. From the differing viewpoints of Yaseen, Akuany, Yaseen’s mother, Fatima to Musa, a supporter of the false Mahdi, to Robert, a Scottish engineer living in Khartoum, and the indomitable Salha this novel is a nuanced reflection of a complex time frame that comes to life through Aboulela’s magical words.
I’m in awe of Aboulela’s unapologetically “Muslamic” writing and how it is not designed to cater to the western gaze rather, it tells the story of a time, place, and people to readers who are willing to make an effort towards understanding the intricacies of this intersectionality and appreciate our differences.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you @groveatlantic & @netgalley for this ARC
Out in March 2023
📌
A historical archived bill of sale and a petition in Sudan about a runaway slave stealing an item of clothing from her mistress inspired some aspects of a character in this story.
How creative is that!
#riverspiritbyLeilaAboulela #recommendedreads 🍁
This brilliant novel put together on the foundations of truth narrates the story of multiple characters whose lives were thrown into disarray by the False Mahdi and the best they could do to salvage the remains of their lives.
When Akuany and her brother Bol become orphaned in a village raid, Yaseen, a visiting young trader and an aspiring student of Islam decides to take them home with him but unexpected circumstances along the way call for a change of plans and he leaves them in the care of his sister, promising to return for Akuany. The promise sets off what seems like a delicate celestial dance between them with the powerful attraction of love bringing them closer while societal constraints and constantly shifting circumstances keep pulling them apart.
This captivating story provides readers with many perspectives from every conceivable angle that add to the richness of the plot. From the differing viewpoints of Yaseen, Akuany, Yaseen’s mother, Fatima to Musa, a supporter of the false Mahdi, to Robert, a Scottish engineer living in Khartoum, and the indomitable Salha this novel is a nuanced reflection of a complex time frame that comes to life through Aboulela’s magical words.
I’m in awe of Aboulela’s unapologetically “Muslamic” writing and how it is not designed to cater to the western gaze rather, it tells the story of a time, place, and people to readers who are willing to make an effort towards understanding the intricacies of this intersectionality and appreciate our differences.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you @groveatlantic & @netgalley for this ARC
Out in March 2023
📌
A historical archived bill of sale and a petition in Sudan about a runaway slave stealing an item of clothing from her mistress inspired some aspects of a character in this story.
How creative is that!
#riverspiritbyLeilaAboulela #recommendedreads 🍁
April 10, 2023
Set in nineteenth-century Sudan, this novel tells the story of the years that led up to the British conquest of that region in 1898. It explores the tensions that existed between not only Britain and Sudan but also between Christianity and Islam. We experience all of that through the eyes of a girl called Akuany.
Akuany and her brother Bol were orphaned by a raid on their village in South Sudan. Subsequently, a young merchant named Yaseen took them in and promised to care for them until they reached adulthood, but this proved difficult as events in the Ottoman Empire became more and more unsettled. Akuany at first lived with Yaseen's sister but was later enslaved.
A revolutionary leader who proclaimed himself the Mahdi (the prophesied redeemer of Islam) came to power in the region and the people had to choose sides between this "Mahdi" and those who opposed him. Yaseen's choice was to oppose him, even as this choice seemed to tear his family apart.
Akuany, now an adult, is sold and traded from house to house across the countryside, while always maintaining a link to Yaseen. Their relationship evolves over the years and even though the revolution separates them on occasions, they are drawn to each other and manage to remain a part of each other's lives.
The tale is told from various points of view - I must admit that I can't tell you exactly how many - but I found it to be an effective way to present the multiple sides of the story and the impact that it had on different segments of Sudanese society. It truly enriched my reading experience and, I think, gave me a fuller understanding of that period of history and of the sacrifices required of the people, especially the women, caught in that situation. All in all, I felt at least somewhat enlightened about a people and a period of history of which I had been fairly ignorant. What more could one ask of historical fiction?
Akuany and her brother Bol were orphaned by a raid on their village in South Sudan. Subsequently, a young merchant named Yaseen took them in and promised to care for them until they reached adulthood, but this proved difficult as events in the Ottoman Empire became more and more unsettled. Akuany at first lived with Yaseen's sister but was later enslaved.
A revolutionary leader who proclaimed himself the Mahdi (the prophesied redeemer of Islam) came to power in the region and the people had to choose sides between this "Mahdi" and those who opposed him. Yaseen's choice was to oppose him, even as this choice seemed to tear his family apart.
Akuany, now an adult, is sold and traded from house to house across the countryside, while always maintaining a link to Yaseen. Their relationship evolves over the years and even though the revolution separates them on occasions, they are drawn to each other and manage to remain a part of each other's lives.
The tale is told from various points of view - I must admit that I can't tell you exactly how many - but I found it to be an effective way to present the multiple sides of the story and the impact that it had on different segments of Sudanese society. It truly enriched my reading experience and, I think, gave me a fuller understanding of that period of history and of the sacrifices required of the people, especially the women, caught in that situation. All in all, I felt at least somewhat enlightened about a people and a period of history of which I had been fairly ignorant. What more could one ask of historical fiction?
February 27, 2023
This intricately woven historical fiction novel is set towards the end of the 19th century in Sudan.
The story moves from a village in the south of Sudan to Khartoum and Omdurman and many places in between. It shows Sudan under Ottoman rule, its subjects growing more discontent as their conditions become more difficult. When a man proclaims himself as the Mahdi, everything changes from there, revolution is sparked.
As support for the false Mahdi grows, the powers shift in Sudan, and Britain, under the guise of helping the Ottomans, try to use it for their own advantage.
The perspective shifts between several characters, from a devoted supporter of the Mahdi to an Islamic scholar adamantly against him; from an enslaved woman to a free and highly respected woman; and then also colonisers looking to gain from the colonies.
What was so brilliantly done in this novel is the way it showed how dangerous political situations can have vastly different consequences depending on social status and circumstances.
The different perspectives made for such a rich reading experience. Rather than offering one view of this history we saw a wider context, both sides when it came to the false Mahdi as well as colonisers, and importantly several female characters in different situations. This gave so many levels to this historical period, I felt I was offered a deeper understanding.
The ending of the book was incredibly moving and it truly highlighted the sacrifices people had to make in situations such as this, especially women perhaps - and the way this character drew strength from Islam was beautifully written.
Note: I read an e-arc provided by @groveatlantic via @netgalley
The story moves from a village in the south of Sudan to Khartoum and Omdurman and many places in between. It shows Sudan under Ottoman rule, its subjects growing more discontent as their conditions become more difficult. When a man proclaims himself as the Mahdi, everything changes from there, revolution is sparked.
As support for the false Mahdi grows, the powers shift in Sudan, and Britain, under the guise of helping the Ottomans, try to use it for their own advantage.
The perspective shifts between several characters, from a devoted supporter of the Mahdi to an Islamic scholar adamantly against him; from an enslaved woman to a free and highly respected woman; and then also colonisers looking to gain from the colonies.
What was so brilliantly done in this novel is the way it showed how dangerous political situations can have vastly different consequences depending on social status and circumstances.
The different perspectives made for such a rich reading experience. Rather than offering one view of this history we saw a wider context, both sides when it came to the false Mahdi as well as colonisers, and importantly several female characters in different situations. This gave so many levels to this historical period, I felt I was offered a deeper understanding.
The ending of the book was incredibly moving and it truly highlighted the sacrifices people had to make in situations such as this, especially women perhaps - and the way this character drew strength from Islam was beautifully written.
Note: I read an e-arc provided by @groveatlantic via @netgalley
March 5, 2023
This is the sixth book by Aboulela that I've read. And I really enjoyed this one. (I've got to pick up her other two titles!)
I find her skill, confidence and overall tone to be very reassuring as a reader. She is a strong writer and story artisan. The plotting is intricate and smart. And the storycrafting has a sweeping and rich quality, weaving in culture, history and a well-rounded cast of characters.
This multiple-perspectives book features Sudan during the late 1800's. It primarily tells the story of Akuany, later renamed Zamzam, as she and her brother are saved by a traveling merchant. It tells the story of a people struggling against social unrest, borne by religious zealots, foreign imperialists (UK), and neighboring colonialists (Egypt and Turkey). Think Rashomon, in part. The author does a masterful job of depicting different "sides" with respect and nuance. This is compelling and reflects her care and skill.
The book is not particularly long but I savored it. I read leisurely to take in the story of these characters' lives. I really appreciate how Aboulela maintains a steady grip on her writing pen. The tone, again I mention this, is steady, centered and graceful. As a reader, this feeling, often unspoken or overlooked, greatly benefits the reading experience. I felt well cared for.
And I so appreciate how Aboulela writes about Muslims and Islam. I find this to be so satisfying.
In the Acknowledgements, she refers to a podcast where she's interviewed (released in January 2021). She hasn't written a word at one point and she talks about trying to find inspiration. She goes to Italy for a writer's retreat and she's changed her mind about how to approach this book. There are fascinating insights (I love getting a glimpse at the book's backstory eg the book initially centered on 3 men): https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p09...
Quotes:
The privilege of seeing all this was almost an ache, grace beginning to expand but the artist in him knew that awe would freeze him; it must be held back, kept under control.
This was how a free woman looked and spoke, after growing up safe in a father's house and moving to that of a trustworthy husband. All through life protected and held firm. A virgin on her wedding night, chaste afterward, luxuriant in her modesty, never been whipped, never been violated. Bowing down only in prayer, eyes only downcast over books and ink...
I thank Grove Atlantic for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I find her skill, confidence and overall tone to be very reassuring as a reader. She is a strong writer and story artisan. The plotting is intricate and smart. And the storycrafting has a sweeping and rich quality, weaving in culture, history and a well-rounded cast of characters.
This multiple-perspectives book features Sudan during the late 1800's. It primarily tells the story of Akuany, later renamed Zamzam, as she and her brother are saved by a traveling merchant. It tells the story of a people struggling against social unrest, borne by religious zealots, foreign imperialists (UK), and neighboring colonialists (Egypt and Turkey). Think Rashomon, in part. The author does a masterful job of depicting different "sides" with respect and nuance. This is compelling and reflects her care and skill.
The book is not particularly long but I savored it. I read leisurely to take in the story of these characters' lives. I really appreciate how Aboulela maintains a steady grip on her writing pen. The tone, again I mention this, is steady, centered and graceful. As a reader, this feeling, often unspoken or overlooked, greatly benefits the reading experience. I felt well cared for.
And I so appreciate how Aboulela writes about Muslims and Islam. I find this to be so satisfying.
In the Acknowledgements, she refers to a podcast where she's interviewed (released in January 2021). She hasn't written a word at one point and she talks about trying to find inspiration. She goes to Italy for a writer's retreat and she's changed her mind about how to approach this book. There are fascinating insights (I love getting a glimpse at the book's backstory eg the book initially centered on 3 men): https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p09...
Quotes:
The privilege of seeing all this was almost an ache, grace beginning to expand but the artist in him knew that awe would freeze him; it must be held back, kept under control.
This was how a free woman looked and spoke, after growing up safe in a father's house and moving to that of a trustworthy husband. All through life protected and held firm. A virgin on her wedding night, chaste afterward, luxuriant in her modesty, never been whipped, never been violated. Bowing down only in prayer, eyes only downcast over books and ink...
I thank Grove Atlantic for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
June 6, 2025
“Keep your faith within your heart even if your tongue is forced to say otherwise.”
💦🌿
RTC
💦🌿
RTC
October 28, 2024
Review to follow inshallah
February 8, 2023
I received a free copy of this book as a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review.
I was very excited to win this copy and start reading it. I love historical fiction books, but I'm always looking for something unlike I've ever read before. I mean, how many books about WWII do I want to read? So, 1880s Sudan and the Mahdist War I didn't know about certainly caught my attention.
It was fascinating learning about this history. My favorite part was probably being immersed into the beautiful culture, customs, religion. What kept me reading was how Yaseen and Akuany kept getting separated and would fight to come back together. As said in the description, there is a false Mahdi who fights to take power with his followers. This brings up incredible moments of conflict. People must consider a choice between two bad choices, what their religion means, what they will do for their family and their country. I also liked reading about the lives of many women, who are so often erased from history.
While all of this made River Spirit an engaging read, it was also a bit of a difficult read for me. For most of the book, I couldn't put my finger on what about this writing style I found so hard. Thinking it through, I think it's mostly because it felt very choppy with short sentences. It kind of felt like a stream of thought. It would time jump with no transitional phrase to help you follow along. It switched between first, second, and third point of view, which I did not like. I also thought the entire reason why the characters didn't pull me in as much as I would hope was because of this writing style. I'm sure this contributed, but it's also how another reviewer said that "it felt so straight and dry," which is exactly the way I would describe it.
Most of the chapters are in the perspective of Yaseen and Akuany, but there are nine characters with chapters from their points of view (not sure why the description says seven- I went back and counted). Although this does add dimension and interest into the book through different perspectives and life experiences, it did sometimes confuse me. I'm not sure if it's because of how many characters in general there are in this book or because Aboulela didn't transition well enough and guide the reader.
Overall, I wanted to love this book. There was a lot I liked about it and I would suggest it for someone who wants to learn about an interesting time in another country's history. Again, the culture was delightful and fascinating. However, there were just too many aspects of Aboulela's writing style that pulled me away enough that I feel you have to concentrate while reading it.
I was very excited to win this copy and start reading it. I love historical fiction books, but I'm always looking for something unlike I've ever read before. I mean, how many books about WWII do I want to read? So, 1880s Sudan and the Mahdist War I didn't know about certainly caught my attention.
It was fascinating learning about this history. My favorite part was probably being immersed into the beautiful culture, customs, religion. What kept me reading was how Yaseen and Akuany kept getting separated and would fight to come back together. As said in the description, there is a false Mahdi who fights to take power with his followers. This brings up incredible moments of conflict. People must consider a choice between two bad choices, what their religion means, what they will do for their family and their country. I also liked reading about the lives of many women, who are so often erased from history.
While all of this made River Spirit an engaging read, it was also a bit of a difficult read for me. For most of the book, I couldn't put my finger on what about this writing style I found so hard. Thinking it through, I think it's mostly because it felt very choppy with short sentences. It kind of felt like a stream of thought. It would time jump with no transitional phrase to help you follow along. It switched between first, second, and third point of view, which I did not like. I also thought the entire reason why the characters didn't pull me in as much as I would hope was because of this writing style. I'm sure this contributed, but it's also how another reviewer said that "it felt so straight and dry," which is exactly the way I would describe it.
Most of the chapters are in the perspective of Yaseen and Akuany, but there are nine characters with chapters from their points of view (not sure why the description says seven- I went back and counted). Although this does add dimension and interest into the book through different perspectives and life experiences, it did sometimes confuse me. I'm not sure if it's because of how many characters in general there are in this book or because Aboulela didn't transition well enough and guide the reader.
Overall, I wanted to love this book. There was a lot I liked about it and I would suggest it for someone who wants to learn about an interesting time in another country's history. Again, the culture was delightful and fascinating. However, there were just too many aspects of Aboulela's writing style that pulled me away enough that I feel you have to concentrate while reading it.
August 24, 2024
A full 5-stars for this captivating story. It is a beautifully written novel in times of Ottoman rule, British invasions and Madhist (holy) wars. Leila captured this tumultuous time very well in her book.
There are many characters, but they all blend and connect very well with each other, without the book being to confusing. Brilliant how the characters come from different religious, political and ethnic backgrounds.
Colonial aspects and concepts well integrated. It draws upon colonialism, exoticism, feminism, the slave trade and religion. A passage that captures exoticism and white-ownership of colonial painters very well: “She was a toy - a decorative part of their lives. Robert would end up discarding her; already he was less fascinated. He had sketched and painted her enough. She was no longer a novelty or curiosity. The sheen on her had faded, the exoticism sealed on canvas, ready to be consumed by someone else.”
Thus, a very interesting and beautiful novel, would recommend if you love historical fiction. It is thought provoking and makes you want to know more about the history of Sudan.
There are many characters, but they all blend and connect very well with each other, without the book being to confusing. Brilliant how the characters come from different religious, political and ethnic backgrounds.
Colonial aspects and concepts well integrated. It draws upon colonialism, exoticism, feminism, the slave trade and religion. A passage that captures exoticism and white-ownership of colonial painters very well: “She was a toy - a decorative part of their lives. Robert would end up discarding her; already he was less fascinated. He had sketched and painted her enough. She was no longer a novelty or curiosity. The sheen on her had faded, the exoticism sealed on canvas, ready to be consumed by someone else.”
Thus, a very interesting and beautiful novel, would recommend if you love historical fiction. It is thought provoking and makes you want to know more about the history of Sudan.
September 4, 2024
I have an affection for the novel that shifts from a variety of perspectives, and "River Spirit" is a fine example, set at the nineteenth century Sudan, nominally part of the Ottoman Empire, actually run by Egyptians (with the British itching to take over), and facing the rebellion of Muhammad Ahmad, who claimed to be the Mahdi, a Messianic figure in Islam. Ahmad himself is not a narrator, but the Sudanese are represented well by Yaseen, a merchant turned scholar and the women who surround him: his mother, his wife, and Zamzan a girl he rescues (and the spirit of the title, the river being the Nile). Other speaking parts include one of the Mahdi's soldiers, a British engineer and painter, and, in what may a case of a narrator too far, the vainglorious and perhaps suicidal General Gordon.
Multiplicity of narrators only works, of course, if it has a point, and Leila Abouleia skillfully pits these characters next to and usually against each other to offer undogmatic perspectives on faith (Hassan the scholar does not believe Mohammad Ahmad is the Mahdi but others, including his relatives, do), love and marriage (in the Islamic context, with second wives, concubines, and divorce), loyalty between spouses, relatives, colleagues, and in the case of Hassan and Zamzan, a rescuer and the girl he rescuers and tries, but fails, to protect. The Brits are paternalist and colonialist, of course, but they oppose slavery. And although the painter, into whose power Zamzan at one point falls, does not force her sexually, he does require her to sit as a nude model, raising all kinds of questions about the duplicity of the colonial mind with regard to its image of its own superiority, and its attitudes toward power and slavery and its objectification of the exotic body.
The real test of a book is whether it can be quickly discarded or stays in the mind to raise additional questions. This one does.
Multiplicity of narrators only works, of course, if it has a point, and Leila Abouleia skillfully pits these characters next to and usually against each other to offer undogmatic perspectives on faith (Hassan the scholar does not believe Mohammad Ahmad is the Mahdi but others, including his relatives, do), love and marriage (in the Islamic context, with second wives, concubines, and divorce), loyalty between spouses, relatives, colleagues, and in the case of Hassan and Zamzan, a rescuer and the girl he rescuers and tries, but fails, to protect. The Brits are paternalist and colonialist, of course, but they oppose slavery. And although the painter, into whose power Zamzan at one point falls, does not force her sexually, he does require her to sit as a nude model, raising all kinds of questions about the duplicity of the colonial mind with regard to its image of its own superiority, and its attitudes toward power and slavery and its objectification of the exotic body.
The real test of a book is whether it can be quickly discarded or stays in the mind to raise additional questions. This one does.
July 5, 2024
(2.5)
slow start but picked up
Rep: Sudanese cast & setting
CWs: domestic violence, slavery
slow start but picked up
Rep: Sudanese cast & setting
CWs: domestic violence, slavery
January 9, 2024
I know I'm in the minority for not liking this one! Beautiful cover though.
I liked one of the PoV characters quite a bit and the rest were not compelling. The writing style was very literary which isn't my jam. This did inspire me to do some research into Sudanese history and I appreciate that the author highlights the experience of women during war and strife.
I liked one of the PoV characters quite a bit and the rest were not compelling. The writing style was very literary which isn't my jam. This did inspire me to do some research into Sudanese history and I appreciate that the author highlights the experience of women during war and strife.
July 29, 2023
Leila Aboulela's latest novel, "River Spirit," is yet another example of brilliant, rich writing features characters and a setting unfamiliar to many.
The story opens in 1890s Sudan, where rumors of a man claiming to be the Mahdi turn into a revolution against Ottoman rule. Against this backdrop, we meet a wide cast of characters - most notable Akuany (later Zamzam), a village girl rescued by Yaseen, a young merchant from Khartoum who later becomes an 'aalim from al-Azhar.
Akuany and Yaseen's story - and the story of Sudan itself - is beautiful and painful, and we witness the many twists and unexpected turns of their journey through the eyes of many others: Musa, a fervent follower of the Mahdi; Yaseen's mother Fatima and his wife Salha; Robert, a Scottish artist; and many others besides.
Aboulela's writing is beyond stunning, and this unique approach to the narrative layers the book with incredible depth. History, human nature, politics and more - Aboulela explores it all.
I really enjoyed Yaseen's character, perhaps because we get the most Islamic insights from him - not preachy or annoying, but woven into his very being, defining his very sense of self.
The ending was unexpected and truly pulled at my heartstrings, and I was left with that beautiful achiness that signifies a story genuinely well-told (and a piqued curiosity to learn more about the historical events re: the Sudanese Mahdi).
5/5 🌟
The story opens in 1890s Sudan, where rumors of a man claiming to be the Mahdi turn into a revolution against Ottoman rule. Against this backdrop, we meet a wide cast of characters - most notable Akuany (later Zamzam), a village girl rescued by Yaseen, a young merchant from Khartoum who later becomes an 'aalim from al-Azhar.
Akuany and Yaseen's story - and the story of Sudan itself - is beautiful and painful, and we witness the many twists and unexpected turns of their journey through the eyes of many others: Musa, a fervent follower of the Mahdi; Yaseen's mother Fatima and his wife Salha; Robert, a Scottish artist; and many others besides.
Aboulela's writing is beyond stunning, and this unique approach to the narrative layers the book with incredible depth. History, human nature, politics and more - Aboulela explores it all.
I really enjoyed Yaseen's character, perhaps because we get the most Islamic insights from him - not preachy or annoying, but woven into his very being, defining his very sense of self.
The ending was unexpected and truly pulled at my heartstrings, and I was left with that beautiful achiness that signifies a story genuinely well-told (and a piqued curiosity to learn more about the historical events re: the Sudanese Mahdi).
5/5 🌟
November 23, 2024
After some reflection, I actually don’t have much about this one!! This was a buddy read with my friend Adriana, as we wanted some prelude to some of Sudan’s history (to support people suffering from the current war between the RSF and SAF, great places are sudanfundshare on Twitter, and Khartoum Aid Kitchen, an organization that is working to meet varied community needs in a truly dire time.)
This book is set in a much earlier time (the Mahdist Revolution of 1881), but one with some clear parallels to modern day. River Spirit is set up to explore how some people’s desire for freedom can align them with a dogmatic religion, while other people’s comfort in the existing order can align them with their colonizers. Here’s my problem with this super compelling framework: we just didn’t get the right selections for the POV characters to drive these points home.
The Mahdist perspectives just does not have you rooting for “the good guys” that are against colonization. The figurehead seems to be encouraging mass pillaging, and potentially famine down the road? Like this man is plunging the whole country into looming starvation because he’s forcing the farmers to fight in his holy war. Not very holy, to me!!! I think I could understand the point that the righteous fight many people took up in the Mahdist Revolution had little to do with religion, and more to do with throwing off the yoke of British and Egyptian rule. However, I just feel like as an author, Leila Aboulela could have shown us so much more of the country’s general desire for freedom. We could’ve been provided with more sympathetic portrayals of the anti-imperialists, instead of our only rebel soldier being a murderous fangirl with a clear crush on the Mahdi.
This creates a novel where we only hear about people who are torn through the process of war without any real political motivations outside of their general day to day circumstances. We have more page-time with a Scottish carpetbagger and HIS DAUGHTER than with the entire army?!? That doesn’t seem right to me. I also just really hated Zamzam’s storyline like girl STAND UP!! Please stop acting like this man is the love of your life because he smiled at you during a dinner y’all SHARED WITH HIS WIFE. ☹ Speaking of said wife, the last few chapters create another weird narrative choice, and the many time jumps to wrap up the story felt a bit lazy to me.
I think I get what the author wanted to do, but unfortunately I just did not enjoy the execution here. Better luck next time!!
This book is set in a much earlier time (the Mahdist Revolution of 1881), but one with some clear parallels to modern day. River Spirit is set up to explore how some people’s desire for freedom can align them with a dogmatic religion, while other people’s comfort in the existing order can align them with their colonizers. Here’s my problem with this super compelling framework: we just didn’t get the right selections for the POV characters to drive these points home.
The Mahdist perspectives just does not have you rooting for “the good guys” that are against colonization. The figurehead seems to be encouraging mass pillaging, and potentially famine down the road? Like this man is plunging the whole country into looming starvation because he’s forcing the farmers to fight in his holy war. Not very holy, to me!!! I think I could understand the point that the righteous fight many people took up in the Mahdist Revolution had little to do with religion, and more to do with throwing off the yoke of British and Egyptian rule. However, I just feel like as an author, Leila Aboulela could have shown us so much more of the country’s general desire for freedom. We could’ve been provided with more sympathetic portrayals of the anti-imperialists, instead of our only rebel soldier being a murderous fangirl with a clear crush on the Mahdi.
This creates a novel where we only hear about people who are torn through the process of war without any real political motivations outside of their general day to day circumstances. We have more page-time with a Scottish carpetbagger and HIS DAUGHTER than with the entire army?!? That doesn’t seem right to me. I also just really hated Zamzam’s storyline like girl STAND UP!! Please stop acting like this man is the love of your life because he smiled at you during a dinner y’all SHARED WITH HIS WIFE. ☹ Speaking of said wife, the last few chapters create another weird narrative choice, and the many time jumps to wrap up the story felt a bit lazy to me.
I think I get what the author wanted to do, but unfortunately I just did not enjoy the execution here. Better luck next time!!
September 7, 2025
It’s not a book about the partition of Sudan but rather a framework to understand the independence of nations from colonial powers.
The depiction of the conditions of men, women, slaves, and the broader societal fabric feels almost real. The book tells the narratives of many characters, and through them, the author shares their journeys of independence.
It is a complex and multi-faceted story of liberation. As the author has let the characters speak for themselves, the book sometimes becomes difficult to understand, but it beautifully captures the emotions of both the oppressor and the oppressed.
Some passages are lyrical in nature and aptly do justice to the times. Does freedom actually free everyone, or does everyone demand freedom? You will find yourself pondering these questions. The author has brought forth the history of a less recognised nation.
The depiction of the conditions of men, women, slaves, and the broader societal fabric feels almost real. The book tells the narratives of many characters, and through them, the author shares their journeys of independence.
It is a complex and multi-faceted story of liberation. As the author has let the characters speak for themselves, the book sometimes becomes difficult to understand, but it beautifully captures the emotions of both the oppressor and the oppressed.
Some passages are lyrical in nature and aptly do justice to the times. Does freedom actually free everyone, or does everyone demand freedom? You will find yourself pondering these questions. The author has brought forth the history of a less recognised nation.
February 12, 2023
Reading historical fiction makes you realise how much of actual history you know nothing about. And how much you don't know about the human experiences of wars and colonialism, besides facts and figures in history books.
River Spirit follows a young Sudanese girl, Akuany/Zamzam and her brother Bol, who are left orphaned after a village raid and taken under the care of a young merchant named Yaseen. As she grows we experience from her view the rise of the Mahdi, a revolutionary leader, a supposedly predestined Islamic saviour, and a false prophet with an army of loyal followers as the Ottoman empire weakens and the British gained power in the 19th century. We see her navigate the complexities of a family with divided opinions and her own desires and struggles for love and freedom. We follow a few viewpoints from Yaseen's family and also from that of a self-righteous loyalist of the Mahdi.
It's terrifying that a single person could drum up such a crazed following using lies and gaslighting leading to families being torn apart, innocent people murdered, villages pillaged, women raped, age-old doctrines discarded and Islam as a religion itself sullied for selfish means and the realisation that people you know could fall for the words of this pretender out of fear or manipulation. Such a predicament is even scarier to think of now considering the toxicity of modern media and politics.
What I wish the story had elaborated on was that the British weren't any saviours either. They were terrible and cruel but it was the harsh reality of being the choice between a rock and a hard place for the Sudanese people that's saddening. Also, I wish there were a bit more depth to some of the characters and the switch in povs put me off a little.
I really commend the research that's gone into this book and the story Aboulela chose to write. She does a great job showing the consequences of war on livelihoods and the nuanced and graceful depictions of some facets of Islam as a religion that generally go unnoticed in general media.
Thanks to Netgalley and Grove Atlantic for the arc.
River Spirit follows a young Sudanese girl, Akuany/Zamzam and her brother Bol, who are left orphaned after a village raid and taken under the care of a young merchant named Yaseen. As she grows we experience from her view the rise of the Mahdi, a revolutionary leader, a supposedly predestined Islamic saviour, and a false prophet with an army of loyal followers as the Ottoman empire weakens and the British gained power in the 19th century. We see her navigate the complexities of a family with divided opinions and her own desires and struggles for love and freedom. We follow a few viewpoints from Yaseen's family and also from that of a self-righteous loyalist of the Mahdi.
It's terrifying that a single person could drum up such a crazed following using lies and gaslighting leading to families being torn apart, innocent people murdered, villages pillaged, women raped, age-old doctrines discarded and Islam as a religion itself sullied for selfish means and the realisation that people you know could fall for the words of this pretender out of fear or manipulation. Such a predicament is even scarier to think of now considering the toxicity of modern media and politics.
What I wish the story had elaborated on was that the British weren't any saviours either. They were terrible and cruel but it was the harsh reality of being the choice between a rock and a hard place for the Sudanese people that's saddening. Also, I wish there were a bit more depth to some of the characters and the switch in povs put me off a little.
I really commend the research that's gone into this book and the story Aboulela chose to write. She does a great job showing the consequences of war on livelihoods and the nuanced and graceful depictions of some facets of Islam as a religion that generally go unnoticed in general media.
Thanks to Netgalley and Grove Atlantic for the arc.
March 4, 2023
There are books that take your breath away; this is one. How perfectly the story comes together! How well-rounded and sympathetic the characters, how gripping the events in it, how well-balanced the form. Leila Aboulela has written a beautiful story, set in Sudan in the interval between Ottoman and British rule in the late 19th century.
This is the story of Akuany, or Zamzam, who loses her father and is taken in by Yaseen, a merchant who is upright and honourable, and who remains committed to her welfare through the many complications in his own life. It is also the story of Salha, Yaseen’s wife, a strong, intelligent, and forthright woman, who always does what is right, and best. But mainly, through these women’s lives, it is the story of Sudan and its people, and of the powers that would control it, from within and without.
Aboulela writes truly gorgeous scenes that remain in the memory quite as if one was actually there. She writes for Sudan as one who loves it, so that you come to love it too. It is wonderfully refreshing to read a historical novel about an African country from a non-Western gaze—in other words, away from the perspective of the would-be conqueror. Most importantly, this novel is about two very different women, complex, complete and unapologetic, with agency within the constraints of their time and culture.
I don’t think it would be wrong to call this the great Sudanese novel. In River Spirit, Aboulela has written a novel with great heft and profound emotional depth, one that is sure to eclipse many others. It is incredibly beautiful, and deeply moving.
Thank you very much to Grove Atlantic and to NetGalley for access to this ARC.
This is the story of Akuany, or Zamzam, who loses her father and is taken in by Yaseen, a merchant who is upright and honourable, and who remains committed to her welfare through the many complications in his own life. It is also the story of Salha, Yaseen’s wife, a strong, intelligent, and forthright woman, who always does what is right, and best. But mainly, through these women’s lives, it is the story of Sudan and its people, and of the powers that would control it, from within and without.
Aboulela writes truly gorgeous scenes that remain in the memory quite as if one was actually there. She writes for Sudan as one who loves it, so that you come to love it too. It is wonderfully refreshing to read a historical novel about an African country from a non-Western gaze—in other words, away from the perspective of the would-be conqueror. Most importantly, this novel is about two very different women, complex, complete and unapologetic, with agency within the constraints of their time and culture.
I don’t think it would be wrong to call this the great Sudanese novel. In River Spirit, Aboulela has written a novel with great heft and profound emotional depth, one that is sure to eclipse many others. It is incredibly beautiful, and deeply moving.
Thank you very much to Grove Atlantic and to NetGalley for access to this ARC.
May 25, 2024
Book club pick but sadly could not make the actual session to discuss
This was my second Sudanese book - the first being Who Fears Death. Some of the themes are similar although WFD is much heavier on the mysticism and I liked the prose more
River Spirit was an absorbing read in the first half, I felt like it flattened a bit after that. I can’t quite word it yet but there was something about it that felt underwhelming towards the end. Like I expected a bit more but didn’t quite get it.
The whole talk about the Mahdi had me thinking about Dune funnily enough - an indigenous anticolonial resistance movement masquerading as a holy war
Pet peeve is doing lots of POV switching AND switching from first to second to third person - got me a tad confused at points but I guess it’s experimental? It broke up the flow for me so less keen but the whole POV switching did help build a broader picture of what happened in Sudan
A part of me is quite curious about what the Mahdi’s POV might have been like
This was my second Sudanese book - the first being Who Fears Death. Some of the themes are similar although WFD is much heavier on the mysticism and I liked the prose more
River Spirit was an absorbing read in the first half, I felt like it flattened a bit after that. I can’t quite word it yet but there was something about it that felt underwhelming towards the end. Like I expected a bit more but didn’t quite get it.
The whole talk about the Mahdi had me thinking about Dune funnily enough - an indigenous anticolonial resistance movement masquerading as a holy war
Pet peeve is doing lots of POV switching AND switching from first to second to third person - got me a tad confused at points but I guess it’s experimental? It broke up the flow for me so less keen but the whole POV switching did help build a broader picture of what happened in Sudan
A part of me is quite curious about what the Mahdi’s POV might have been like
April 22, 2024
Exceptional writing as expected. In this story of diluted mayhem and uprooted lives, lies a Cinderella story. The Prince and the girl are Yaseen who comes from a family of merchants and Akwani the south Sudanese village girl he saves when her village is annihilated in a brutal raid to harvest slaves. Unfortunately, under the Ottoman rule this alone does not save her, and she is sold into slavery. Chapters are characters in the narrative, some appear once and some reappear a few times, Yaseen's wife, Chinese Gordon, the Scottish artist, and others, telling their stories in the first, 2nd and 3rd person as their lives take shape under the sweeping armies of the Mahdi, an invincible power built on delusion and ignorance. Bringing Yaseen and Akwani together and tearing them apart time and again. This is the story of the loss of freedom under foreign rule and religious rule, dividing families and loyalties, imposing sacrifices and loss.
December 22, 2023
This is a literary master piece.
It covers the Mahdist revolution in Sudan in the late 19th century. I was aware of this before reading this book, but somehow, reading about it through historical fiction and through the POV of characters whom I could empathize with helps me understand it so much better. I think from now on whenever I read about this in a nonfiction book, the way these characters experienced it will echo in my mind.
By using multiple POVs, Aboulela shows so many perspectives , treating those who suffered the worst of it with so much empathy. A young trader from Khartoum who travels to Al-Azhar in Cairo to study, a Scottish Orientalist painter serving in the British colonial forces, an elite and educated Sudanese woman, a poor Sudanese man who pledges allegiance to the Mahdi, an old mother of several children who sells goods in the market, and even General Gordon himself. Each character is also treated with so much nuance. No one is truly, wholly innocent nor guilty--Aboulela leaves that for us to judge.
But the main character is arguably Akuany, a girl from southern Sudan whose village is raided for the slave trade, and is then taken to Khartoum where she is renamed Zamzam. As a woman who was not born Muslim or into an Arabic-speaking family, Akuany/Zamzam faces subjectivity and enslavement over and over again throughout her life. From serving an elite Sudanese family to being enslaved by an Ottoman aristocrat to being objectified into Orientalist paintings to learning midwifery, Zamzam is perhaps the character who goes through the most objectification in this war.
It is interesting, then, that Aboulela chose to make her POVs told in third-person. Some characters had their POVs told in the first-person--and these were often the characters who privileged enough to be literate and educated. I wonder if this is perhaps a warning to us readers to see what has been hidden from the historical record just as much as we pay attention to what is present. Because while the British and educated Arabic-speaking elite were able to write their own stories, women like Zamzam were subject to their stories always being told for them, rather than in their own words.
And yet, Aboulela manages to find the stories of these women and tell them through Zamzam's character.
There was clearly so much historical research that went into this book, as Aboulela handled so many historical themes with such skilled, careful, thoughtfulness. The slave trade, European colonialism, Ottoman imperialism, racism, orientalism, gender roles, culture, economy, war--these are all very heavy themes that Aboulela illustrates to us with so much grace, without ever making us feel like we're being lectured, but rather like we're living in the shoes of the characters who experienced them.
It is such a deep, richly layered book and everything (and everyone) is handled with so much care and empathy. I'm sure it will stay with me for a long time.
I wouldn't recommend the audiobook--especially if you're Arab, because how wrong the pronunciations are will just irk you. I can't imagine the audiobook narrator and author consulted on the pronunciations--if they did, it wasn't sufficient. Maybe the publisher/audiobook producer chose the narrator because she's Kenyan and they thought "oh, this book takes place in Sudan, a Kenyan narrator would be perfect." But those countries speak two completely different languages.
I appreciate that they chose an African narrator since it is an African, anti-colonial book. But it just could've been handled better--even just correctly pronouncing people's names/cities would have been enough.
another note, 12/22/2023:
I was thinking about how Aboulela empathizes with everyone here, even the colonizers, but it doesn't make them any less evil. Humanizing/empathizing with them does not blind you from the evil they committed, nor does it excuse them from the evil they committed. It allows you to better understand them She humanized the British orientalist painter, helped us understand where he was coming from, and even feel sorry for him to some extent. But she doesn't excuse him from the way he objectified Black women. She shows that you don't need to villainize someone in order to see the evil they did. You just need to see them for who they are and what they said and did.
It covers the Mahdist revolution in Sudan in the late 19th century. I was aware of this before reading this book, but somehow, reading about it through historical fiction and through the POV of characters whom I could empathize with helps me understand it so much better. I think from now on whenever I read about this in a nonfiction book, the way these characters experienced it will echo in my mind.
By using multiple POVs, Aboulela shows so many perspectives , treating those who suffered the worst of it with so much empathy. A young trader from Khartoum who travels to Al-Azhar in Cairo to study, a Scottish Orientalist painter serving in the British colonial forces, an elite and educated Sudanese woman, a poor Sudanese man who pledges allegiance to the Mahdi, an old mother of several children who sells goods in the market, and even General Gordon himself. Each character is also treated with so much nuance. No one is truly, wholly innocent nor guilty--Aboulela leaves that for us to judge.
But the main character is arguably Akuany, a girl from southern Sudan whose village is raided for the slave trade, and is then taken to Khartoum where she is renamed Zamzam. As a woman who was not born Muslim or into an Arabic-speaking family, Akuany/Zamzam faces subjectivity and enslavement over and over again throughout her life. From serving an elite Sudanese family to being enslaved by an Ottoman aristocrat to being objectified into Orientalist paintings to learning midwifery, Zamzam is perhaps the character who goes through the most objectification in this war.
It is interesting, then, that Aboulela chose to make her POVs told in third-person. Some characters had their POVs told in the first-person--and these were often the characters who privileged enough to be literate and educated. I wonder if this is perhaps a warning to us readers to see what has been hidden from the historical record just as much as we pay attention to what is present. Because while the British and educated Arabic-speaking elite were able to write their own stories, women like Zamzam were subject to their stories always being told for them, rather than in their own words.
And yet, Aboulela manages to find the stories of these women and tell them through Zamzam's character.
There was clearly so much historical research that went into this book, as Aboulela handled so many historical themes with such skilled, careful, thoughtfulness. The slave trade, European colonialism, Ottoman imperialism, racism, orientalism, gender roles, culture, economy, war--these are all very heavy themes that Aboulela illustrates to us with so much grace, without ever making us feel like we're being lectured, but rather like we're living in the shoes of the characters who experienced them.
It is such a deep, richly layered book and everything (and everyone) is handled with so much care and empathy. I'm sure it will stay with me for a long time.
I wouldn't recommend the audiobook--especially if you're Arab, because how wrong the pronunciations are will just irk you. I can't imagine the audiobook narrator and author consulted on the pronunciations--if they did, it wasn't sufficient. Maybe the publisher/audiobook producer chose the narrator because she's Kenyan and they thought "oh, this book takes place in Sudan, a Kenyan narrator would be perfect." But those countries speak two completely different languages.
I appreciate that they chose an African narrator since it is an African, anti-colonial book. But it just could've been handled better--even just correctly pronouncing people's names/cities would have been enough.
another note, 12/22/2023:
I was thinking about how Aboulela empathizes with everyone here, even the colonizers, but it doesn't make them any less evil. Humanizing/empathizing with them does not blind you from the evil they committed, nor does it excuse them from the evil they committed. It allows you to better understand them She humanized the British orientalist painter, helped us understand where he was coming from, and even feel sorry for him to some extent. But she doesn't excuse him from the way he objectified Black women. She shows that you don't need to villainize someone in order to see the evil they did. You just need to see them for who they are and what they said and did.
February 25, 2024
I really enjoyed this emotional historical fiction about a tumultuous period in the history of colonialism.
The story follows seven men and women through the Mahdist War in late 1800s Sudan. At a time when the country was caught between the Ottoman and British Empires and under Egyptian administration, a mysterious populist claiming to be the prophesied Mahdi began gathering followers with a dual message of religious reform and anti-colonialism. As his following grew from a handful of students to an amassed army, threatening to overthrow the foreign powers for an independent Sudan, we zoom in on the lives of the people caught in-between. Characters like Akuany, an orphaned girl from South Sudan brought north after a village raid who struggles time and time again for her freedom; Yaseen, a young merchant-turned-scholar who is compelled to stand against the man he sees as a false redeemer; Musa, a devout follower of the Mahdi who becomes increasingly radicalized; and many more.
The characters were what made this book so moving for me -- the nuance and depth the writer captured in each individual perspective. The characters each had their own arc, gradually evolving (or in some cases devolving) as the situation became more and more desparate. Seeing the same unfolding of events from such drastically different perspectives allowed us to ask questions about morality, faith, freedom, corruption, and how everyday people's lives get uprooted by war.
The prose was also brilliant, at times even haunting. Each character had their own way of describing the world around them, and we got to see the setting through the logic-based arguments of educated elites from Khartoum, the almost spiritual connection between Akuany and the Nile, the colors and sights and "exoticism" seen through the eyes of an artist from Scotland (I hate the term exoticism, but it is accurate in this context of the European character's perspective), the steadfast perspective of a mother trying to do what she thinks is best for her child.
The one thing I'll note is that it did take me a little time to get fully drawn in -- though once I did, I couldn't put the book down.
4.25 stars
The story follows seven men and women through the Mahdist War in late 1800s Sudan. At a time when the country was caught between the Ottoman and British Empires and under Egyptian administration, a mysterious populist claiming to be the prophesied Mahdi began gathering followers with a dual message of religious reform and anti-colonialism. As his following grew from a handful of students to an amassed army, threatening to overthrow the foreign powers for an independent Sudan, we zoom in on the lives of the people caught in-between. Characters like Akuany, an orphaned girl from South Sudan brought north after a village raid who struggles time and time again for her freedom; Yaseen, a young merchant-turned-scholar who is compelled to stand against the man he sees as a false redeemer; Musa, a devout follower of the Mahdi who becomes increasingly radicalized; and many more.
The characters were what made this book so moving for me -- the nuance and depth the writer captured in each individual perspective. The characters each had their own arc, gradually evolving (or in some cases devolving) as the situation became more and more desparate. Seeing the same unfolding of events from such drastically different perspectives allowed us to ask questions about morality, faith, freedom, corruption, and how everyday people's lives get uprooted by war.
The prose was also brilliant, at times even haunting. Each character had their own way of describing the world around them, and we got to see the setting through the logic-based arguments of educated elites from Khartoum, the almost spiritual connection between Akuany and the Nile, the colors and sights and "exoticism" seen through the eyes of an artist from Scotland (I hate the term exoticism, but it is accurate in this context of the European character's perspective), the steadfast perspective of a mother trying to do what she thinks is best for her child.
The one thing I'll note is that it did take me a little time to get fully drawn in -- though once I did, I couldn't put the book down.
4.25 stars
May 27, 2024
3.5 stars. I really enjoyed the first half of this. It’s fairly conventional historical fiction (maybe aside from the different perspectives) but it was engaging and interesting to learn more about Sudan. However for some reason the second half lost some its sparkle. Maybe it was the fact that the love story (that never felt particularly convincing to me) became more of a theme. Maybe it was because there were some character narratives that I felt a bit bored by and that disrupted the flow of the story for me. Either way this is still an interesting story about Sudan and its struggle against colonialism (in this case mainly the Ottomans but also eventually the British) that highlights many of the issues that we still see playing out today.
January 27, 2025
beautiful recounting of terrible times during the mahdist war in Sudan
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September 2, 2024A really great book for understanding the history and culture of Sudan, with characters coming from all different parts of Sudanese society.
June 3, 2023
Beautiful and moving. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading other works by the author.
June 16, 2025
القراءة الثانيه و لكن باللغة العربية هذه المرة ل الكاتبة ليلى أبو العلا.
ما دفعني أن أقرأ الرواية مترجمةً هو رغبتي في اكتشاف و تجربةِ أسلوب و لغة مترجم ٍ من السودان ، دون أدنى معرفة ٍ سابقةٍ مني بأن نور الدين الهاشمي هو مترجمٌ متمرس للعديد من الأعمال .
في نظري ترجمته ل رواية النهر العتيق هي عمل ٌ ذو قيمة و إضافة للمكتبة العربيه و السودانيه خصوصاً
بداية بإضافةِ كلمة ( العتيق) إلى عنوان الرواية ، فالترجمة الحرفية هي : روح النهر River Spirit
و كلمةُ " العتيقِ " أضافت معنى ًعاطفياً خاصاً لهذا النهر.
لغة المترجم عذبة ، راقت ليَ العديدُ من الأوصاف والمشاهد و الكثير من الصور البيانية ، و إن لم يخب ظني ف لغة الكاتبة ليلى هي أساس هذه العذوبة و الجمال ، استناداً على تجربتي السابقة و انطباعي الذي كونته من رواية “ منارات - minaret “
تميزت الرواية بالسرد التاريخيّ ، تدور أحداثها في حقبةٍ زمنيةٍ مهمة في تاريخ السودان ، هي فترة ظهور المهدي الذي كان ظاهرة غريبةً في عصره ، فقد كان سبباً في طرد و إجلاء كيانٍ استعماري عن البلاد و تغلب ب وحدة رجاله و أتباعه العُزل على حملة البنادق و السلاح. تغلب عليهم و هو مدع ِنبوءةٍ و كاذب ! و هنا تكمن أهميته في التاريخ .
يا ترى هل كان قمع الكيان المستعمر للناس ، هو الدافع لإتباعهم له و تصديقه رغم خرافاته ؟! رغبة منهم في الخلاص من قمعهم؟!
،،،
ام كان جهل الناس و انجذابهم ل الخرافات بدايةً هو السبب في توحيد صفهم فكانت النتيجة الخلاص من المستعمر ؟!
فكرة الرواية و توثيقها للفترة تلك هو عمل و جهد ممتاز . و لكنني لم أرتبط عاطفياً ب شخصيات الرواية ، و لم تتقمصني مشاعرهم و لم تجذبني الأحداث ، وجدت السرد للأحداث غير مترابطٍ أحياناً ، و كما أن التنقل بين صوت الراوي و المونولوج الداخلي للشخصيات
افتقد لبعض السلاسة و الانسياب .
لذلك كان تقييمي لها ب ٣ من ٥ .
تقى كمال
أول مسودة ٢٦ مايو ٢٠٢٥
ما دفعني أن أقرأ الرواية مترجمةً هو رغبتي في اكتشاف و تجربةِ أسلوب و لغة مترجم ٍ من السودان ، دون أدنى معرفة ٍ سابقةٍ مني بأن نور الدين الهاشمي هو مترجمٌ متمرس للعديد من الأعمال .
في نظري ترجمته ل رواية النهر العتيق هي عمل ٌ ذو قيمة و إضافة للمكتبة العربيه و السودانيه خصوصاً
بداية بإضافةِ كلمة ( العتيق) إلى عنوان الرواية ، فالترجمة الحرفية هي : روح النهر River Spirit
و كلمةُ " العتيقِ " أضافت معنى ًعاطفياً خاصاً لهذا النهر.
لغة المترجم عذبة ، راقت ليَ العديدُ من الأوصاف والمشاهد و الكثير من الصور البيانية ، و إن لم يخب ظني ف لغة الكاتبة ليلى هي أساس هذه العذوبة و الجمال ، استناداً على تجربتي السابقة و انطباعي الذي كونته من رواية “ منارات - minaret “
تميزت الرواية بالسرد التاريخيّ ، تدور أحداثها في حقبةٍ زمنيةٍ مهمة في تاريخ السودان ، هي فترة ظهور المهدي الذي كان ظاهرة غريبةً في عصره ، فقد كان سبباً في طرد و إجلاء كيانٍ استعماري عن البلاد و تغلب ب وحدة رجاله و أتباعه العُزل على حملة البنادق و السلاح. تغلب عليهم و هو مدع ِنبوءةٍ و كاذب ! و هنا تكمن أهميته في التاريخ .
يا ترى هل كان قمع الكيان المستعمر للناس ، هو الدافع لإتباعهم له و تصديقه رغم خرافاته ؟! رغبة منهم في الخلاص من قمعهم؟!
،،،
ام كان جهل الناس و انجذابهم ل الخرافات بدايةً هو السبب في توحيد صفهم فكانت النتيجة الخلاص من المستعمر ؟!
فكرة الرواية و توثيقها للفترة تلك هو عمل و جهد ممتاز . و لكنني لم أرتبط عاطفياً ب شخصيات الرواية ، و لم تتقمصني مشاعرهم و لم تجذبني الأحداث ، وجدت السرد للأحداث غير مترابطٍ أحياناً ، و كما أن التنقل بين صوت الراوي و المونولوج الداخلي للشخصيات
افتقد لبعض السلاسة و الانسياب .
لذلك كان تقييمي لها ب ٣ من ٥ .
تقى كمال
أول مسودة ٢٦ مايو ٢٠٢٥
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