Thirsty Thursdays: Books on Tap (20s & 30s)

A single raindrop links together four characters in ancient Mesopotamia, 1840 London, 2014 Turkey, and 2018 London. The raindrop first lands on the head of Ashurbanipal, the ruthless Assyrian king who owns the extensive library that includes the epic poem Gilgamesh. In Victorian London, the raindrop, now a snowflake, falls on Arthur, the son of an impoverished river scavenger. Arthur eventually decodes the clay tablets containing Gilgamesh. In modern-day Turkey, the raindrop, collected as rainwater, spills on Narin, a young Yazidi girl who lives on the banks of the Tigris, where she contends with her gradual hearing loss and religious persecution. In the form of a teardrop, the raindrop then settles upon Zaleekhah, a hydrologist who recently left her husband and lives on a houseboat in contemporary London. Drawing on historical events, Shafak vividly narrates the theft of artifacts, war, colonialism, environmental crises, and genocide.

(Goodreads: 4.34/5)

Osric Mordaunt needs healing, and not just from any Haelen. Only Aurienne Fairhrim has the knowledge and ability to keep him from losing his magic and his life. The complication is that Haelens are a righteous bunch who only heal the innocent and worthy, while Osric is an assassin from the Fyren Order who is definitely not worthy. However, Aurienne is instructed by her mentor to heal Osric in exchange for his money, which will fund a much-needed immunization program against the Pox, which is killing children in droves. The two meet secretly over several months, and although they are both vocal about their strong mutual dislike, Aurienne and Osric go to extraordinary measures to protect one another.

(Goodreads: 3.78/5)