River Spirit

Captivating … Through a compelling chorus of voices … Aboulela unspools the fraught story of Sudan, as freedom and faith do battle.' * Daily Mail *
‘Dazzling … A love story that endures’ * New York Times *
‘A novel of extraordinary sympathy and insight … a wonderful achievement.’ -- Abdulrazak Gurnah, Winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature
'River Spirit had me gripped from the first page. This is real history, imagined in splendid detail – a story of ordinary people caught in extraordinary times. River Spirit is a triumph of storytelling.’ -- Aminatta Forna
'Dazzling … A love story that endures.' -- New York Times
‘A blazing historical epic of war, love, and revolution ... River Spirit is a magnificent novel about the price of unwavering devotion and the inexhaustible pursuit for freedom.' -- LA Review of Books
‘An evocative and delicately composed historical novel of Sudan.' -- Literary Hub
‘Aboulela’s writing soars. She joins writers like Maaza Mengiste, Namwali Serpell and Ayesha Haruna Atta in excavating history, breathing life into it and presenting it in a new light. It is so far my best read this year.’ -- ’ Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi
‘Leila Aboulela weaves together strands of Sudan’s history in this fascinating and unforgettable tale. Aboulela uses elegant and poetic prose to create a masterpiece. This is a story that demands to be read. -- Goretti Kyomuhendo
‘Painted with the words of an artist, this novel is a historical portrait of freedom. Aboulela skilfully draws the uncertain colours of what freedom means to different individuals in a Mahdist Sudan to the last full stop.' -- Zukiswa Wanner