Dazzling ... There were moments when I wished to be closer to Akuany’s consciousness, to occupy a mind as supple, as wildly in love yet severely constrained, as hers ... But perhaps part of this novel’s ambition is to reject such expectations ... The pace is swift, galloping over momentous events, stating profound changes with unsettling directness. The text is ruthless when rendering moments of grief ... The stark language leaves the reader to decide how to be affected. Will we pause? Will we turn our gaze? ... But the novel is compassionate, too. It understands why followers follow, why enemies charge, why the tormented betray.
... explores themes of faith and conquest without compromising on rich characterization or compelling plot development. [Aboulela] also centralizes women and their experiences in a larger sociopolitical context that is most often viewed in terms of men’s lives ... Aboulela reveals the thin lines that can demarcate religious zeal and patriotic fervor, social crusade and personal recklessness, as she creates a finely wrought and compellingly in-depth drama about a land and its people.
A blazing historical epic of war, love, and revolution ... Rather than asking what it means to belong to someone, the book instead inquires what it takes to belong to them. Can love ever really be just? ... River Spirit is a magnificent novel about the price of unwavering devotion and the inexhaustible pursuit for freedom.
While Aboulela’s handling of Zamzam and Yaseen’s relationship is vivid, even captivating, she doesn’t manage the novel’s plot with quite the same verve. The pacing often feels off. Tragic or violent events take place with little warning or fanfare, and a side story about a Scottish painter isn’t fully integrated into the rest of the book. Still, there is a great deal to admire in Aboulela’s work.
Aboulela casts a scrutinous and perceptive eye on the motives of religious leaders and colonial forces, and she layers the narrative with a rich blend of languages and cultures. This brims with drama and nuance.
