📚 This river’s roots run deep. The thing about fantasies is that sometimes they’re tough to follow — The River Has Roots by Amal El Mohtar isn’t. In her debut solo novel, the Lebanese-Canadian co-author of This is How You Lose the Time War takes us to a small town with an aptly mystical name — Thistleford. There, at its edge, the Hawthorn family live a life that the townsfolk deem mysterious — so what are they actually up to?

Why does one sing to the trees? The novel follows Esther and Ysabel Hawthorn — the family’s youngest daughters in an eons-long line of willow tree caretakers. They tend to and harvest the magical trees, and remain faithful to their family’s ancient pact of singing to the trees to show gratitude for their magic, which in this universe, is grammar — or perhaps, an interesting take on its definition.

Stranger danger. When Rin, a shape-shifting fae from Arcadia — the land that lies beyond Thistleford, reveals itself to the sisters, Esther is tempted to leave the world behind and follow the enigmatic fae into Arcadia, shunning a suitor with not-so-good intentions. Unfortunately, Esther’s suitor doesn’t take well to rejection, and the sisters find themselves in grave danger — but that’s all we’ll say.

Grammar is change, and what is magic if not change? In The River Has Roots, grammar is a sought-after substance; a gram of it worth fortunes — yet it’s not so easy to acquire. We will refrain from delving into the details of what role “grammar” plays in the novella’s plot to avoid spoilers, but we’ll say this: the writing is impeccable — grammar and all. The River Has Roots is reminiscent of the childhood tales we all grew up reading — albeit tailored to a more adult audience. The writing is poetic, beautiful, and — fittingly — fantastical. Just like its titular river, it just flows.

It’s better to be surprised. This is perhaps one of those books that are best explored with limited knowledge of what lies within their pages. However, it’s worth noting that The River Has Roots is less of a run-of-the-mill clear-cut novella and one that hinges more on the experiential side, so keep an open mind. It’s a short read at just under 135 pages, but one you’ll want to take your time with.

WHERE TO GET IT- You can find The River Has Roots at The Bookspot or you can get the e-book from Amazon.

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