UK reviews

‘A very powerful little book. It stages the ambiguities, hesitations, fears, and all the grey stuff that makes us human. Poetic, yet powerful in political statement.’— Republic of Consciousness Prize 2024 judges

‘As beautiful as it is heartbreaking.’ — Angel Gurria Quintana, Financial Times

‘A searing exposé of the claustrophobic, misogynistic hypocrisy of Iraqi society, where judgemental male eyes bore through the veils that they themselves have prescribed, and young women watch silently as the men bathe half-naked in the Tigris.’ — E. K. B. Askew, Times Literary Supplement

‘In a spare, impressionistic, multi-voiced and brief novel […] the author conveys the fatalistic resignation of eight people whose lives intersect because of the pregnancy of a young, unmarried woman, living in rural Iraq. An objective, extravagantly beautiful, non-human viewpoint is provided by the river Tigris. For each chronicler, the imminence of death - their own, or that which they will bring about - is accepted, fatalistically. Even the river knows: "My waters were poisoned a long time ago . . . little by little I am dying." The anguished cadence of the narratives is enhanced by the sorry lyricism of each narrator's words; melancholy words which cannot reach beyond the fixed bounds of tradition. A short novel it may be but its impact is immense.’ — Declan O’Driscoll, Irish Times

‘A prose poem of devastating power, conveyed in simple devastating prose. It’s about war and loss, conformity and obligation, but most importantly about misogyny, femicide, power, vulnerability, and the injustice of it all. A poignant and thought-provoking novella, that will take you an hour to read, but the inequity at its heart will stay with you for a very, very long time.’ — Paul Burke, The Crime Time FM March Podcast Review Show

French reviews

‘Approaching the tragedy of femicide from the inside, Emilienne Malfatto brings a stripped back lyricism to these destinies of submission.’ – Livres Hebdo

‘The writing is simple, the sentences often short and arresting. The story comes swift and powerful, a true literary achievement.’ – France Info Culture

‘A long poem in prose, like a fable, or Greek tragedy. A beautiful book, and beautiful first novel.’ – France bleue radio

‘A hard-hitting tale of many voices, that is strong, moving and painful in equal measure.’ – Femmes ici et ailleurs

‘A first novel that reads raw, laid bare, short and hard-hitting. A taut tragedy, like a rope that we know is fragile, threatened by obscurantim, the weight of tradition and taboo. A deep dive into present day Iraq.’ – Bernard Magnier, Le français dans le monde ‘

‘An account of one of the intimate tragedies that so often pass unnoticed between falling bombs.’ – Libération

‘A chorus of a novel with a rare intensity... here honour rhymes with horror. Each page is dazzling.’  – Figaro Littéraire