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On The Thread’s Ask a Bookseller series, we talk to independent booksellers all over the country to find out what books they’re most excited about right now.

Sarah Jackson of The Book and Cover in Chattanooga, Tenn., says she was immediately hooked and fully delighted by Amal El-Mohtar's fantasy novella, “The River Has Roots.” 

Readers may recognize El-Mohtar as the sci-fi and fantasy columnist for the New York Times and as co-author of the award-winning novel “This is How You Lose the Time War.” This book is her solo debut. 

“I love a story that is about sisters, and I love a story that asks questions about belonging, both in terms of physical place--

 do we belong? Who belongs to us?” says Jackson. 

The two sisters, Esther and Ysabelle, sing to the trees, which filter the magic out of the river. Esther has a relationship with a Fae folk from the kingdom of Faerie, while Ysabelle falls for a mortal who distrusts the wild, untamed Faerie realm. 

There are darker elements to the story that reminded Jackson of Grimm tales. It’s a lyrical narrative filled with song and poetry, with a magic system built upon the transformative power of words. 

For another fantasy novel in which language quite literally has power: 

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Sarah Jackson of The Book and Cover in Chattanooga, Tenn., recommends “The River Has Roots” by Amal El-Mohtar.

Ask a Bookseller: ‘The River Has Roots’ by Amal El-Mohtar

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