by Amal El-Mohtar, Review 3 of 2025
I’m not crying, you’re crying. The River Has Roots is a moving testament to the bonds of sisterhood. The writing is magical, sharp, and tender. Undoubtedly, this was one of the most stunningly narrated short stories I’ve ever encountered. I will be on the lookout for other works narrated by Gem Carmella. I would absolutely recommend this, specifically as an audiobook. As a 1.25-1.5x reader, this was the rare exception where I wanted to savor each word at 1x speed.