Reading Goddess of the River by Vaishnavi Patel felt a little like standing at the edge of deep water - beautiful and occasionally overwhelming.

What intrigued me most was the concept of the rivers themselves being gods. Patel’s descriptions of Ganga’s emotions flowing through the people living by her banks were some of the strongest moments in the novel for me. Anger trapped beneath the surface, grief carried downstream, human lives shaped by the moods of a river. It all created such an unusual and immersive atmosphere.

Once Ganga became human, the story became stranger still, though perhaps that was the point! Gods observing humanity from afar is one thing; living amongst us is another entirely. And humans, as ever, have a remarkable talent for causing pain, destruction and heartbreak.

I won’t pretend I understood every part of the story - at times the mythology, timelines and characters felt quite confusing - but I was always intrigued enough to keep reading. Rather than frustrating me, it often felt like being introduced to a vast history I’d only just begun to glimpse.

As someone unfamiliar with The Mahabharata, this felt less like an easy retelling and more like an introduction to something deeply layered - enormous and ancient. You can sense the scale of what Patel was trying to achieve and I came away appreciating the mythology behind it.

On the surface, this is such a cosy little book… but the more you sit with it, the more it quietly unravels you in the best way.

The idea of being able to go back and relive a moment of regret? Nothing changes, but your understanding does. That concept lingered in my brain for a while as I chewed it over.

Shingo’s dementia storyline hit a bit hard for me, especially having seen loved ones live through it, those moments felt very real and very tender.

I loved the playlist at the beginning (such a dreamy touch). It made the whole reading experience feel even more immersive. I could genuinely picture myself sat under cherry blossoms in the sunshine, just soaking it all in 🌸

The short story structure woven through the bookshop made it such an easy read too, which honestly felt necessary at times, given some of the heavier themes.

There’s this beautiful balance of poignancy and softness throughout… and let’s be real, a cute cat in a bookshop never hurts 🐾