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Book Review: The River Has Roots, by Amal El-Mohtar

Cover of The River Has Roots, by Amal El-Mohtar, featuring colorful flowers springing from a very winding green-and-brown stylized river.

The novella is a retelling of a reasonably well-known fairytale murder ballad, so alert readers may anticipate some of the story beats. There are two sisters, and a suitor, and a warning from beyond via music. But even if a reader has an idea of where the story is going, there are bends in this river of a plot.