The River Has Roots

El-Mohtar has said the story's "source and seed" is a 17th century folk ballad that she loved and wanted to "fix," because in it, one sister murders another over love for the same man, and wouldn't a happier version that celebrates sisterly love be welcome? (Yes!) In her reimagining, two sisters harvest ancient willows, sing to them to thank them for their magic, discuss their love for murder ballads, debate word choice and grammar, meditate on sisterly and romantic love, and get the happy ending they deserved all along. The story and its dreamy (yet intermittently sharp and funny) prose were delicious on audio, as narrated by Gem Carmella.