Song of Ancient Lovers by Laura Restrepo is a beautifully written story that blends myth with the present day. It follows Bos Mutas, a young writer who travels from South America to Africa to learn more about the Queen of Sheba. Along the way, he meets Zahra Bayda, a Somali midwife who helps guide him through refugee camps and his growing understanding of love, strength, and history.

The book retells the love story between the Queen of Sheba and King Solomon, showing how their story still echoes in modern times. The author shows how powerful and independent Sheba was, and how her spirit lives on in the strong women Bos meets on his journey. I really resonated with this because I love reading about strong women, and this book really highlights the strength of women during a poignant historical period and touches on important issues that disproportionately (and unfortunately) affect women. I also love that the author takes her own liberties, because it really enhances the book, leaving me with more than just history, but a romance for the ages. Her prose is also beautiful, and even with the translation to English, absolutely nothing felt like it was missing.

This book feels both magical and real, mixing ancient legend with today’s struggles. It’s a thoughtful, moving read about love, history, and the strength people carry with them, even in the hardest times. I think it is the perfect book to be reading during today’s climate and circumstances, and I especially loved that this shined light on refugee camps, migrant women, and those from different cultures. I especially want to give a warning that there are very heavy themes in this book, like war, rape, and different modes of harm inflicted on women, but I think it is a very important story to tell and one that should not be shyed away from. This is definitely a story that will sit with me for a long time.

Thank you to NetGalley, Laura Restrepo, and HarperVia for the eARC of this book.

Song of Ancient Lovers is a beautifully written, lyrical story that blends mythology, romance, and magic in a way that feels both timeless and fresh.

Rating 4

Quick very high level summary.
Two love stories intertwining. One love story from the ancient myth of the Queen of Sheba and King Solomon and one in a refugee camp. Bos Mutas is a writer form South America who has a fascination with the Queen of Sheba so he embarks on a journey to North Africa.

My Take.
Right off I was taken with the idea of combining contemporary themes with ancient myths and then adding the biblical aspect. This is a tall order and could easily go wrong quickly so I cam into this with caution. The story deals with some truly heavy themes such as war, rape, deeply rooted cultural aspects that are not at all positive for women. But it also gives us love, hope and resilience to counter the deeply dark aspects. The novel is beautifully written engaging the senses and triggering the imagination, creating a vivid and immersive read. The author uses poetic prose to creating an intriguing unconventional narrative that is not just fascinating but also artistically cultivated. Overall a very well done and interesting read.

"Every myth that is born is reborn. Every myth that incarnates reincarnates."

Obsessed with the Queen of Sheba, Bos Mutas, a young contemporary writer, sets out on a journey around the world to find her, just as historical figures of the likes of Solomon, Thomas Aquinas and Gérard de Nerval had done over the centuries. And although the Queen of Sheba is elusive, Bos Mutas finds in her place the very earthy Zahra Bayda, a Somali midwife. Thus, the real time of the present runs parallel to the immemorial time of the myth.

A work of fiction based on the author's travels through the lands of Yemen, Ethiopia and the Somali border—the magical and fierce geography of what was once the kingdom of Saba—, with Doctors Without Borders. This novel is a beautiful kaleidoscope, a gateway to fascinating worlds, a daring amalgamation of genres, eras, secular and biblical rhythms, cruelty and solidarity, love and war, pain and healing.

Laura Restrepo accompanies - through Caro De Robertis' melodious translation - the eternal journey of migrant women, who despite tripping and stumbling, get up, keep going, learn to look further and further ahead and cross the borders of time and space.

As good or better than any of Salman Rushdie's books. That's the vein we're in here. 10/10.

"Today I've got to beg and you see me in squalor, but I come from a thousand-year dynasty and my tradition will endure when yours is reduced to ash."

One of my favorite reads of 2025! Going into this novel I wasn't too familiar with the story of Queen Sheba and King Solomon, but the author does an amazing job of telling it that you don't you have to be an expert to enjoy this story. We follow Bos Mutas, a writer that goes on a journey to find all he can about Queen Sheba. To say he has an obsession is an understatement. I don't think I read a single page where he wasn't thinking of her or her name wasn't mentioned. But I loved this book, the writing is accessible and poetic, and the characters are so human and dynamic. Do yourself a favor and pick this book up!