Critics have responded positively to A River Sutra. A reviewer in Publisher's Weekly described how "this novel of India beautifully embodies the art and craft of storytelling as Mehta portrays diverse lives touched by the river Narmada, a holy pilgrimage site 'worshipped as the daughter of the god Shiva."' The same reviewer praises Mehta for "not avoid[ing] the controversies of life in her homeland, including the caste system and political/religious rivalries," noting that "she willingly exposes its complexities." Rahul Jacob of the Los Angeles Times applauded how "every yarn begins the lazy circle again, another variation on the novel's central themes. Each story ends with a beguiling turn into the next one. The simplicity of Mehta's writing nicely complements the novel's profound concerns."

Reviewers of A River Sutra especially appreciate the form of the novel and how it ties into ancient storytelling traditions...