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Once Upon a River

Diane Setterfield (Goodreads Author)

4.08 · Rating details · 7,426 ratings · 2,038 reviews

A dark midwinter’s night in an ancient inn on the Thames. The regulars are entertaining themselves by telling stories when the door bursts open on an injured stranger. In his arms is the drowned corpse of a little child.

Hours later the dead girl stirs, takes a breath and returns to life.

Is it a miracle?

Is it magic?

Or can it be explained by science?

Replete with folklore, su ...more

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Kindle Edition, 419 pages

Published January 24th 2019 by Transworld Digital (first published December 4th 2018)

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· 7,426 ratings · 2,038 reviews

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Oct 05, 2018 Emily May rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: arc, 2018, magical-realism, historical-fiction

Along the borders of this world lie others.
There are places you can cross.
This is one such place.

This is a beautiful story. It's a genre-crosser: something of a historical mystery told like a fairy tale with magical realism. Everything straddles the line between reality and the supernatural, and sometimes it steps over into the fantastical, which might be surprising for fans of Setterfield's The Thirteenth Tale.

I think it works really well, though. I should point out that the story is very s ...more

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Nov 18, 2018 Chelsea Humphrey rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Recommended to Chelsea by: Leigh Kramer

Shelves: from-publisher

"It was solstice night, the longest night of the year... And as the borders between night and day stretch to their thinnest, so too do the borders between worlds... Unexpected things can happen. Did the solstice have anything to do with the strange events at the swan? You will have to judge for yourself."

As a newcomer to Diane Setterfield's work and hearing what a legend she is in the book community, I was excited and a little bit anxious to see how I would receive her brand of storytelling. I w "It was solstice night, the longest night of the year... And as the borders between night and day stretch to their thinnest, so too do the borders between worlds... Unexpected things can happen. Did the solstice have anything to do with the strange events at the swan? You will have to judge for yourself."

As a newcomer to Diane Setterfield's work and hearing what a legend she is in the book community, I was excited and a little bit anxious to see how I would receive her brand of storytelling. I was blessed beyond all measure to read this alongside dear friend Leigh Kramer, and knew that no matter what the outcome we would have delightful discussions along the way. From the very first page I knew this story would be something special; the lush prose and dreamlike atmosphere were enticing, and Setterfield's gift in speaking directly to the reader drew me in and gripped me like a vice until I turned the final page.

"When the cold river doesn't feel cold, that's when you know you're in trouble."

I've seen some varied opinions of this book, and what I've noticed so far is how, whether feelings of delight or boredom, readers have strong opinions of this story. As someone who was able to go into this knowing that it would be a slow burn from start to finish, I think it gave me the perspective I needed to pick it up at just the right time so that I could let the story guide me gently along, rather than feeling like I had to cram it in and blow through it in a hurried frenzy. For those looking for a fast paced, plot driven mystery, you won't find it here, but for those searching out a unique story tinged with just the right amount of magic to keep you wondering if this story is indeed supernatural, let me introduce you to Once Upon A River.

"All she was left with when she rose stiffly and took her coat off to go to bed was a deep and impenetrable mystery.

OUAR is the type of story that I could spend pages writing about the atmosphere and "feels", but I also want to take a moment to discuss the characters. There is quite a large cast in this book, and it does take a good chunk before everyone becomes familiar and things begin to fall into place and connect. I found myself texting Leigh frequently asking "wait, now who is this again? And who do they belong to in the story?" because she is gifted in keeping up with all of the confusing things in life. I highly recommend finding a Leigh, but you can't have mine. It was interesting to see which characters we clicked with instantly, which had to grow on us, which ones we hated throughout, and how some of our views changed as the story progressed.

"And now, dear reader, the story is over. It is time for you to cross the bridge once more and return to the world you came from. This river, which is and is not the Thames, must continue flowing without you. You have haunted here long enough, and besides, you surely have rivers of your own to attend to?"

This book was so wonderful, and I think the author did a fantastic job of portraying a vivid, diverse cast of a small town community in the late 1800's, and I believe my only minor issue was with the way the story ended for one character, Rita. While I can't go into detail here due to spoilers, I was a little disappointed that her personality and morals took a 180 in the very final passages, as she was my absolute favorite character in the book for those reasons. Overall though, there's not much to complain about here. OUAR was the kind of book that makes you believe in rich, traditional storytelling once again, and includes the type of writing that feels somehow elevated from most current publications. Highly recommended for anyone looking for a novel that will sweep you away into a whirl of magic you had forgotten existed since you were a child.

*Thank you Atria Books for providing my review copy. ...more

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Sep 13, 2018 Debra rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley

On a deep, dark night at an inn located on the Thames river, the regulars have gathered to swap stories, drink and unwind from their days. The evening is like any other night at the inn, until an injured stranger walked in carrying what they believe to be a doll in his arms and collapses. After calling upon the local midwife/nurse, they learn that the "doll" is a young girl. A young girl who appears to be dead after drowning in the river -yet lives!

No one recognizes the man or the child. Word g On a deep, dark night at an inn located on the Thames river, the regulars have gathered to swap stories, drink and unwind from their days. The evening is like any other night at the inn, until an injured stranger walked in carrying what they believe to be a doll in his arms and collapses. After calling upon the local midwife/nurse, they learn that the "doll" is a young girl. A young girl who appears to be dead after drowning in the river -yet lives!

No one recognizes the man or the child. Word gets out, as word often does, and the villagers begin whispering their theories. There are also families out there with missing daughters. Those who desperately want their child back, those who want to see this four-year girl to determine if she is their missing loved one. The girl never appears to recognize anyone, nor does she speak. She looks longingly at the river as if waiting for something or someone.

Like the Thames river, this book flowed. There are a lot of characters in this book and after a couple of chapters I had them straight. Setterfield has built a community of characters who have their own backstories and history. All the families and back stories are important. So, no skimming! This book felt epic in nature. It's also atmospheric with the river, the rain, the countryside. I could imagine everything that was happening. We are not told the year, but this took place after photography was invented, so I placed this during the mid-1800's.

As with all books, there will be characters the reader likes and those we are not meant to like. Armstrong and Rita were my favorites. I loved Rita's inquisitive mind and her dedication to science and conducting experiments to make sense of things medically such as how does cold water affect the heart rate. Living in a time of superstition and belief in magic, she was ahead of her times in my opinion. Armstrong was a gentleman who loved his family and was decent and kind even when there were those who were not kind to him.

This book relies on folklore and the mystery of the missing girl. But this is not the only story/mystery in this book. Setterfield has crafted many stories within her story/novel. Each family is distinct and as the plot unravels, the reader learns that there is more than one mystery in this book. Not only do most characters have backstories as I previously mentioned, there is also the story of Quietly- a character I wasn't sure was real or a piece of local folklore used to explain life and death on the Thames.

I loved the writing, descriptions, and the way the plot unfolded in the end. With each twist and revelation, came new information, leaving me with several "aha" moments while reading. This book is on the longer side and at times it felt a little long but then, at book's completion, I understood the reason for its length. Initially, while reading, I thought perhaps this book could use a little editing, but again, once I was finished, I appreciated knowing all the information and it all came together in the end!

Keep in mind that although this book has mystery and some suspense, it is largely character driven. For me this made for a slower yet very satisfying read. This is not a book one should plow through or try to read in one day, take your time and again, no skimming. Even if you think something is unimportant, most likely that will just be the part, that you need to pay attention the most!

Atmospheric, well-written, engaging and interesting. This was like reading a fairy tale for grown-ups. Setterfield has proven yet again that she is a great story-teller!

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley who provided me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Read more of my reviews at www.openbookpost.com ...more

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Dec 06, 2018 Angela M rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley-reviews

I was attracted to something that I read about this book which describes an inn where people came to tell their stories. The thought of that reminded me of Canterbury Tales, read many, many years ago in college - about travelers telling their stories. There are many stories here to be told and I was drawn in from the beginning by the descriptive writing of the River Thames, the characters. I was on the river, at the inn and in the lives of this cast of characters. I always hesitate to use the wo ...more

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Dec 04, 2018 Mary Beth *Traveling Sister* rated it really liked it · review of another edition

The Swann is an ancient Inn, along the Thames where lots of storytelling is done there. On a dark night someone was telling a story the door opened and a newcomer came in. They were trying to make sense of what they were seeing. They thought it might of been a monster from a folk tale. Once there senses came togethor, they noticed in his arms was a puppet with a face and limbs and painted hair.

The man was unconscious and they put him on a table. They thought he was dead. Margot, the owner of the The Swann is an ancient Inn, along the Thames where lots of storytelling is done there. On a dark night someone was telling a story the door opened and a newcomer came in. They were trying to make sense of what they were seeing. They thought it might of been a monster from a folk tale. Once there senses came togethor, they noticed in his arms was a puppet with a face and limbs and painted hair.

The man was unconscious and they put him on a table. They thought he was dead. Margot, the owner of the inn, laid a feather in his lips and it moved. He was breathing. No one knew him.

Jonathaon put the puppet on his lap. He noticed that the puppets hair was made with real hair and it's ears looked so real. He gave it a shake and the arm swung from its shoulder. Then he noticed it was a little girl. She wouldn't wake up. They thought she drowned and was dead. Rita thought she was four years old. She had no pulse and wasn't breathing. The girl was dead before she went into the water. There was no sign on how she died. After some time the corpse opened her eyes. The girls head moved. Her eyes closed again and they noticed her chest was moving. She was breathing in and out.

What made this girl come alive again? Who does she belong to? Is it a miracle or is it magic? Did it have anything to do with the winter solstice?

This book was so beautifully written. You could just get lost in the prose. I just loved the atmosphere. I love this author and loved The Thirteenth Tale by her, so I just had to read this one. I loved it just as much. I thought this was a character driven novel and thought the characters were well done. I just loved Rita. The book needs to be read slow, there was a little confusion for me, but then all the peices came together and it then becomes a mystery. It is a thought provoking novel. It really makes you think. I thought it was very enchanting and it was very well crafted.

The book is part historical fiction, a little fantasy, magical realism, and mystery. Just a little something for everyone. Even though it has a slow burn to it, I suggest to keep reading it because it gets a lot better. I am so happy that I stuck with it. I highly recommend it, if you don't mind a slow burn.

I want to thank Atria/Emily Bestler Books and NetGalley for the copy of this book t n exchange for a honest review. ...more

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Feb 10, 2019 Amalia Gavea rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 19th-century, britain, british-literature, england, folklore, favorites, gothic-fiction, historical-fiction, literary-fiction, mystery

‘’Around Radcot they grow the watercress, harvest it, crate it up and send it to the towns in barges, but they don’t eat it. It’s bitter, they complain, so bitter it bites you back, and besides, who wants to eat leaves nourished by ghosts?’’

Diane Setterfield has already written one of the most intriguing, haunting novels of our times. The Thirteenth Tale is the beautifully strange love-child of ...Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre, its Gothic atmosphere and the dialogue faithful to the vision of ...more

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Dec 06, 2018 Jennifer ~ TarHeelReader rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2018-reads, arcs, kindle-version

Storytelling perfection! ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

I have read nothing like Once Upon a River. A more modern fairy tale? Quite a bit of suspense and mystery…and wonder…and charm…

Once Upon a River takes place in a historic ancient inn on the River Thames in England. This inn is famous for its storytelling and its storytellers, and in fact, when a mysterious stranger with obvious physical injuries incoherently bursts into the inn with a commotion, stories are in the midst of being told. The stranger eventually pa ...more

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Dec 02, 2018 Susanne Strong rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: buddy-read, netgalley

4 Fantastical Stars!

A Tale of Folklore, Legend, Magic and Mystery.

Late one night at a pub called the Swan at Radcot on the River Thames, villagers unwind with a pint, as they often do. A man comes to the door with the body of a cold, lifeless girl in his arms and promptly passes out. He sleeps for days.

Rita Sunday, the town medic, checks them both over. To her astonishment, she soon discovers that the young girl is, in fact, alive.

People come from near and far to see her, including three f ...more

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Jan 06, 2019 Paromjit rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: literary-fiction, mystery, netgalley

Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield is an ode to rivers and a celebration of the imagination and art of storytelling set in the Victorian era around the local communities living in Oxford next to the Thames. Once upon a time in an ancient inn, The Swan, where storytellers are revered beyond measure, an injured stranger bursts through its doors, falling down unconscious clutching the corpse of a drowned young girl. The dead girl comes to life, afflicted by a muteness, sparking a desire in othe ...more

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Nov 30, 2018 Diane S ☔ rated it really liked it · review of another edition

4+ A wonderful homage to the art of storytelling. I come from a long line of storytellers, summers when my cousins were led on ghost walks by our fathers and uncles as they told ghoststories. We all loved those times. Stories I made up to tell my children when they were young, and then stories I told my grandchildren. Such fun, pre internet days when stories were magic, or scary, but such a great way to connect.

All along the Thames are a group of inns, each in has a specialty, music in one, art ...more

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Dec 16, 2018 Karen rated it really liked it · review of another edition

4.5
I just loved this book and it’s cast of characters!
There is an Inn along the river called the Swan, where storytellers gather to drink and spin their magic tales on cold winter nights.
One night, in walks a terribly injured man carrying a dead little girl. There are a few possibilities of who she could be.
Some magical occurrence seems to take place regarding the girl, she’s actually alive, when previously thought dead by the local midwife/nurse.
This story took me on a journey filled with mag ...more

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Dec 07, 2018 Larry H rated it really liked it · review of another edition

It was a dark and stormy night...

Well, not exactly. But it is a dark night in 1887, the solstice night, the longest night of the year.

"As is well-known, when the moon hours lengthen, human beings come adrift from the regularity of their mechanical clocks. They nod at noon, dream in waking hours, open their eyes wide to the pitch-black night. It is a time of magic. And as the borders between night and day stretch to their thinnest, so too do the borders between worlds. Dreams and stories merge wi It was a dark and stormy night...

Well, not exactly. But it is a dark night in 1887, the solstice night, the longest night of the year.

"As is well-known, when the moon hours lengthen, human beings come adrift from the regularity of their mechanical clocks. They nod at noon, dream in waking hours, open their eyes wide to the pitch-black night. It is a time of magic. And as the borders between night and day stretch to their thinnest, so too do the borders between worlds. Dreams and stories merge with lived experience, the dead and the living brush against each other in their comings and goings, and the past and the present touch and overlap. Unexpected things can happen."

A crowd has gathered at The Swan, an ancient inn on the Thames River. The crowd is prone to storytelling, and no one tells a story like Joe Bliss, the husband of the Swan's landlady. But that night a story all its own takes shape—a wounded man comes staggering in and collapses, caught by some of the men at the inn. He appears to be carrying a doll or puppet of some sort, but the crowd is once again shocked when they discover it's not a puppet, but the lifeless body of a small child.

"Her skin shimmered like water. The folds of her cotton frock were plastered to the smooth lines of the limbs, and her head tilted on her neck at an angle no puppeteer could achieve. She was a little girl, and they had not seen it, not one of them, though it was obvious."

When Rita Sunday, the town's most reliable medical personnel, arrives, she takes care of the unconscious man and mends his wounds, and then examines the little girl. No one is sure what the little girl's connection is to the man, but a pall falls over the crowd at her untimely and tragic death. And then, a few hours later, she starts breathing again. No one, not even Rita, who searches for a scientific answer, understands how this could have happened.

Who is this little girl? To whom does she belong? Where is she from? How is she connected to the wounded man? No one can find out any answers, especially because the little girl is mute and cannot provide any information. But of course, that doesn't stop those from near and far from inventing stories that explain her situation. And while fictions grow and become more elaborate, there are three families who believe the little girl belongs to them, and each has a complicated story about how they know this to be so, stories as twisted as the Thames itself.

First and foremost, Once Upon a River is a tribute to the art of storytelling. It is beautifully told, and Diane Setterfield weaves together folklore, magic, myth, and good old tall tales as she unfolds this mystery. But beyond the questions that arise about the little girl, this book tells other stories as well, revealing long-held family secrets, regrets, recriminations, and suspicions.

This is a dense book with a lot of characters. It took me a little while to get everyone straight in my head, because there are a few narratives unfolding at once. While I usually read really fast, the pacing of this book was a little slower, so I couldn't rush through it, and while I felt like it plodded a little bit from time to time, in the end, the pacing worked. If you rush through the story, you'll miss some of the richness of the plot.

Setterfield knows how to set a mood, how to create fascinating characters, and how to tease out just enough suspense to keep you always wanting more. Once Upon a River is a special story, and I could totally see it as a television movie or miniseries, because so often the book came to life in my mind's eye.

See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com. ...more

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Nov 12, 2018 *TUDOR^QUEEN* rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

4.5 Stars rounded up to 5.

Thank you to the publisher Atria Books for providing an advance reader copy via NetGalley.

This is a very special and unique book that is one part folk tale, one part mystery and brewed with a touch of the supernatural. It takes place in England long ago astride the Thames River, which looms large in this story.

The Swan is a family run pub where the preoccupation is telling a really good story. The best stories take on a life of their own and are repeated and spread amon ...more

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Oct 03, 2018 Felicia rated it it was ok · review of another edition

This is the most long winded book I think I've ever read. It's been a long time since a book has given me feelings of dread every time I picked it up.

Although I've never read a book by this author, I was nonetheless excited to dive into this one based on the rave reviews for not only this book but for Setterfield's The Thirteenth Tale. Not every author and/or book is for everybody and this one was certainly not my glass of chocolate milk.

While the prose is without a doubt prolific, the story cr ...more

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Jan 08, 2019 Norma * Traveling Sister rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley-edelweiss-approved, traveling-sister-reads

3.5 stars! Charming, atmospheric & lyrically written!

This was an extremely hard review for me to write because my thoughts are so conflicted with how I actually feel upon finishing this book. I thought the storytelling and the writing was absolutely fantastic but I was never able to fully immerse myself in this tale though. At times I was finding myself a little bit bored with my mind wandering often and at other times I was excited and in awe of what I was reading.

ONCE UPON A RIVER by DIA ...more

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Dec 10, 2018 Tadiana ✩Night Owl☽ rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: arc, england, fantasy, historical-fiction, magical-realism, mystery, victorian, regency-or-victorian-fantasy

I've finally gotten around to writing my full review! :) First posted on Fantasy Literature:

A lost girl, about four years old, turns up at the ancient Swan inn and tavern by the Thames River in 1887, on the night of the winter solstice. An injured man staggers into the inn, holding the apparently drowned girl in his arms, and promptly collapses. When the local midwife and nurse, Rita, arrives, she privately confirms that the girl is not breathing and has no pulse, though she mysteriously has no I've finally gotten around to writing my full review! :) First posted on Fantasy Literature:

A lost girl, about four years old, turns up at the ancient Swan inn and tavern by the Thames River in 1887, on the night of the winter solstice. An injured man staggers into the inn, holding the apparently drowned girl in his arms, and promptly collapses. When the local midwife and nurse, Rita, arrives, she privately confirms that the girl is not breathing and has no pulse, though she mysteriously has no sign of drowning or other injury. But a few minutes later the girl suddenly lives and breathes again, stunning Rita and the others at the inn.

The girl is wordless, and it’s soon discovered that she doesn’t belong to Daunt, the man who carried her into the inn. Who, then, does she belong to? Several people raise a claim: Robin Armstrong, the wastrel oldest son of a black gentleman farmer, Robert, claims her as his lost daughter Alice. Lily White, an abused woman whose younger sister may have died many years ago, insists (against all evidence) that the girl is her little sister Ann. Helena and Anthony Vaughan, a couple whose two-year old daughter was kidnapped two years ago, claim the girl as their daughter Amelia, although it soon becomes clear that Anthony has grave doubts, though those are undermined by Helena’s passionate conviction and her joy after two years of inconsolable grief.

These and others are unique, interesting characters with strong backstories that flow like tributaries into the main river of the tale. The Swan inn is a place that specializes in storytelling, and the river that runs past the inn and flows in an out of the story throughout the novel, carries its own stories ― particularly Quietly the mythic ferryman, a gaunt figure who appears to those who are in trouble on the water, helping them either to life and safety or to “another shore.” A diverse cast of unusual characters, some tragedy, a mystery or three, a challenging romance, and a little magical realism spice up the plot of Once Upon a River.

Water flows throughout the tale, a potent symbol that Diane Setterfield, for the most part, uses effectively (I did find the closing paragraph too pat). Everyone’s life has been touched by the river to one degree or another. Daunt is a photographer who’s endlessly fascinated by the river. Rita was born to a despairing mother who threw herself into the river, dying just after giving birth to Rita. Helena has always loved boating on the river, until her daughter’s kidnapping and disappearance two years ago.

It had seemed then that her daughter’s absence had flooded Helena, flooded them both, and that with their words they were trying to bail themselves out. But the words were eggcups, and what they were describing was an ocean of absence, too vast to be contained in such modest vessels. She bailed and she bailed, but no matter how often she repeated the effort, she could not get to the end of it.

Setterfield’s language is lovely and her storytelling is beautiful, with depths to it that most fantasy authors don’t aspire to. I also admire her ability to develop multi-layered characters and build a world that I felt wholly immersed in.

Bill’s (my co-review at Fantasy Literature) primary complaint is that Once Upon a River becomes too concrete and obvious in its symbolism, structure and plot. That wasn’t an aspect that bothered me; I’m generally just happy to see symbolism make an appearance at all (I strongly suspect that my literary tastes aren’t as exacting as Bill’s). What did vex me was that the pacing of the novel was so languid until it finally picked up in the final third. But then it was fascinating to see all the various tributaries (plot threads) of the story come together, although Setterfield makes a little too much use of coincidence in tying the threads together and wrapping up her story. Though perhaps one might call those coincidences fate, or Providence, or even Quietly the ferryman watching over the river and the people whose lives are touched by it.

Like the river that is the fluid, adaptable symbol for this Victorian-era story, Once Upon a River meanders at first, but gains force as it flows toward a compelling conclusion. It’s a profound and meaningful voyage that I enjoyed and would recommend to readers who enjoy thoughtful historic tales with a dash of fantasy.

Many thanks to Simon and Schuster for the review copy! ...more

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Dec 09, 2018 Kaceey - Traveling Sister rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley, buddy-read

3.5*
A captivating story that will take you on a journey.
A stranger walked into the local inn late one night, soaked, still dripping from the cold river. In his arms he’s cradling a child, motionless. Everyone rushes in to assist. The stranger is close to death and the child, already gone.

The owner of the inn sends for the village nurse. She tends to the unconscious man and only then confirms the girl’s death. But something doesn’t feel right to her. Suddenly her trained intuition is correct…as ...more

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Dec 04, 2018 Chris rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2018, netgalley

Everyone has a story, and the regulars at the ancient The Swan inn on the Thames are no exception. They drink, swap tales, jest, and repeat. But, one night, a haggard man collapses on the threshold, the corpse of a small girl in his arms.

Only, she wakes up.

The questions and, with them, the stories swirl. Who is she? How did she get there? Why do three sets of people separately feel they know her? And do the answers come down to science or magic or something else entirely?

Much of the success of t Everyone has a story, and the regulars at the ancient The Swan inn on the Thames are no exception. They drink, swap tales, jest, and repeat. But, one night, a haggard man collapses on the threshold, the corpse of a small girl in his arms.

Only, she wakes up.

The questions and, with them, the stories swirl. Who is she? How did she get there? Why do three sets of people separately feel they know her? And do the answers come down to science or magic or something else entirely?

Much of the success of this novel stems from the use of a large cast of characters. The reader’s focus, like the rushing water in the ever-present river, is never in one place for too long. Helena and Anthony Vaughan hope the girl is their daughter, kidnapped two years prior. Robert Armstrong, a Black farmer, assumes the girl is his absent son’s daughter. Lily White, surely in her forties, claims the girl as her sister. Through it all, Nurse Rita Sunday and photographer Henry Daunt, juggle between the factions, investigating and aiding, while their own stories complicate. Each section contains riveting, high-stakes, and sometimes even playful wordcraft and plot-play at its finest.

At the novel’s core is the conundrum of the child, and this alone would be enough for a healthy book. However, author Diane Setterfield’s prose twists and turns, but always moves with the current. The multitude of plotlines are never overwhelming, and the result is a fully realized world that’s easy to dip into. She guides readers across scenes like an expert ferryman, a twinkle in her writing. She knows how both the story and the trip will end but understands it’s really the journey that’s important. Just when you feel you know where you’re going—Ah, look! Another turn up ahead.

Special mention must be given to the folklore, myths, and magic which are abundant. The novel takes place on the cusp of change, right at the dawn of Darwinism. Rita opts for scientific reasoning in the face of mysticism and folktales. These two worlds are most interesting when complicated by each other. In many ways, assuming this were all true (and, really, aren’t all stories based in some truth?), this places the events of Once Upon a River as perhaps the first of tales somewhere between fairytale and science story.

At the beginning, readers are introduced to the inn regulars who constant opine on the art of the story. Diane Setterfield deftly suggests everyone has a story, and we should all be thankful she shares hers.

Note: I received a free ARC of this book through NetGalley.

Review also posted at https://pluckedfromthestacks.wordpres... ...more

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Feb 09, 2019 Beata rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

So many reviews by my GR Friends have praised this wonderful novel that it seems needles to write how beautiful Once Upon a River is ........ I aboslutely loved the way the stories are told and all the magic around them. The characters were all around me as I listened to Juliet Stevenson, who is one of my favourite Audible readers. The storytelling is art and Ms Setterfield took me on a delightful tour for which Iam grateful and which I will remember for a long, long time. If you are going to re ...more

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Nov 15, 2018 Marialyce rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: net-galley, top-ten-books-of-2018

A young girl is found, brought to an old local tavern by a man who is both distraught and in need of help. The child appears dead and the man is in such bad shape he can't tell the people what has occurred, where he found this child, or how he managed to pull her from the ice cold water of the Thames. But then the child breathes after life was thought to have left her, and the story is set in motion for a tale with includes the magical, the mystical, folktales of yore, and a journey that takes t A young girl is found, brought to an old local tavern by a man who is both distraught and in need of help. The child appears dead and the man is in such bad shape he can't tell the people what has occurred, where he found this child, or how he managed to pull her from the ice cold water of the Thames. But then the child breathes after life was thought to have left her, and the story is set in motion for a tale with includes the magical, the mystical, folktales of yore, and a journey that takes the reader onto a path of intrigue, suspense, romance, and magic.

Another child has gone missing these past two years and her parents have lived a life full of agony at their loss Could this child be their Amalia? Another family with an errant older son feels that this child could be his daughter, Alice, their granddaughter. Then there is Rita, a nurse, who doctors both the child and the village. Is this child the daughter of her heart? What about the man, the photographer, who pulled the child from the water? What does he feel and see in this young girl? Still there is another woman who, although she is in her forties claims, this four year old is her lost sister. How can that be?

Then there is the child. She seems ethereal, never speaking, seeming to be birthed from folktales of long ago, a child of the water in which she was found. She is the child they all want and yet will she ever belong to any of them?

I absolutely loved this atmospheric tale of love, loss and what happens in the in between. Having read and loved Diane Setterfield's The Thirteenth Tale, I was ever so anxious to read this one. I was not disappointed as Ms Setterfield wove a tale that was magical, atmospheric, and otherworldly. It managed to entrance me and pull me into its mystical yet eerie presence. I definitely recommend this story if you love books that build upon the spiritualistic and the imaginary nature of all tales handed down through the years.

Thank you to Diane Setterfield who kept me entranced, Atria, and NetGalley for providing a copy of this mesmerizing story.
My reviews can also be seen here: http://yayareadslotsofbooks.wordpress... ...more

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Dec 21, 2018 Emma rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, paranormal

This couldn’t be less than a 5 star read. If you ever wondered what superlative historical fiction, superlative storytelling looked like, then you need not look any further. This book follows the ebb and flow and rhythms of the river and the people who live by its sides. A wonderful story of the supernatural, of treachery, of wrongs set right, of bereavement, love and loss.
I read The Thirteenth Tale a long while ago and wasn’t bowled over by it. This seems much better, but I am now wondering whe ...more

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Feb 02, 2019 Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin marked it as to-read · review of another edition

It’s so beautiful

Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾

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Dec 04, 2018 Phrynne rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 5000-books

This was such a pleasure to read. I loved the atmosphere the author created with rivers, rain and floods, old waterside inns, folk tales and unexplained mysteries. All just wonderful!

It is a book to read slowly and carefully because there are a lot of characters to keep track of and the author constantly drifts off into side stories which are all equally interesting and deserve constant attention. The story winds as much as the river it describes. The central tale is the mystery of the drowned c ...more

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Nov 19, 2018 JanB added it · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley, dnf

DNF. Too much magical realism and a fable-like quality to the writing. I do enjoy the genre on occasion but this is not the right time in my life to have the patience for it. I have too much going on.

Perhaps I will try it again at some point in the future.

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Mar 23, 2018 Calvin rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

We've all heard the expression, when discussing old Hollywood films, that "they don't make them like they used to". Well, Diane Setterfield is here to tell you that they don't write them like they used to either.

It's been a while since her last novel (the somewhat underwhelming Bellman & Black), so you'd be forgiven if Setterfield wasn't at the forefront of your mind. But when Once Upon a River hits the shelves in January 2019, that is very much going to change.

This is an old fashioned, be ...more

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Dec 29, 2018 Carolyn rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2018, historical, myths-and-legends, netgalley, netgalley-2018, mystery

A marvelous tale from a masterful storyteller! Wonderfully atmospheric, with the mighty Thames the central character, calm and peaceful on a Summer's day but capable of death and destruction when in full flood.

The tale begins sometime around the 1850s in an ancient Inn on the banks of the river, where people go to tell and listen to stories. One night they are abruptly interrupted when a man staggers in and collapses. In his arms, a waxen child, a little girl, who appears to be quite dead but mi ...more

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Nov 25, 2018 Bam rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2018-netgalley, historical-fiction, 2018-reads

I thought this book was so well written with elements of folklore and even a touch of Dickens. Setterfield is quite the storyteller!

On the evening of the winter solstice, the longest night of the year, several regulars are gathered in the Swan on the Thames in Radcot where stories reign supreme. Suddenly the door opens, letting in a cold draft, and every eye turns to see who'd be coming in so late.

A tall, strong man with a monstrous, bloody face stands there and in his arms appears to be a lim I thought this book was so well written with elements of folklore and even a touch of Dickens. Setterfield is quite the storyteller!

On the evening of the winter solstice, the longest night of the year, several regulars are gathered in the Swan on the Thames in Radcot where stories reign supreme. Suddenly the door opens, letting in a cold draft, and every eye turns to see who'd be coming in so late.

A tall, strong man with a monstrous, bloody face stands there and in his arms appears to be a limp waxen puppet. As the man begins to bellow and sway, the patrons spring to life and grab hold of his burden before he slumps to the floor in a dead faint.

To their shock, they discover his burden is not a doll at all but the lifeless body of a 4-year-old girl. Rita, the local nurse, is summoned and her tests also prove the girl is dead so the poor little thing is laid out in an outer building while Rita sees to the man's horrifying wounds.

But later, when Rita checks the girl again she detects a slight pulse. She lives! Is it possible she had not been dead at all? Or has she somehow miraculously come back to life?

There are three local people/families who want to claim the child as their own. How can her identity be proven for sure? When the wounded man recovers enough to speak, he can only say he found her lifeless body in the river.

As one would surmise, the river Thames plays a major role in the story with all the folktales the people tell, such as about the ferryman named Quietly who is said to rescue the unwary who fall in or, if it's their time, carries the unfortunate to 'the other side.' The characters just spring right off these pages, with a mixture of good, evil and possibly insane.

I enjoyed how the various stories spin around each other and tie together nicely in a satisfying way at the end. The story is both mystifying and entertaining.

I received an arc of this book from the publisher via NetGalley for my honest review. I wish to express my gratitude for the opportunity. ...more

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Dec 24, 2018 Navidad Thélamour added it · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley, brit-fic, dnf, magical-realism, mini-review, read-2018

DNF @ 15%

I had really high hopes for this book going in, because who doesn't love a good adult fairy tale, right? But, ultimately, I found that the writing just didn't interest me. (view spoiler) There's nothing specific that I would critique about Diane Setterfield's writing; it just wasn't for me. I think it was a littl ...more

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Oct 24, 2018 Elizabeth of Silver's Reviews rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Storytelling at the Swan is the favorite past time of the crowd and the reason so many men stop by for their drinks.

One night the storytelling became real when a man who had been hurt and a small girl who appeared as if she had drowned fell through the inn’s front door.

Then a miracle happened....the girl came alive again. The townspeople and their storytelling ways had many questions, and some thought the girl was one of their own who had passed.

We follow the characters as they try to interpret ...more

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Jan 08, 2019 Emer rated it really liked it

Shelves: netgalley, 4stars, reviewed, challenge-atoz2019, adult-general-fiction, magical-realism, read2019, historical-fiction

NOW AVAILABLE IN THE UK/IRL

'Once Upon a River' is a wonderfully languid piece of storytelling from Diane Setterfield, the acclaimed author of 'The Thirteenth Tale'. Setterfield again proves that she is a master crafter of storytelling and completely envelops her reader in her otherworldly version of a group of disparate characters living by the Thames river sometime during the 1800s.
The story revolves around The Swan at Radcot and the events of one winter solstice night when a young girl pulled ...more

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Play Book Tag: Once Upon a River - Diane Sutterfield - 4 Stars	22	23	Feb 13, 2019 04:46PM
Play Book Tag: Once Upon a River; 4.7 stars by Diane Setterfield	9	29	Feb 12, 2019 07:22AM
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About Diane Setterfield

Diane Setterfield

3,093 followers

“…a mistress of the craft of storytelling.”
The Guardian

Diane Setterfield is a British author. Her bestselling novel, The Thirteenth Tale (2006) was published in 38 countries worldwide and has sold more than three million copies. It was number one in the New York Times hardback fiction list for three weeks and is enjoyed as much for being ‘a love letter to reading’ as for its mystery and style. Her ...more

Books by Diane Setterfield

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El hombre que perseguia al tiempo / The man who chased time

Érase una vez la taberna Swan / Once Upon a River

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Trivia About Once Upon a River

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Quotes from Once Upon a River

“And now, dear reader, the story is over. It is time for you to cross the bridge once more and return to the world you came from. This river, which is and is not the Thames, must continue flowing without you. You have haunted here long enough, and besides, you surely have rivers of your own to attend to?” — 6 likes

“It was better to tell such stories close to the river than in a drawing room. Words accumulate indoors, trapped by walls and ceilings. The weight of what has been said can lie heavily on what might yet be said and suffocate it. By the river the air carries the story on a journey: one sentence drifts away and makes way for the next.” — 4 likes

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