Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield - 5 stars and a heart

[Barbara M]

Although this is tagged London, there is no mention of the city if I remember correctly. Of course the Thames runs through London but this near the source of the Thames and not the river as it runs through London.

This author does a remarkable job using the language. I was completely captured by the story but very cognizant of the well-turned phrases where I had to stop and just dwell on them.

The setting is near the source of the river Thames - usually just called the river in the story and you almost forget that it is the Thames. The time period is the mid-1800 where folktales are giving way to science. There is a inn called The Swan that is know for its story-telling. One night a man stumbles in very beaten and bleeding carrying what first looks like a doll but is, in fact, a little girl about age 4. She looks dead, very pale with no pulse, no breathing. The man too is hardly breathing. They call upon Ruth, a local nurse cum doctor. And the story begins, who is this girl?

I enjoyed the way Setterfield played with names. The child could have been Ann, Alice, or Amelia and one man who could have been her father was Anthony Vaughn. There is Joe the owner and storyteller at the Swan and Jonathan, his only son. There is Margo, Joe's wife and his many daughters who are referred to as Little Margos. Robin Armstrong (another "A" name) is a possible father but more importantly there's his father the farmer Robert Armstrong. He is married to Bess and they have many children. Unlike Joe and Mabel's children these all have separate names but you don't hear them very often. Robin was their first born who is away from home, often in trouble, and they didn't know they had a grandchild. And finally, there's Lily White, who thinks the little girl might be her sister.

The story has a bit of magical realism but not anything that can't be explained away and often is, usually by Ruth who is the "scientist." The river plays a huge part, it is probably the main character in the story and Setterfield gives it many human attributes.

"Her morning routine never varied. First she went down to the river. Today the level was as she expected, neither high nor low. There was no angry rush and no menacing loitering. The water did not hiss particularly, nor roar, nor dart spiteful splashes at her hem. If flowed steadily, wholly engaged on some calm business of its own, and had not the slightest interest in Lily or her doings."

"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."

[Jgrace]

One of my favorites last year. So glad you liked it!

[Joanne]

I loved this one too

[NancyJ]

I agree with you about the language. The audio enhanced many of the lines. Thanks for including the quotes. I might reread this book some day using a kindle. There were many lines that I might have highlighted to enjoy later.

[Barbara M]

I put the second quote in - so proud of myself to find this beautiful language. THEN, there it was, in full, on the book description page on the right panel as one of the most highlighted phrases. Guess I wasn't the only one to catch my breath at this one. :-)