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Diane Setterfield

Once Upon a River: A Novel Paperback – 2 July 2019

by Diane Setterfield (Author)

4.3 17,471 ratings

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From the instant #1 New York Times bestselling author of the "eerie and fascinating" (USA TODAY) The Thirteenth Tale comes a "swift and entrancing, profound and beautiful" (Madeline Miller, internationally bestselling author of Circe) novel about how we explain the world to ourselves, ourselves to others, and the meaning of our lives in a universe that remains impenetrably mysterious.

On a dark midwinter's night in an ancient inn on the river Thames, an extraordinary event takes place. The regulars are telling stories to while away the dark hours, when the door bursts open on a grievously wounded stranger. In his arms is the lifeless body of a small child. Hours later, the girl stirs, takes a breath and returns to life. Is it a miracle? Is it magic? Or can science provide an explanation? These questions have many answers, some of them quite dark indeed.

Those who dwell on the river bank apply all their ingenuity to solving the puzzle of the girl who died and lived again, yet as the days pass the mystery only deepens. The child herself is mute and unable to answer the essential questions: Who is she? Where did she come from? And to whom does she belong? But answers proliferate nonetheless.

Three families are keen to claim her. A wealthy young mother knows the girl is her kidnapped daughter, missing for two years. A farming family reeling from the discovery of their son's secret liaison stand ready to welcome their granddaughter. The parson's housekeeper, humble and isolated, sees in the child the image of her younger sister. But the return of a lost child is not without complications and no matter how heartbreaking the past losses, no matter how precious the child herself, this girl cannot be everyone's. Each family has mysteries of its own, and many secrets must be revealed before the girl's identity can be known.

Once Upon a River is a glorious tapestry of a book that combines folklore and science, magic and myth. Suspenseful, romantic, and richly atmospheric, this is "a beguiling tale, full of twists and turns like the river at its heart, and just as rich and intriguing" (M.L. Stedman, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Light Between Oceans).

Print length

496 pages
Language

English
Publication date

2 July 2019
Dimensions

13.49 x 3.05 x 20.96 cm
ISBN-10

074329808X
ISBN-13

978-0743298087
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Review

"This enchanting book from the author of The Thirteenth Tale is filled with folklore, romance, suspense."-- "Bustle, "The 8 Best Fiction Books Coming Out In December 2018""

"This probing inquiry into human nature is also spooky fun."-- "Vulture, "6 New Books You Should Read This December""

"A magical, lyrical tale, filled with quests and questions."-- "The BBC"

"A mosaic of modern folklore."-- "InStyle"

"Diane Setterfield weaves a beautiful, suspenseful mystery . . . will keep you engrossed until the very last page."-- "PopSugar"

"Setterfield fills this richly layered plot with a fascinating cast of memorable characters who weave in and out of each other's lives."-- "Booklist"

"Setterfield masterfully assembles an ensemble of wounded, vulnerable characters who, nevertheless, live by the slimmest margins of hope--hope that springs from family, from the search for meaning, from people's decency to strangers, from the belief that truth heals and sets one free . . . Celebrates the timeless secrets of life, death and imagination--and the enduring power of words. Fans, rejoice!"-- "Kirkus Reviews (starred review)"

"Setterfield's prose feels lifted from another era, a gothic lyricism resembling old classics like Jane Eyre."-- "Entertainment Weekly"

"The heart of the story are the relationships that twist and turn, as if they also follow the river."-- "Publishers Weekly (starred review)"

"Utterly enthralling."-- "New York Journal of Books"

"I was completely spellbound by this book. Numerous strands of the same story are skillfully woven into a magical web from which I, as a reader, had no desire to escape. Setterfield's prose is beautiful, dark and eerily atmospheric, and her rich cast of characters convincingly illustrate the best and worst of humanity. Utterly brilliant!" --Ruth Hogan, internationally bestselling author of THE KEEPER OF LOST THINGS and THE WISDOM OF SALLY RED SHOES

"Diane Setterfield has created a true reading experience. Once Upon a River is the story of three missing girls and three desperate families all set against the Thames and woven together with magic, mystery, and mayhem. It is beautiful and heartbreaking and altogether wondrous. Simply put, it is a joy to read."--Ariel Lawhon, author of I WAS ANASTASIA

"Once Upon a River is a delight, just marvelous. I devoured it in gulps."--Jo Baker, internationally bestselling author of LONGBOURN

"Once Upon A River succeeds in doing what you hope every book will do - pull you in from the first page, hold you captive in the middle, then leave you satisfied and thoughtful at the end. I loved it."--Renee Knight, critically-acclaimed author of DISCLAIMER

About the Author

Diane Setterfield is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Thirteenth Tale, and a former academic, specializing in twentieth-century French literature, particularly the works of Andre Gide. She lives in Oxford, England.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Atria Books; Reprint edition (2 July 2019)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 496 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 074329808X
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0743298087
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 13.49 x 3.05 x 20.96 cm

Customer Reviews:
4.3 17,471 ratings

About the author

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Diane Setterfield

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Diane Setterfield is a former academic, specializing in twentieth-century French literature. She lives in Yorkshire, England.

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Snapdragon

Original tale of Victorian Thames, beautifully told

Reviewed in Australia on 20 June 2019

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This is a lovely book to wade into and through. Constant images of water drip through a strange tale of what happened on, before and after a wet winter solstice night when a damaged man and a dead little girl are brought to The Swan Inn. The man is Henry Daunt, photographer. The child, surprisingly, breathes again and is claimed by two families. Helena Vaughan is overjoyed at the return of Amelia, who was taken two years previously. Her husband Anthony is less sure that the child is theirs. Robert Armstrong is the illegitimate son of an earl and a black servant. He a kind and noble man and a successful farmer. He married his wife Bess knowing that she was already pregnant after a rape and has done his best to rear the boy Robin with as much love as he gives his own children. Unfortunately, Robin is a bad ‘un. He eloped with a wealthy woman whose parents then shunned them, whereupon Robin shunned her, leaving her and little Alice in the lurch. So is the silent child Amelia or Alice ... or someone else? This is the mystery around which events of the coming year evolve.

The book is peopled with a marvellous cast of characters, including the story telling regulars at the Swan. Many readers will love Rita, the orphaned, convent-reared spinster nurse with an enlightened, scientific cast of mind. There’s a nasty character lurking in the background who turns out to be pulling strings behind the scenes. Diane Setterfield does a brilliant job of evoking the complex interweaving of Victorian river life as it rains and rains. The Thames eventually floods. The regulars discuss the strange notion that humans are descended from apes. Daunt sets up his photography business on a boat and becomes involved in the unfolding drama. Anthony Vaughan eventually unburdens his soul to the wise Mrs Constantine who practises the new discipline of psychology in Oxford. This is such a rewarding book that I’m going to download her others immediately.

5 people found this helpful

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M M Thwaite

Highly recommended reading

Reviewed in Australia on 30 March 2019

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I loved this book about storytelling with a big emphasis on watery imagery in its many forms - river, streams, rain, mist, fog, floods, teardrops, mucous, sweat, sniffles, amniotic fluid and more. Each chapter has so many references to water. Water permeates, drips and flows throughout this mysterious, curious and often magical tale. The title is so apt.

The story flows at a gradual and gentle pace, but there is a sense of foreboding throughout ...."something is going to happen." Several stories are interwoven and each story changes the direction as surely as the river.

It captured and held my interest throughout, as did the descriptive "slice of life" in 19th Century rural, village and town settings in England - at a time when superstitions were rife, and yet scientific thinking and questioning were emerging. Diane Setterfield took me right back there in time - with her atmospheric storytelling. There were hints of the style of Thomas Hardy, especially with the use of the local dialect.

4 people found this helpful

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Davey

Recommended.

Reviewed in Australia on 31 August 2021

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"Once Upon a River" by Diane Setterfield is not the easiest book to get into, but once in it is well worth it. It is a magical tale and very well done. It held my attention until the last page. I recommend it to all.

One person found this helpful

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Sheila

A Wonderful Tale… steeped in folklore

Reviewed in Australia on 9 June 2020

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A dark night, a riverside inn, a lost child... 'Once Upon a River' has many great characters and lots of folk tales. It flows along like the Thames with plenty of atmosphere: storms and floods, old inns, storytellers and unexplained mysteries.
The tale moves slowly because of the many characters and their own interesting stories. The central tale is the mystery of the drowned child who is recovered from the river, pronounced dead and who comes back to life and who she really is..
I previously read and loved 'The Thirteenth Tale' and this book is just as beautifully written.

2 people found this helpful

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Margaret

Excellent Writing, wonderful story

Reviewed in Australia on 19 November 2020

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This is a very enjoyable novel. Absorbing plot. Very good character development.
Sense of time and place very well done. A story to enjoy.
Margaret

One person found this helpful

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Stevie Smith

Wonderful lyrical novel

Reviewed in Australia on 9 July 2020

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A truly brilliant novel. I was gripped by the story until the end. Prose was so lyrical. The feeling of the river winding through the story was magic and I loved that the Victorian photographer was based on a great photographer of the Thames River from the past. My favourite character was the nurse/midwife Rita who was so down to earth and warm. Gorgeous book!

2 people found this helpful

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Jessica

Slow-paced, yet beautifully atmospheric and mysterious book.

Reviewed in Australia on 3 May 2019

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It's a work of magical realism, set on the banks of the River Thames in 1887. There is a large cast of characters and while it was confusing to wrap my head around them all at first (taking notes helped), I was soon enough won over by their portrayals. The story is highly character-driven, which I always enjoy. No book can be to everyone's taste, but if this sounds like it might be up your alley, I highly recommend it.

3 people found this helpful

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Kindle Customer

Wonderful

Reviewed in Australia on 5 October 2021

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A mystery set in Victorian England on the river Thames. Written in gothic style meanders beautifully. A pleasure to read

One person found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

Trudy Ramirez

Somewhat engaging

Reviewed in Mexico on 1 June 2023

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The book kept me interested but I found the ending unsatisfying.

Hobnails

Captivating and Intriguing

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 6 August 2023

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The story of the river people of the Upper Thames in years gone by- their lives, hopes, sufferings and superstitions. This book is written in a. captivating style that rolls through its 420 pages. It caught me from he beginning, such believable characters, it is like being in the 'Swan' public house with them to share their fears, phobias, joys and uncertainties. Racism raises its ugly head in a pleasant and privileged way -t he one with darker coloured skin than the others can well fend for himself and his family. A really good and out of the ordinary novel. Highly recommended.

Sophie Weston

Loved this book!

Reviewed in Spain on 5 March 2023

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I have recommended this book to so many people. It starts in a inn on a river when a stranger stumbles through the door carrying a doll, and collapses. Only it isn't a doll, it's a little girl. The story is about the mystery of the child and the people connected to her story. It is always linked to the river. LOVED IT.

Giuliana

Gripping page turner

Reviewed in Italy on 13 February 2023

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It's a gripping story, with a touch of magical - and well-written, a good way to immerse yourself in book for a few hours.

Nightrider

deep story, moving and pleasing

Reviewed in Germany on 2 April 2022

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In this book words and ideas and twists flow like a river to the reader's mind, steady, calm, pleasing. The story is centered around a 4 year old girl in the 19th century in England. Who is she, and what happened to her? The Vaughans want her to be their daughter Amelia, kidnapped two years ago. The Armstrongs want her to be their grandchild Alice, lost some weeks ago. Lily wants her to be her sister Ann. And nurse Rita, a strong woman without a family, without a wish of bearing a child herself, she also could imagine to raise this girl. And above all these uncertain story-lines is the big mystery of that amazing night in Radcot upon Thames, when the girl appeared out of nowhere. Found in the arms of a man, who almost drowned in the river, she seemed to be dead. No breath, no blood-pressure, no heart-beat. And a little later the amazing fact is: She is alive. How that? Was she really dead? Was it only a "wrong impression"? But she was dead!
This book is like a river, flowing, sometimes with a strong current, sometimes slowly, calm. It is a most moving human story about parents and grandparents and sisters and nurses and a little child. It is a story about love and the mystery of life. It is a lovely book.

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