Diane Setterfield is a masterful storyteller. She weaves words into mesmerizing pictures that demand attention from a reader. I felt like I knew every place and every person that I read about in Once Upon a River. The characters were skillfully crafted and believable. This ranks as one of my favorite books of the year

The story starts at The Swan at Radcot near the Thames River. It is a place that is known for storytelling. One night a stranger appears at the door. His face has taken a beating and he looks close to drowned. He collapses in the doorway. There is speculation about who the man is but the more interesting discussion is about what he was carrying.

Thank you Atria Books for the Advanced Reader's Copy. All opinions expressed are completely my own.
#OnceUponaRiver #NetGalley.

Diane Setterfield did not disappoint. I am a huge fan of hers. I loved THE THIRTEENTH TALE as I did BELLMAN AND BLACK. In ONCE UPON A RIVER she expands her gifted storytelling even further to our delight.

We find ourselves along the Thames river, the year is 1887, the tale begins along the banks of the river in a tavern named the Swan, where story telling is a traditional, important art.

We will meet with with three little girls, Ann, Alice and Amelia among a wide cast of adults of various backgrounds as applies to any good tale and a wonderful tale of is.



Thank you Atria and NetGalley for allowing me to read this advance copy.

This book is about a little girl found drowned in the river that mysteriously comes back to life. Three families, all of them with tragic tales of missing children, claim her as their own. Henry Daunt, the man that saved her from the river, and her nurse, Rita Sunday, try to discover her true identity in this fascinating tale.
I was so excited to see another book by Diane Setterfield was coming out soon since I loved The Thirteenth Tale. I couldn't put it down! I wondered while reading how all of the families could think this was their little girl, but it all gets explained in the end. This book is full of mystery, magic, and folklore...a must read! Thank you to Diane Setterfield, Atria Books, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

This book was entirely too exciting, and it cost me hours of sleep.

Jack and Wynn are college students and best friends, alike in that they’re both readers, and both very much into fishing, canoeing, hiking, being outside. But they’re different in that Wynn is optimistic. He believes in the best of people and in things basically always working out. Jack has experienced a childhood tragedy. He knows that sometimes things don’t work out, and it’s made him cautious and watchful. They have finished up their summer jobs and are doing a whitewater canoe trip they’ve dreamed about through northern Quebec. It’s a wonder at first. They talk and smoke, pick blueberries and fly-fish for trout, enjoy the sun and wildlife, camp-cooking and not having a schedule. But then they smell smoke, climb a little rise, and see a fire off in the distance, a big one. And there are other people on this river, too, and their intentions are not as innocent as Jack and Wynn’s...

It’s a very classic kind of tale and reminded me of Cormac McCarthy, but with more straightforward writing, of Jack London, but with more modern language, Hemingway, but less sparse, or John Krakauer, except that it’s fiction. It was full of beautifully observed detail. At one point, Jack notices that another character isn’t a hunter because he’s not constantly, instinctively scanning the river banks. There are lovely observations of fishing and bird behavior, and the description of the fire, when it arrives makes you feel like you are there. Jack and Wynn are fully realized characters who I also really liked. And I read this book in about 2 days, no matter how busy, distractible I am. It’s pretty short, less than 200 pages, but still. I loved it. Even if I’m paying the price today after reading until two in the morning.

This was an amazing book!! It was so gripping, and detailed. The author has a way of drawing the reader in. I was hooked from the first page. I loved every word!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

I really liked The Thirteenth Tale, so I was looking forward to this, but I gave up about 20% of the way in. It just didn't hold my attention.

(will add link to blog post closer to publication date)

Plot Summary
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The book opens with an injured man entering the bar of the Swan Inn, an inn-slash-tavern in the small town of Radcot situated along the Thames -- carrying a young girl, who appears to be deceased. The body is brought to the hospital to be inspected, but then a miracle happens and the young girl mysteriously reawakens.

Once Upon a River is about three families -- the Vaughans, the Armstrongs and and Lilly White -- who have each lost a young girl. When the story of the miracle involving a young girl at the Swan Inn begins to make it way from town to town, each of these families hope that this young girl is their own.

The story explores each of the claims on the young girl, the motivations and histories of these claimants, and many the townspeople who are drawn to the young girl and the mystery behind her apparent miracle.

Book Review
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Once Upon a River begins with a lot of exposition -- characters, backgrounds, cities, locations and families, etc. and introductions of new plotlines -- that fills the first quarter of the book. While this prelude is atmospheric and infused with magic, the question of "what exactly is going on here" takes a while to be answered since each chapter ends in a cloud of mystery and each new chapter seems to introduce a new set of characters.

That said, once the scene is set, the story starts to take shape in a way that sparked my interest and curiosity. Setterfield focuses more on storytelling than character development, but the storytelling is purposeful and imaginative enough to drive the book forward.

Once Upon a River is folk-lorish in that it exists in some nondescript sense of time and reality, and the writing has a sort of omniscient, dreamy quality to it. Moreover, it probes at a rather meta issue by exploring a staple characteristic of folk tales: the blurring of fact and fantasy.

Throughout the book, there are occurrences or circumstances that could possibly be explained away by science or could potentially be the sign of something fantastical. Rita, a nurse who fulfills all the medical needs of the town, and Henry, who is a photographer, provide the "scientific" and logical voice of the novel, seeking to explain these fantastical happenings in rational terms.

The book is not in a rush to divulge its many secrets. While the plot moves steadily forward, there are a lot of unanswered questions at any given time. I'd recommend getting comfortable with not knowing precisely where the story will end up, and just enjoying the ride. Ultimately, I found that it was well worth the time. I'll also add that yes, the book has a concrete ending and does end up resolving most of it's mysteries (as opposed just petering off which some atmospheric novels tend to do).

One last thing to note is that an interesting aspect of the story is that the settings and locations in Setterfield's novel are largely real places -- the towns, the churches and manors. I found those collisions with reality rather charming, enhancing the overall theme of fact and fantasy being intertwined in this book.

Once Upon A River is a magical reading experience. It is not magical in the sense of sleight of hand or extrasensory events, but magical in that it pulls you into an alternative world from the first word and does not release you until the last one. Then it leaves you thinking about it and feeling desolate that it is ended. Not many books have that effect, but obviously Diane Setterfield is a master of that achievement.

This novel could be about the River Thames in the mid 19th Century or it could be a folk tale repeated for generations. In it, you find out a great deal about both the river and the people who live alongside this part of its length.

On a stormy night, two people are brought into The Swan, a pub on the river. The man is badly injured and the little girl rescued from the river appears dead. Rita, an orphan raised by nuns is a nurse, really more of a physician, who is called in to minister to them. She stitches the man's wounds and while holding the child notices that she has a pulse and seems to have returned from the dead.

Who is this child? Three different people think they know but they are all mistaken. The novel is peopled with the most deeply etched characters from the black man, Armstrong, to the Down's Syndrome Jonathan, son of the pub owners. No character is too small not to remain behind in your mind and heart. No sentence is less than perfect in keeping with the mood of the story. And the ending? Satisfying. Totally

Many thanks to NetGalley, Diane Setterfield and Emily Bestler/Atria Books for the privilege of reading and reviewing an early copy of Once Upon A River.

I almost could not put down Diane Setterfield's new novel, Once Upon a River. It's an intriguing tale that begins on a dark night in an inn beside the river Thames. A stranger enters, a dead child in his arms. Hours later, the little girl comes back to life. Did some magic restore her, or can science explain this apparent miracle? And who is she? More than one person wants to claim her. The mystery plays out, holding readers in its spell. If you enjoyed Setterfield's previous book, The Thirteenth Tale, you'll want to read this one, too. Highly recommended.

Wow. This one took me by surprise. It took me a bit to get into it, but once I did, I just loved it. A beautifully crafted story. I felt like I was sitting at the Swan along the river and listening to the great storytellers. Some great characters and the multiple plots all tied together into a cohesive story along the main one. Highly recommend!!

Writing: 4 Plot: 5+ Characters: 4

An old-fashioned Story (with a capital S!) full of richly drawn archetypal characters, a convoluted but cohesive plot, and just the hint of inexplicable mysteries.

In (roughly) England in the mid-1800s, near a powerful river that may or may not be the Thames, there stands The Swan — a country inn known for the storytelling skills of its patrons. One night during a rough storm the regulars swear to a Miracle — the corpse of a drowned child, pale and angelic, comes to life hours after the local healer pronounced her dead. The child has a strange effect on those who see her — she raises an inexplicable feeling of connection and need in them all. Lily White swears the child is her long-dead sister Ann; the Vaughans are convinced she is the child abducted from them two years ago; Robert Armstrong thinks it is the abandoned child of his neer-do-well son Robin. Launched by this perceived Miracle, there are stories upon stories, many intertwined, all of them rich, some bursting forth while others are slowly extracted. The overall pacing at which the confusion unravels is just right. With beautiful descriptions of the countryside and the different moods of the river, it is a lyrical tale about the power of storytelling that utterly embodies the point!

Great for fans of Alice Hoffman or Charles De Lint.

There are few authors who can take a common archetype like water and use it to deliver a fresh, wholly original tale that ensnares the reader from start to finish. Diane Setterfield does that in Once Upon a River. She uses the River to create the spine upon which she builds multiple stories that eventually meet to join the main narrative, just as tributaries meet the river.

Setterfield’s debut, The Thirteenth Tale, was as brilliant a novel as I’ve ever read and has become one that I re-read occasionally and recommend constantly. Her sophomore effort, Bellman & Black, didn’t appeal to me in the same way, but this one...oh, this one...is a story that I will remember for a long time. The characters are engaging and cleverly written, and the stories are joyful and heartbreaking...at the same time. I especially admire how sensitively Setterfield writes about differences. Jonathan, son of the innkeepers and born with Down Syndrome, is portrayed as a valuable and much-loved member of the family and contributor to the community. Armstrong, the bastard son of an Earl and a Black servant, is portrayed as a powerful, just, and loving man in the Englilh countryside of long ago. And finally there is my favorite character Rita, the village “wise woman” who is really just a woman with common sense who loves to read and learn and who is trusted and loved by the villagers.

These are just three of the characters who people the pages of Once Upon a River, but there are more who will undoubtedly appeal to other readers. Part of Setterfield’s appeal for me is her attention to detail and character-building. Every single character could step out of this book and be a real person.

The multiple stories built throughout this book could stand alone, but here, Setterfield ties them all to the story of a small, mute girl rescued from the river. Who is she and where did she come from? That’s the question that drives all the action forward and leaves you guessing to the very end.

Looked at in a larger context, Once Upon a River is a story about stories and the importance (and danger) of telling tales. Setterfield masterfully shows how stories spread and grow into new things, just as small streams eventually become big rivers. Highly recommended.

This was wonderful. Very much has the feel of fantasy, even though the reader's not completely sure that anything magical happened. Cozy & new at once.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book
This author is a treasure in the bane of DeMaurier. She is the master of the gothic suspense novel. Her writing is filled with as many twists and turns as a mountain road and remind you of movies from Hollywood’s golden age
So good!

When I requested this novel for review I didn’t initially make the connection between Diane Setterfield and The Thirteenth Tale , which is a book that I adore and can’t stop recommending. Once I made the connection I was over the moon!

I think the thing that is so great about Once Upon a River is that it feels so very like The Thirteenth Tale in all the ways that I loved – beautiful writing, clever turns of phrases, and masterful, engaging storytelling – but it is uniquely its own novel and masterpiece.

In Once Upon a River Setterfield takes us to the Thames of old England (mid 1800s I would guess) where three families are in desperate search of a child. When one night a four-year-old girl is miraculously saved from the river after appearing dead, all families involved want to believe that she is theirs. Inevitably, stories start flying and the tale becomes something bigger than itself, shrouded in mystery and magic.

What I love so much about this novel is that everything that happens can easily be explained away by logic, but it also becomes clear how tales of magic can come from unexplainable events. I firmly believe that there was no real magic in this novel, but there were times that everything seemed so uncertain that I couldn’t help but wonder if it could be true. That ability to make me question and to believe in the folklore is probably Setterfield’s greatest feet in this amazing novel.

Once Upon a River is definitely a slow, character driven novel, so you need to be in the right mood for it, but it is worth the read. If what you want is a well-crafted novel that sucks you in and makes you think (with plenty of emotional and relationship drama!), this one is for you.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and Diane Setterfield for granting me an ARC of this novel for review. All opinions are completely my own.

As a lover of "The Thirteenth Tale," I was concerned that I would be let down by "Once Upon a River." I needn't have worried. Diane Setterfield is the perfect storyteller to create a story about... stories and storytelling. Each character is woven of intricate cloth, becoming more vivid with each successive chapter. The mysterious child, who may belong to one of three people, is at the center where all worlds meet.

If you enjoy expert storytelling with compelling characters and a mystery that begs to be solved, pick up "Once Upon a River," by Diane Setterfield.

Once upon a time...are there any words more spellbinding than the traditional beginning of a fairy tale? And what a bewitching tale Setterfield weaves together in her new novel, from the dramatic opening scene at The Swan, a village drinking spot near the Thames famed for storytellers, to the nearly happily ever after ending. Picture the local pub on the night of the winter solstice with everyone settling in for a night of drinks and stories when a gravely injured, half-drowned man bursts in carrying the seemingly lifeless body of a young girl. Rita, the only nurse for miles, tends to the man and checks the girl for signs of life. Some time passes before Rita finally detects a pulse in the girl. Was she dead and came back to life? What can explain her sudden revival?

The girl's sudden appearance gives rise to intricately meshed plot threads where three families who have lost their little girls may have rights to claim the rescued child - Anthony and Helena whose daughter was kidnapped two years ago, the Armstrongs whose granddaughter was lost and Lily whose sister died years ago. As the four-year-old girl's return works magic on the lives of those who have experienced the loss and grief of losing a child dear to them, Setterfield skillfully crafts a novel rich in language, folklore, characters and the pure enchantment of storytelling set in a time where the newly budding sciences of photography and Darwinism cast a new spell on Victorians. Fans of Setterfield and fairy tales alike will find much to love in Once Upon A River. #OnceUponaRiver #NetGalley

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an egalley of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This book really surprised me. The story is set in a small English village located near the source of the Thames River. A young girl is pulled out of the river, apparently dead. After her body is carried into a local inn, she unexpectedly revives, but is unable to speak or to give the villagers any information about her identity. In the absence of a clear identity, various townspeople become convinced that she is their respective relative, each of whom had disappeared under various mysterious circumstances.

The novel changes point of view from chapter to chapter. The reader slowly learns more about the circumstances leading to the loss of a child for each character. Each situation is somewhat mysterious, and the changing viewpoints made me feel a bit confused. I wasn’t always sure I completely understood what was actually occurring, what were dreams and what were memories.

I even considered not finishing the book because I felt so uncomfortable with that confusion. However the writing was lovely, and I really liked many of the characters enough to keep reading anyway, and I am glad that I did.

By the end of the book, the reader comes to learn the real circumstances behind each child’s disappearance, and the ending was beautiful, moving and still rather mysterious in a lovely way. This was my first book by Setterfield, and I will definitely be seeking out more from her.

I received this book as an advanced reading copy from Atria/Emily Bestler Books via NetGalley. Thanks!

Setterfield's writing is so engrossing! Every time I read one of her books I'm stunned by her ability to completely immerse me in the setting. A full cast of well-developed characters, mystery, a hint of the supernatural . . . I loved everything about this book. I was so invested in each individual's story. Greed, grief, love, want, hope, guilt, fear, forgiveness, humility . . . the range of human emotion and experience expertly and compassionately portrayed is a testament to Setterfield's ability. I will read anything she writes. I will also buy a copy of this book the minute it's available (I read an ARC).

*I received an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

I have enjoyed other titles by this author so I was happy to read her latest book. Part fairytale, part ghost story, this book switches often between multiple characters with several back stories. The plot involves missing children, specifically a four year old girl who may or may not be a child kidnapped 2 years prior or a girl drowned in a river 2 days hence. A solid read from the author but not as enjoyable as previous books.