Not quite what I was expecting, but that didn't keep me from enjoying the book. The description made it sound like a fairy tale with a lot more magic and such, a la "Stardust", but it ended up being a story with a little bit of magical realism and a world that left you wondering if the magic was real or something the characters imagined. The book's pace was steady, and never felt like I was about to be washed away in the plot. Rather, I felt myself floating along at an enjoyable rate.

You're welcome for the water analogies.

I think I will be in the minority, but I really didn't enjoy this book. The story seemed to crawl along and was bogged down with pages and pages of descriptions which I found unnecessary. I also didn't care for the magic and religious undertones. This one just wasn't for me.

I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

On a winter solstice in 19th century England, a night of drinking at the Swan is interrupted when an injured man shows up, holding a dead girl in his arms. No one knows who they are. Two hours later, the girl returns to life. Who is she? Lily White recognizes her as her younger sister, Ann. Robert Armstrong believes she is the daughter of his oldest son, Robin, thrown in the river by her mother before the mother killed herself. Helena Vaughn recognizes her daughter Amelia, kidnapped two years ago and not seen since. The regulars at the Swan love stories, and now they are living an epic story of their own.

Despite all the events taking place on or near the solstices and equinoxes over the course of a year, this was a slow-paced story. Setterfield is clearly a capable writer, but I just felt indifferent to this book. I generally love magical reaslism, but for me, the magic was missing in this story.

Note: I received a free copy of Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Swan, an inn somewhere along the River Thames, is a hotbed of stories. Everyone who comes in either wants to hear stories or tell them. And then, one night in 1887, the Swan becomes the setting of one such magical story when an injured man stumbles in carrying a dead girl. Only, just hours and pages later, the girl is somehow alive. So starts a story of stories and the mystery of who the girl is and where she belongs.

Throughout the story we are introduced to many different characters, all with different backstories of their own but, through the child, the stories are interwoven into one. There are two families who are missing children and want to claim the young girl for their own. There's a nurse, the man who discovered the child in his boat, the inn owners and their extended family, and a woman who was broken at a young age and tries to handle her life while still under her brother's nasty rule. 

There's also a local myth about Quietly whose story discusses life and death and who pops up over and over again throughout the course of the tale.

This was beautifully written and very character driven and thought it took me a long time to read because of the intricacy of the plot I really loved it.

It's hard for me to write a review of this. On the one hand, it was very special, with lots of twists and turns. On the other hand, the slow pace made me put it down and pick it back up multiple times.

This is a well-told story that I simply couldn't get into. It's interesting enough and the writing is good, but I felt that it really dragged along at times. But I would recommend it to those who like the slow, meandering tales that don't divulge secrets until the end. Because that's how long it takes - the mystery established at the very beginning doesn't get resolved until the final couple of chapters. But it was relatively satisfying how things turned out.

Oh my goodness, this story was an unexpected little gem.
I adored it so much. Magical realism is a sub-genre that I rarely pick up on purpose, but when I do I'm always reminded of how much I love it and it makes me incredibly happy.
This story is a beautiful little fairy-tale-esque mystery that is completely captivating from start to finish. You are constantly trying to figure out exactly what is happening, while also being wrapped up in the lives of all of the characters within the story.

This ended up being a super interesting read that circled the influence of the river that runs this rural village. Set in an unidentified historic time period where the local tavern is the center of town, a mysterious child is saved from the river. She could be the missing daughter of the local prominent family whose child was kidnapped two years ago or the missing child of a local conman. Families are thrown into turmoil while the villagers get to enjoy the resulting new stories and speculation.

A novel that delves into the stories we tell ourselves, the imagine people show the world, and the mysteries and meaning of life.

This is a fairy tale kind of a book with lots of characters, folk lore, and a magical atmosphere. It's rather slow reading but beautifully written.

It's an interesting book but I didn't like it as much as I did 'The Thirteenth Tale' by this author.

It took me a really long time to finish this book, longer than usual. I’m not sure if it was because I was preoccupied with real life, whether the beginning just didn’t grab me or because I was reminded of the “Snow Child” so couldn’t read on—maybe a little of all.

In the beginning I couldn’t wait to start reading it & was so happy after being granted pre-release reading approval. I so loved “The Thirteenth Tale”. Then I just got stuck.

I thoroughly enjoyed the gothic setting of this historic community along the Thames. The community gathering place “The Swan”, the families, the morality of many of the characters, the old parables of good & evil, the idea of eternity... The story, once you really fall into it & allow yourself to be carried along by the current, is actually quite good.

Thank you, Attria Books, for the opportunity to read this tale.

I enjoyed this book and had no trouble at all reading large pieces of it at a time, turning it over and over trying to make the pieces fit. But the ending was a bit unsatisfying. The chief trouble with Setterfield, if I may venture to criticize someone whose work I like very much, is that she can never quite decide if she wants to be writing about magic or not. And I get it: part of what this book is about is the nature of storytelling, and its being the domain of the reader/listener to decide what to believe. But that kind of ambiguity is a delicate trick to pull off, and I’m not sure she’s always perfectly successful at it.

Let me tell you about a 4-year-old girl ghat was found in the river last night. Some man stumbled into The Swan with her, all bundled up but soaking wet. His face was all bashed in when he came, so he can't explain how he got there, but he remembers finding her in the river. At first, when they arrived in the bar, soaking wet, the child was dead so they left her alone to tend to her savior since he, at least, seemed like he might recover. Some time later, the child was alive again. Alive, I say. Dead, once, but alive now, with not a single mark on her body to say where she came from. And then, three families who say that she belongs to them, start showing up. One by one, everyone wants her, none can prove with certainty, who she really is. Shall I start the story again? Okay let me start this way... Once upon a river....
My thoughts as I made my way through the story:
18% completed: I'm entranced by the murkiness of this tale. The characters all seem very otherworldly and this might just the kind of story I need right now
.40% completed: I love the naming convention being used here. In several cases, the author presents the multiple identities that a single character could take - Ann, Amelia or Alice or Robert and Robin or Margot and little Margots - and I love that they could all be phases of the same person, the way a river can take on a different identity at various parts of its life cycle
.50% completed: I want to stop and start this book again so I can experience a second time this intricately woven story.
Final thoughts: I thoroughly enjoyed both the story and the storytelling in this kind of mythological tale about a girl who seems to return to life from death, kind of like a river goes through phases of existence many times. At its center is a discussion of belonging, and what claim we ultimately have on other people and indeed nature itself, since none who try to claim this girl can actually prove their connection.  Ultimately, however, since the story isn't so much about the girl herself, but of what she represents, I also loved how artfully the author presented the legend of the ferryman who plies the river between life and death and what these passageways mean for humanity, the powerful force of water, what it provides, what it takes, the detritus it collects and eventually deposits and what it leaves behind when it departs.The story is set around the banks of the Thames in England sometime during the mid 19th century and also discusses some of the social issues of the time - the impact of slavery and domestic abuse, gender inequality and the role of religion in the lives of people.I highly recommend this impressively constructed, entrancing tale for what it says about the fluidity of life and the transmutation that it hints at but more so about the power of a story to change both the person who tells and who hears it.

I really liked the setting and the intrigue. The mix of characters was also great. The plot moved a little too slowly for my preference though.

At the heart of this book is the desperate longing for reason and understanding that comes from the loss of a child. Parents, family members, and neighbors alike want answers, and they turn to the most likely and unlikely of places to find them.



When a man with a brutal injury staggers into the swan holding a bundle in his arms, the audience immediately thinks he's inexplicably carrying a doll. Then they realize it's a child, sadly beyond their help. She's laid in a quiet room alone while the survivor's injuries are tended to by the local nurse. And when all seemed to have quieted, suddenly the girl breathes again! It's a miraculous experience for all who are lucky to have been in the tavern that night, but - as is the case in all such situations - real life quickly intrudes.



Who does the girl belong to? There are multiple families who long to claim her. Wealthy parents whose daughter was kidnapped two years prior. A farming family who hopes and prays this girl is their estranged son's daughter. The quiet, watchful, eternally remorseful sister who is certain this is her opportunity to set things right. So much loss and sorrow and hope and confusion concentrated in one small community.



Despite the story being so fanciful and packed with mythology, there is such a sense of realism here. It's easy for the reader to relate to many of the characters, riding an impressive roller coaster of emotions from the first page to the last.



This was my first experience reading some of Diane Setterfield's work, and I was truly impressed. I really enjoyed her style and the way I just fell in love with her characters. I look forward to reading more of her work in the future.

For someone that makes no bones about disliking literary fiction- The sky is blue, I don't need three lines on how it was the same blue as the ribbon your sister wore in her fair at the faite when she was six-I completely fall into Setterfield's work as I have with maybe only one other current author of the kind, [author:Carlos Ruiz Zafón|815].

The world is gone and I am in the clutches, their time period and yes, their slave. It's like jumping into a like not knowing where the bottom is and not caring, that is how trust I have for her skill and abilities. That's powerful.

Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield is a 2019 Atria/Emily Bestler Books publication.

A deeply mysterious, hypnotic and fantastical Gothic yarn!

Nearly a century ago, on Winter Solstice, folks assembled together at ‘The Swan at Radcot’, a local inn, where they plan to spend the evening swapping stories. But, suddenly, a stranger comes staggering in, half drowned, carrying a young girl, who appears deceased. However, when the local nurse is called to the scene, she discovers the child is breathing- appearing to have miraculously returned from the dead!!

The man who rescued the child has no idea who she is. While the girl remains mute, she is claimed by three different people or families. One woman dubiously claims the girl is her sister, while another couple, devastated by the kidnapping of their only daughter, is positive the child is theirs, and yet another couple is convinced the girl is their grandchild, the daughter of their ne’er do well son.

While the base foundation is built up around the mystery of the Lazarus child, there are several separate threads embedded within the main story.

Each character carries a burden, a secret, or extreme guilt, but they also carry hope and the wish to keep the child away from any harm, refusing to become combatant with the others who wish to claim her.

The author weaves magical realism into the mysterious tale seamlessly, creating an exquisite Gothic atmosphere so thick you can slice it. This book is perfectly suited to my taste in Gothic fiction. I loved the mystery, the allegory, and the combinations of various historical and Gothic styles the author employs, which pays homage to a few literary greats.

In many ways, this novel is an ode to storytelling, because the art of verbal storytelling, is at the core upon which the book is based. The residents who gather at ‘The Swan’ and their stories, are referenced often.

Even the title, borrows from the age old ‘Once Upon a Time’ which precedes a great many stories which have been passed down for centuries. These tales, legends and myths, folklore and fairytales, can challenge the imagination, and nurture creativity, as well as pass along a few lessons, encouraging one to exercise a little critical thinking, as well.

This absorbing tale slowly lures the reader into its web, moving at a languid pace, bringing various threads together a little at a time, while providing what might be best described as vignettes within the base of the story, which keeps the reader invested, while adding depth, character, and emotions into the mix, leaving one transfixed by the all the implications and developments, the imagery, whimsy and reflection.

This story does have a large cast of characters, does meander a bit, and is very dense, which did require a sharper focus on my part. Ironically, though, the large cast, and the intricacy of the plot, which I normally struggle with, was an asset and not a hindrance, in this case.

However, one may need to exercise a little patience, in the beginning, and I might also suggest unplugging for a while, to fully absorb the rich textures and layers of the story. Savor this one slowly when you can give it your undivided attention.

You’ll soon find yourself lost in another time and place, so far removed from the ordinary you’ll be reluctant to leave the cocoon the story has wrapped you up in. That is what a good story should do-

If you follow my reviews, then you know I love Gothic tales- so of course, I was easily drawn into this unique story, and relished every second of it! For those who aren’t into Gothic stories as much as I am, this one might challenge you a bit. But, if you stick with it, you may discover, that while it might be an acquired a taste, once you’ve been bitten by the bug you'll be a fan for life.

5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read Diane Setterfield's Once Upon a River. This historical mystery tale begins when a wounded stranger enters The Swan pub carrying what appears to be a waxen doll and is told like a fairytale. The mystery begins when the doll turns out to be a little girl who seems dead only to come to life setting tongues wagging in the village and villages up and down the Thames. Who is the little girl? Two families seem to claim her but there is a cruel plot afoot. With elements of the supernatural balanced by the scientific logic of a Rita, the local nurse and Henry Daunt, a skilled photographer and the girl's rescuer, some mysteries are solved and some endings are happy.
The first third of Once Upon a River moves a bit slowly as the reader is acquainted with the characters and the local lore but after Part One the story moves along more steadily with as many twists and unexpected connections as the river itself. It was these twists that kept me reading, eager to learn exactly where the girl had come from. Personally, as the daughter of a photographer, I was most fascinated by the Victorian era photography methods and Taunt's character.

Diane Sutterfield has done it again with another great read. The characters were interesting, the multiple plot line intriguing, and the story premise enjoyable. Definitely will recommend this to our readers.

A beautifully written story about the power of stories. It's a slow burn, so grab a snack and a blanket and settle in. Lots of atmosphere and a bit of magic, some suspense, and an air of mystery. Read this when you're ready to fall into a book and not come out for a while.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC. Having read Setterfield’s Thirteenth Tale, I looked forward to reading her latest book, which did not disappoint. This story is set along the banks of the Thames where families live and their lives intertwine. The story itself is much like a river, in that it meanders and yet has direction. The surface may be still at times and which belies depth of narrative. There is a mystery the characters are puzzled by, along with the reader. It’s worth being patient to have most of the loose ends resolved at the end of the story - almost all, anyway. Some mysteries remain undiscovered. Setterfield’s prose is easy to fall into, and pulls you along, wondering what’s around the bend. Highly recommended.