Once Upon a River - by Diane Setterfield (Paperback)

About the Book

On a dark midwinter's night in an ancient inn on the river Thames, a wounded stranger carries in the lifeless body of a small child. Hours later the girl stirs, and returns to life. Is it a miracle? Magic? As the days pass the child remains mute and unable to answer questions. Three families are keen to claim her: the wealthy mother of a kidnapped daughter missing for two years; a farming family sure it is their son's secret daughter; a parson's housekeeper, reminded of her younger sister. Each family has secrets, which must be revealed before the girl's identity can be known.

Book Synopsis

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

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Thirteenth Tale comes a "swift and entrancing, profound and beautiful" (Madeline Miller, 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).

Review Quotes

"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