I loved this book and found it hard to put down - I could have read it in one sitting. The story weaves like the river, taking you into the lives and thoughts of the characters. It begins one evening at the Swan, famed for its story telling, when an injured man crashes into the pub with a dead girl in his arms and a true-life story begins which holds the locals in thrall until the last mystery is resolved. The superstitious believers in ghosts, magic, talking pigs and fortune tellers are contrasted with the latest scientific discoveries which explain some, if not all, of the goings-on.
The quality of writing and plot reminds me of Thomas Hardy, (Far from the madding crowd); George Eliot (Silas Marner); and Kate Atkinson (Behind the scenes at the museum).

If you have seen the old photographs of the Cottingley Fairies, this novel evokes a very similar sense of magic, childhood and romance. but without its innocence. This is a fairy tale story of lost children with dark sometimes brutal undertones set in a dreamy semi-fantastical alternate England in an unstated period but with hints of the Victorian or Edwardian period . Like the river of the title, the story is told in a lyrical flow of evocative words. This is a story of lost little girls, of how the grief and loss and desperation of their families lead to a series of painful mistaken identities and slow realisation of the truth which is sometimes painful but in all cases the right outcome. But not all the girls are human, some are dead and some are living but all are trying to get home in some way and all are loved. It's not clear until the end which little girl belongs to which family - human or otherwise. What sets this story apart is the blurry slightly unreal setting of a romantic sepia- toned chocolate box England, a rural English village where it turns out that magic and myth are woven into the river and the village and have an effect on those who live there. It gives this story a breathless quality of suspense as you read it. There is a constant sense of expectation that the magic that inhabits this world can at any moment reveal the truth of what happened to these children. This was truly a spellbinding novel with a difference.

Beautiful, haunting book.. winding its way, indeed like a river, with tributary stories, shifting in times and place .. a little girl is taken... and the people around are tuned in to atmosphere and dark happenings, even in the future. Really gorgeous, maybe long winded with whimsical flavor of fairy tale at times, the the grim events. But we fall in love with the women, and soft loving men who attend to them .. except not all. Really recommendable liked crazy .. sometimes it's teaching evocative words, ideas and about characters almost for its own sake .. which is a fine experience here too

I have to admit to struggling with the first half of the book. The descriptive passages are quite beautiful but for me the story lacked pace. The description became almost an indulgence that overshadowed the plot. I do not enjoy this style of writing. I very nearly gave up. The threads are cleverly woven but it is not until well into the book that the reader begins truly to see how they weave together. From that point on I did thoroughly enjoy this and was satisfied with the ending. For this reason I have found it difficult to know how many stars to award. I have given 3 because it is not for me and because my enjoyment was spoilt by the slow pace at the beginning but I can equally see how others might disagree.

A very thought provoking and compelling read. A story packed full of emotions, complex relationships and colour. I very much enjoyed it. It did however need my full dedication to finish it and I felt my interest drop off about halfway through where I felt it struggled to keep up the momentum. I’m glad I did though and will read more by this author.

Once Upon a River

A Perfect book about love, loss and telling stories.

On the banks of the River Thames, tales are being told at the Swann Inn, an ancient inn, perhaps the most ancient of them all. Regulars and travellers alike gather, as they have for hundreds of years, for storytelling is their favourite pastime.
On Solstice night in 1887 a new tale is born with the arrival at the Inn of an injured stranger and in his hands a dead child.
In the middle of night the child rises. Is it a miracle, is it magic? Who does she belong to? Several people appear to have claims on this mysterious child but why all so convinced she is theirs?

This is a slow read but in a good way.
This is a beautiful book, beautifully written, to be read slowly and enjoyed preferably on a lazy Sunday in Winter.
It’s full of folklore, magic and alot of mystery. It’s incredibly atmospheric and maintains suspense throughout. There are twists and turns to keep you guessing.

The characters are excellent, from Rita the ‘unofficial’ nurse, a perfectly written female character, to 'Quietly' the Ferryman, a mythical figure that patrols the river and rescues the unfortunates who fall foul of the river... then decides who will remain, or who will cross to the other side. These are the standouts, but there are so many that are expertly brought to life and made so interesting. The villains of the piece were also excellent, perfectly creepy and unlikable.
The author does well by not just using the Thames as an effective setting, but cleverly ensuring it acts as a character itself. It’s the perfect setting for this story, and the author manages to convey the benefits, the trappings and a psyche of a close knit community, all tied to the river in some way.

I had enjoyed the author’s previous novels and this one did not disappoint. I enjoyed the mixture of history, fantasy and magical realism. There was perfect contrast of the old and the new, folklore versus fact, in an age of increasing enlightenment, especially scientifically.
A beautiful novel about stories,
life and death ...and the bit in between.

A great start to my reading year.

I loved this book. I like books that are different, strange, out of the ordinary, even weird. Once Upon a River has all those components and more. The last book I liked as much was Gareth Hanrahan's The Gutter Prayer which drew me in from the first line and didn't let go, still hasn't let go. Once Upon a River is another such book, slipping easily into my category of not only must read but must have my own copy even though I've read it now. It will sit on my shelf exclusively for once in a lifetime special reads. It's hard to describe properly but the basic premise is an injured man walking into an inn on the river Thames carrying a child in his arms. The child appears to be dead but subsequently comes back to life. Who is she? Who does she belong to? This book is a story within stories wrapped up in overarching story. When I started reading I thought I could be reading something by Neil Gaiman but it also has (in my view) touches of Tim Burton and even M Night Shyamalan. The writing is frequently beautiful, magical and charming as well as dark with touches of the supernatural and fable.and intriguing characters. I don't think it's entering spoiler territory if I quote from the Author's Note at the end of the book, "The river Thames irrigates not only the landscape but also the imagination, and as it does so, it alters." This book can irrigate your imagination with all the charm and intrigue that reminds you why you fell in love with reading in the first place.

I hadn't read anything by Diane Setterfield before but I'll be looking to see what else she's written now. This will be one of my Books of the Year for 2019. Highly recommended and essential reading.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK/Transworld for ARC.

I started reading this book feeling very excited about the story as it seemed to be a very different type of story. Unfortunately I didn't get very far before I felt I couldn't go any further. I felt that the story didn't move very quickly - it reminded me of the style of Charles Dickens, which is not my taste at all. I don't want to leave a negative review as I feel that the book was probably just not what I was expecting, but it had a feel of historical fiction rather than a fantasy novel.

I loved this book! I loved the suspense and mystery about why the girl came back to life - the inn felt magical and surreal. It took a bit of patience in places but was well worth it. A truly fantastic read! Thank you so much for allowing me to read something so magical

I adored this book - it was an almost perfect 4.5 star read for me.

The elements of magic and mystery are carefully entwined throughout the novel in a way that fully draws the reader into this world. The novel is a much about showing the skills of story telling as it is telling a story - the narrator talks to you and makes you a part of the narrative as the oral legends of old would have done. It is carefully and effectively done. Before you know it you feel like you need to order a pint from Margot to listen to the next bit of the story.

In such a large cast of characters it is astounding that they all felt separate to me - at no point did I wonder who was talking or have to check their particular story arc. Instead, they are all drawn so fully and their stories are all so uniquely entwined with the central mystery that you always know where you are at in the narrative overall. The pace of the narrative itself is steady and pulls you along with the sense of anticipation very few authors manage to uphold for a full novel but Setterfield does with apparent ease..

The settings of the novel - Buscot Lodge, the Inn at Radcot, Basketman's Cottage, even the Collodion - they are all so fully depicted that I found it so easy to imagine them and the characters that inhabit them. This kind of attention to the setting and the feel of a place really brings the story to life.

There was one plot point which I feel was over looked. That said, in a large and complex narrative such as this, that is pretty impressive. My heart went out to many of these characters, Mr Armstong in particular, and I was really happy with the way that they all had their role to play before the end of the novel and each individual's ending was given to the reader in the last pages.

This is a book filled with a sense of the other, filled with magic and suspense. A novel that plays on the reader's love and knowledge of how one might tell a story and the elements that keep the listener/reader on the edge of their seat. Within that, there is the mystery of a child and the longing that can surround the memory of the missing.

This is a book not to be missed and I am certain it will be loved.


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Thank you to NetGalley and Doubleday for and advance copy of this book.

It might only be early days, but I think I may have just finished reading my favourite book of 2019. Once upon a River by Diane Setterfield is a beautifully crafted book. It reminded me very much of another book I love called The Bear and the Nightingale in terms of the writing style and whimsical content.

The book begins with the author describing the numerous inns that line the river Thames each one with its own specialism.

“The Swan at Radcot had its own specialism. It was where you went for storytelling.”

When the story begins on the night of the Winter Solstice in an ancient inn on the Thames, the locals are telling stories when the door bursts open and a badly injured man comes in with the corpse of a little girl in his arms.

Many hours later, the dead girl returns to life.

Afterwards everyone has many questions. Was it a miracle or magic? Who is the little girl? And how did she end up in the river?

Diane Setterfield has created a marvel of a novel but, a word of warning, it is a slow burner out of necessity. The plot is character driven and that it one of the novels charms, but this may put some readers off.

I loved learning the backstory for the many characters. In some books having a whole host of characters can make the novel feel crowded but, in this book, it was definitely an advantage. Having their backstory as well helped the reader feel like they knew the characters and made them easier to follow.

For example, the landlady of The Swan Margot Bliss:

“It was rumoured she even slept on her feet, but she had given birth to thirteen children, so clearly she must have lain down sometimes.”

One of my favourite minor characters was Margot’s husband Joe and I loved reading the part of the novel which described how they met.

“The frail- looking young man with floppy black hair that contrasted with his pallor sat unnoticed, eking out his glass of ale, admiring the innkeeper’s daughter and listening to a story or two. He found it captivating to be among people who spoke out loud the kind of tales that had been alive in his head since boyhood.”

Joe’s ability to tell stories is probably the reason why he is among my favourite characters.

“In a quiet interval he opened his mouth and Once upon a time…. came out. Joe Bliss discovered his destiny that day…with a bit of practice he found he could turn his tongue to any kind of tale, whether it be gossip, historic, traditional, folk or fairy.”

The author is very good at setting the scene of the action in such a way that the reader feels like they are there too.

“It is a time for magic. And as the borders between night and day stretch to their thinnest, so too do the borders between worlds. Dreams and stories merge with lived experience, the dead and the living brush against each other in comings and goings, the past and the present touch and overlap. Did the solstice have anything to do with the strange events at The Swan? You will have to judge for yourself. Now you know everything you need to know; the story can begin.”

On solstice night the regulars are telling stories as is their want, when I man stumbles into the pub and then shortly after collapses.

“The man – if man it was – was tall and strong but his head was monstrous, and they boggled at the sight of it. Was it a monster from a folk tale?’

The people in the pub are horrified when they learn that what they mistook for a puppet in his arms was actually the corpse of a young girl.

“The folds of her cotton frock were plastered to the smooth lines of the limbs, and her head tilted on her neck at an angle no puppeteer could achieve. She was a little girl, and they had not seen it, not one of them, though it was obvious.”

Once they see how badly injured the man is, they send for the local nurse and midwife Rita. Rita happens to be another of my favourite characters because she is no nonsense and straight to the point. She doesn’t mock the others for their superstitions, but she chooses to think about the scientific explanation first before joining them.

Rita is the first to notice that something is not right with the dead girl – there appears to be no cause of death.

“A body always tells a story, but this child’s story was a blank page.”

It is Rita who first discovers the girl is alive and then the legend of the girl who was dead and is now alive spreads far and wide and people come looking to claim the girl as their own.

I won't discuss anymore of the plot as I don't want to spoil it for anyone but I would like to say that this book probably has one of the best final paragraphs I have read for a while.

Once Upon a River frequently blurs the lines between the real and the mystical. What can be explained by science and psychology and thinks that have no obvious explanation. Often the interpretation is left to the reader. Are the noises Helena keeps hearing really water goblins? Can Bess really see into people’s souls with her ‘bad’ eye? Can Maud the pig really understand what Mr Armstrong is saying?

Anyone looking for a Grimm style dark fairy tale should try reading Once Upon a River. It won’t disappoint.

Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield is an ode to rivers and a celebration of the imagination and art of storytelling set in the Victorian era around the local communities living in Oxford next to the Thames. Once upon a time in an ancient inn, The Swan, where storytellers are revered beyond measure, an injured stranger bursts through its doors, falling down unconscious clutching the corpse of a drowned young girl. The dead girl comes to life, afflicted by a muteness, sparking a desire in others to take her in. Stories of this miracle burgeon, spreading like wildfire, taking on a life of their own, emulating the nature of Chinese Whispers as the lines between reality and fiction blur. Amidst the swirling geography, poetry and spirit of the river, the flow of the Thames encompasses the past, present, and the future.

The Thames is a mighty goddess of nature, the giver and taker of life, generous in offering fertility, wild, capricious, unbridled and dangerous, around which has spawned myths, legends and folklore, such as the ghostly ferryman, Quietly, offering rescue or a trip to the other side. Missing girls, loss, grief, love, scientific research are embedded within this meandering and twisted tale. It is inhabited by goodly folk, alongside those more sinister, existing on the darker side of humanity. Setterfield beguiles and entrances with a novel of life and death, family, pig rustling, fairground trickery, kidnap and murder with a river that exercises its own natural justice. Her storytelling is structured around the central role of storytelling of the characters that vibrates within and revitalises Oxford's communities of this historical period, mirroring the qualities of the river. An astounding, lyrical, stellar and beautiful novel. Many thanks to Random House Transworld for an ARC.

It’s been quite a few years since I read Diane Setterfield’s first book The Thirteenth Tale, but it stayed in my mind so I was excited to be given a copy of her latest novel to review. What could be more apt than a book about the importance of storytelling and that is what Once Upon A River is partly about. The Swan Inn, Radcot on the bank of the Thames is an Inn known for its storytelling, and on the Winter Solstice an injured man staggers in holding the body of a lifeless child; who are these people and what has happened to them. Speculation is rife, stories begin to form, but none come close to the real story that emerges from that night.

Once Upon A River is a multi faceted read; part mystery, part folklore, part romance, part suspense but wholly spellbinding. At the heart of this book is the river Thames, and the plot of the book mirrors the river in its ebb and flow of plot, its twists and turns, and how many different tributaries come together to form the complete and larger picture. There is also the power of the river, its importance for trade, farming, but the it can also take life. There is no indication of the period this book is set in, although the descriptions of the characters and the settings do place this as in the past, but I think this is a book that transcends time, and the subjects raised are still relevant today.

Diane Setterfield is a masterful storyteller, she captures the readers attention and draws you in to the plot. There seem to be three disparate threads but through her imagination, and prose brings all together seamlessly to make this a rich and enchanting reading experience. There are some wonderful characters, that reminded me in a way of Dickens. My favourite was Rita Sunday, a midwife and nurse, who had been brought up in a Convent where she learnt her trade of healing. She is the catalyst that links all the stories together and the one who is treats the mysterious man and young girl, both of who she takes to her heart. I also had a soft spot for Robert Armstrong and his wife Bess. Both face prejudice daily, Bess has a disability and Robert is black, but both have huge hearts, are loving caring to their family and their animals on the farm.

Once Upon A River is an ode to storytelling and its importance in our history. The combination of folklore, mystery, romance and a touch of the supernatural seamlessly come together to make this a rich and captivating read. There is no doubting Diane Setterfield’s skill in both her imaginative writing and memorable characters, that really bring this book to life. In my opinion this will be one the best-selling book of 2019, and a must read for the story lover; Simply sublime!!

An injured man appears in a Thames-side pub with a seemingly drowned child in his arms. But who is the child and what will become of all those who claim her as their own?
A beautiful and poetic story imbued with river imagery and magical story-telling.
Setterfield really knows how to tell a good tale and her imagination is amazing.
Although this novel took me a little while to really get into, it paid dividends and really captured my heart. Thoroughly recommended.

Once upon a river is a beautifully written, enchanting, modern day fairy tale.

Late one dark night in the 1800’s, a group of locals sit in a pub on the River Thames sharing stories and sheltering from the night. Suddenly a strange wanders in soaking wet, cold from the river and carrying a small child, who appears to be dead. Understandably distressed, the locals go to his aid, the man is in a bad way and unable to tell the locals what happened. Miraculously the young child wakes up and everyone starts wondering where she has come from, each claiming to have a connection to her.

A magical, captivating story that stays with you. Storytelling at its finest.

A fascinating book, full of imagery, myths and legends. It took a little while to get used to the style of writing but I found myself more and more drawn in to the story. Lovely writing in the descriptions of the river.
One never really knew who this little girl was. Was she Amelia, daughter of the Vaughans? Apparently not. Was she Alice, daughter of Robin? He was a nasty character. Was she Ann, sister of Lilly?
Who was she?
I loved the prtrayal of Jonathon, who had no great part to play in the story, but who was so well described.
Altogether a book that leaves one thinking and wondering.
Thank you to NetGalley and the punlishers for a review copy of the book.

This is a tale of myths and legends, and you have to be open to magic to read it. There are a lot of stories within Once upon a River - the main story being who is the girl and who does she belong to. There are a lot of strong characters within the story, but with the main ones all being strong women. It's very well written and it isn't a long read - it needs some staying power, but well worth it.

This book is as unsettling as the river on which it is set. It's sometimes turbulent, sometimes calm, often meanders around what would seem to be the main thrust of the story. And I often felt as though I was trying to row against the current whilst reading it. I am a fairly fast reader but this book just took ages to get through. Having said that I found it interesting and very well written with wonderful imagery and often beautiful prose. The passage about the behaviour of the river at around 14% was so good I read it all aloud to my husband. I am grateful to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read an eARC of this book which has introduced me to a new to me author whose back catalogue I shall be soon.

This was a really enchanting book mixing folklore with science to try to understand something that may not be under stable. This is magical realism mixed with the history of the Thames, and woven quite exquisitely into a story that enchants, binds and captivates.

The story focuses on the appearance of a girl one evening, who at first appeared dead, but then came back to life. How does the river grant life? How does the river take it away? How do we explain what we cannot understand, and how do we let our actions be controlled by our emotions? Does the review give us what we really desire, or does it take away everything?

This book was beautifully written, focusing on so many characters that other writers would have found it impossible to portray them so perfectly; Rita, a nurse, Daunt, a photographer, Armstrong, a farmer, the Vaughans, who are defined by the loss of their daughter, Lily, haunted by the past, and Margot, a pub landlord. I could add to that list, every single person described was three dimensional and whole. Every person played an important part in uncovering the mystery of the winter solstice.

An intriguing and mystifying book by Diane Setterfield - Once Upon a River - was without doubt one of the best books I read last year - I was entranced from the beginning to the end. It's a mystery beginning in the Swan Inn at Radcot, an ancient inn, well-known for its storytelling, on the banks of the Thames. A badly injured stranger enters carrying the drowned corpse of a little girl. It's mystifying as hours later the dead child, miraculously it seems, takes a breath, and returns to life. The mystery is enhanced by folklore, by science that appears to be magic, and by romance and superstition.

The story has a timeless feel to it but it is set somewhere towards the end of the nineteenth century. There are numerous strands and characters to the story and Diane Setterfield drew me slowly into the book with a leisurely description of the characters and their situations. Just as the river, a character in its own right, takes many twists and turns and has many tributaries, it becomes apparent that the little girl could belong to a number of different families all with links to the river. As the story progresses these individual families each claim the child as theirs and I was never really certain which of them - if any - were telling the truth. Much is hidden and much eventually is revealed.

It's a multi-layered book that you need time to digest, richly atmospheric and told from multiple viewpoints. I loved all the detail - about the river itself, about photography as Henry Daunt (based on Henry Taunt, the real-life photographer of the Thames and surrounding areas) travelled along the river in a houseboat with its own darkroom, about the body's metabolism and the treatment of injuries and diseases of the late Victorian period and about belief in the afterlife. Various people refer to Quietly, the ferryman who featured in the stories people told - he appeared when you were in trouble on the water, gliding in his punt, either guiding you to the safety of the bank, or if it is your time he takes you to another shore 'on the other side of the river.'

Once Upon a River is a beautifully and lyrically told story, and cleverly plotted so that I was not completely sure at times what it was that I was reading. It's historical fiction with a touch of magic that completely beguiled me with its mysteries and fascinating characters. I enjoyed reading her first book, The Thirteenth Tale, years ago before I began my blog, but I loved this one so much more!

My thanks to the publishers, Transworld Digital, for my review copy via NetGalley.