3*

'Once Upon A River' is a beautifully written, folky tale. A little confusing at times given the many characters, but worth sticking with. If you enjoy whimsical, character filled stories then I highly recommend.

~ Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this title ~

Spellbound from the very beginning. A magical and mysterious tale that weaves and winds its way through the story with as many twists and turns as the river itself taking us through misfortune, tragedy, loss, and abandonment as we meander towards the truth. Beautifully constructed, wonderfully atmospheric and brilliantly paced. Thoroughly enjoyable read.

This is a magical tale of mysterious happenings on the river. It’s a tribute to Victorian life on the Thames and is full of interesting and colourful characters. It’s emotional and uplifting and a wonderfully fascinating read.

When I heard that Diane Setterfield was bringing out a new novel, I was very excited. But also nervous - I had loved her first book The Thirteenth Tale so much, what if I didn't like her new work? I shouldn't have worried, because Once Upon a River didn't disappoint. Like her previous book, it has a gothic beauty and a haunting darkness in its rich and layered narrative. But it is very different in other ways that made me fall for it in its own right. This is the story of what happens when the body of an unknown child is recovered from the frozen waters of the Thames, to then come back from the dead and be claimed by three different people. I was enthralled by the characters, and really loved how the story slowly unfolded. The relationships and concealments were delicious to see unfold and I couldn't stop turning the pages. Setterfield is a masterful storyteller and a beautiful writer. I hope there is more to come.

I really wanted to like this new novel. I thoroughly enjoyed Diane Setterfield’s bestselling ‘The Thirteenth Tale’; her second, ‘Bellman & Black’ not so much. However, as someone who lives near the Thames I looked forward to this new work.

What can I say? I was able to download this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and I really wanted to like it. Indeed I enjoyed many aspects: the Hardyesque chorus of river people, the weaving together of myth and harsh social conditions, the riverside communities, the clash of classes, her often poetic language, the references to scientific inventions, such as the early use of photography – all these are interesting, even fascinating.

But, sadly, in the end, I found the story ultimately unsatisfying. There were just too many different threads, and I lost any sense of investment in the fate of the child and began to lose the plot at times. There is also something too leisurely and too consciously ‘storytelling’ about the style.

But what do I know? Many readers seem to love it!

Due to the loss of my kindle I, sadly, was not able to read this book.
I sincerely apologize for this inconvenience.

My thanks to Netgalley for my chance to read this book. Although it is not my genre of choice I soon became engrossed in the story.
The introduction, which set the background to this charming tale was rather slow going at first but I was glad I persevered. The plot has many, well embroidered,characters all with a wonderful tale to tell. Good old fashioned story telling .

A fabulous mystery set in the 19th Century. A mesmerising read that kept me reading way past bedtime.

Loved the way this book winded it's way around the characters like a river winding across land. At first it was slow going as you learn about the people involved, then it sort of speeded up a bit as the characters became interwoven with each other. A fantastic read.
Will certainly be looking for more Diane Setterfield books.

This is a more whimsical tale than I would normally read, and was a bit of a slow starter. The story is of a stretch of the river Thames, in what I guess would be the Victorian era, the Swan Inn, and the families who live on the banks of the river. Storytelling is a skill much admired by the patrons of the Swan, and the tale of the little girl pulled from the river dead and then seemingly brought back to life, was much wondered at and retold. The characters who live on the river, and whose lives are shaped by it are very cleverly depicted by Diane Setterfield. The tale has as many twists and turns as the river, and is well told.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the book in exchange for an honest review.
‘Once Upon a River’ is a book that weaves and meanders much like the river Thames. It tells a magical, wondrous series of tales about a child lost and then found, brought back to life only to disappear again at the next winter solstice.
Diane Setterfield writes in a wonderfully, evocative way that brings characters to life and a river meandering through your imagination, not many writers can do that.
Highly recommended

Beautiful lyrical writing, with the River Thames almost a character in its own right, as it meanders through the story of a lost child returned, unresolved grief, reawakened love and mystical folklore. That storytelling, as an art form, is central to the theme of the book and the River so central to the atmosphere and location of the tale, it takes on the force of a central protagonist - which I loved. Sometimes my attention wandered and I became confused by the magical folklore themes but ultimately the human characters were its life force and I was immersed in their stories. An engaging read.

This was an enjoyable read. I loved the twists and turns the story took. The book had a great cast of characters each one different from the other each of their tales told a story in itself. Both powerful and magical.

A beautifully written, atmospheric story about the regulars of the Swan Inn on the River Thames, a place well known for its tales of folklore, myth and magic.
The storyline meanders like the river itself, not at a fast pace, but enough to keep you interested throughout. The histories of the characters also weave throughout the book, bound together by the arrival of a mysterious child who comes back from the dead.

A spellbinding gothic mystery, I enjoyed it from the very first word to the last.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

This is an unusual book in that it follows the meanderings of the river at its heart through the stories and events of the people who live nearby. It has a Victorian feel and springs from the local pub, where all good stories can build and grow. From there we explore the various tributaries that flow into main story, leading to a final flood of events which cast light on the entire narrative in a satisfying conclusion. A rattling good yarn which keeps the reader engaged throughout.

“By the river, the air carries the story on a journey, one sentence drifts away and makes room for the next.”

I was excited to finally read a Diane Setterfield book - slow on the uptake I know. Was it worth the wait? Three words for you .... what.a.book! Just like the river it’s based upon, this book flows and meanders to regale an unforgettable story. Setterfield presents a village full of characters, in fact there are many, yet each memorable in their own special way. Each of the families and their story is significant is bound together in an inspiring way. The writing and the atmospheric scene portrayal will transport you to this unique place and time.

“He knew his camera could not capture this, that some things were only truly seen by a human eye. This was one of the images of his lifetime. He simply exposed his retina and let love burn her flickering, shimmering, absorbed face on to his soul.”

Once Upon a River is storytelling at its finest. On the one hand, it is a unique folklore tale of myth and magic woven together to present a mystery of the river. Yet, if you delve a little deeper, it becomes clear that this tale is so much more - family secrets, as trials and tribulations, secrets and regrets all come to the surface because of the incident that occurs from the very first page. Each family, and specific smembers within those families, have their story to tell, making this a very character driven tale both for the community as a whole and the journey of the individual. That is magical on a whole new level - Henry and Rita, Margot and Joe, Anthony and Helena, Robert and Bess - each have something unique and special to contribute and the way Setterfield links them all together is mind blowing.

“It had seemed then that her daughter’s absence had flooded Helena, flooded them both, and that with their words they were trying to bail themselves out. But the words were eggcups and what they were describing was an ocean of absence, too vast to be contained in such modest vessels.”

I cannot recommend this book enough. Allow Setterfield to take you away on a special journey to another time and place where puzzle pieces are shifted around the board until the climax comes that will leave you shaking your head in awe. Her writing and descriptions, her ability to weave and interweave, her ability to pull at your heartstrings with twists and revelations that cannot help but leave you both engaged and engrossed on a whole new level. It has been described as a fairytale for grown ups and with magical realism storytelling of this calibre, I wholeheartedly agree. It is a tale to be read slowly and savoured, allowing the atmospheric nature of the village and people seep into your bones, much like the river itself.

“Tears welled in her. She hadn’t thought it would be like this. She had expected heaving masses of water, violent currents and murderous waves, not this serenity without end.”





This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release

I went into this book cautiously optimistic, and I was not disappointed!

This book is a wonderful example of magical realism wrapped in an historical novel. The writing style is very whimsical, almost fairy tale-like, with an omniscient narrator who addresses the reader directly. When it’s done well I always feel more involved in the story, and this was definitely the case here. It’s a simple setting, with a rescued young girl causing upheaval in three families lives – as well as the entire village, it seems! – by resembling their missing family member just enough to cause them to want to claim her. This mystery forms the basis of the story, but there are lots of other themes mixed in, from dealing with the grief of losing a child, abuse, finding family, falling out of faith, as well as the magic of storytelling in its many forms.

The river is the thread running through the tale, from featuring in the landscape, being a danger with its currents and floods, as well as a magical place with some otherworldly beings such as the ferryman Gently. The characters are all distinctly different, and there is some varied representation, with the inn-keepers son having, from the description, Down Syndrome, and the mixed race farmer and his wife, who was born with an abnormality in her hips which make her hobble, as well as having a lazy eye. These disabilities are never ignored, and even more so become a source of magic, with for example her lazy eye being able to see the true nature of people, which is why she keeps it covered with an eye-patch.

This brings me to what I loved most about this novel – the very thin line between magic and science. There are many instances where there is both a magical and a scientific explanation for the events and happenings in the story, and it is never definitively stated which one of the two is true. This leaves you as the reader free to interpret things as you want – as a lovely whimsical historical novel, or a fantasy story.

I also realized that I have two other books by Diane Setterfield on my TBR – The Thirteenth Tale and Bellman and Black – the latter I even own in hardcopy! Her writing really appealed to me, so I’ll definitely be reading these soon!

When I first started this book it was not the genre that I was particularly keen to read at that point in time, whimsical and pretty. I was in the mood for grit and malice. However, it took no time at all for me to love this book!

The characters, including the river, weave stories within stories and the gift of Diane Setterfield is her majestic writing, each word is used perfectly and I devoured each with glee.

A little girl brought into a The Swan, a public house, by an injured man is thought by all to be lost to this world. Then a flicker of breath is observed and she returns to life.

We meet an abundance of characters who all have involvement in the overall story. Each tale was expertly interwoven and held the readers interest at each twist and turn. Rita, the Nurse is a key figure who sees the world in all its glory but, with the experience of life, knows that not all is as it appears.

Three claims are laid for the girl and the build up through the book takes us through tragedy, misfortune, loss and abandonment to uncover the truth.

I loved the chapter titles which were quirky and added a bit of fun. I was glad that the ending answered all of those niggling questions that I had, a great read.

Well, this book is simply glorious.

Like all the best stories, it opens (I won't say "begins" because the beginning was much earlier, a number of tributary tales feeding into the main course) one dark night when the company are gathered at an inn.

The inn is The Swan at Radcot on the Thames, famed for its storytelling. And storytelling is important in this... story. Setterfield tells her tale, approves the social importance of storytelling in her 19th century setting (with various, wonderful, digressions into local lore, legends, dreams, the histories of her characters - all little stories) and builds into it alternative versions and possibilities. Her characters muse on the past, anticipate the future - with hope, fear, uncertainty - and explore the present as it unfolds.

Back to that dark night. An injured man staggers into The Swan from the river, carrying a dead child. But hours later, she is, it seem alive. Was she dead or not? Those present tell and retell the story. There are various approved additions and endings, while the drinkers at the inn frown on other alternatives. As more happens these alternatives and variations ebb and flow in popularity, joining a repertoire of popular tales which are called for repeated, altered and reworked.

As the story - stories - spreads outwards, though, it has an impact, sets things in motion, causes a stir.

Something is going to happen.

Across this little corner of Oxfordshire, people get ready. There's Robert Armstrong and his wife Bess, concerned for their little granddaughter, Alice. The Vaughans, whose child vanished into the dark two years ago. And strange Lily White, living in the damp cottage by the river, haunted by visions of her sister Ann.

Three claims on the mysterious girl. In turn these draw in others. The local nurse, Rita Sunday. The Armstrongs' ne'er-do-well son, Robin. A strange man who smells of yeast and strong spirit. A photographer, whose mission is to document the river and its people.

Even a sagacious pig.

Some are searching for the truth. Some want an advantage. Others just want the pain to end.

It's an entertaining read from start to finish. There is villainy here and darkness - rape and murder have taken place. But there is also love and loyalty and longing. Taking place in the year between one winter solstice and the next, Once Upon a River pays great attention to the seasons, to the rising and falling of the river, its quiet flow at some times and raging flood at others. There are countless memories - those stories, again - of deaths in the water, both intended and accidental. And we are told of Quietly, the boatman, who takes travellers whose time has come "across the river".

Throughout, Setterfield manages to make her world of water, oar, bridge, inn and cottage a place slightly distinct, a little kingdom where things are just a little bit different. It is, of course, a world akin to those of other river stories (I thought of The Wind in the Willows and also of Philip Pullman's La Belle Sauvage, which also features an inn) and I could somehow feel the presence of that weight of story behind the writing, diverted the flow, perhaps, here and there, like a submerged stone or a shallow or deep place that you can't see directly. It's almost an eerie feeling, but enjoyable at the same time.

So, like Poohsticks dropped in the water, Setterfield's characters drift downstream, bumping up against one another, separating, getting caught on obstructions or swept along by a current. Every one of them is a gem, whether it's the mixed race Robert Armstrong, wealthy but always on the outside of things, his frankly villainous son, the practical and self-contained Rita with her collection of medical books, Henry Daunt the photographer or poor Lily White. They are all real people, inhabiting this landscape which always, in the end, comes down to the river (excursions further off - to Oxford, to Lechlade (known for its dragons) or even London - feel strained, as though without the river things will go wrong, go off. I mentally cheered each return to the river, to the Swan.

It's a vivid, enchanting and compelling story, like nothing I'd read before.

A real treat.

I received an ARC copy of this book and am only sorry that it has taken me this long to get around to reading it. Diane Setterfield has a real mastery with words and builds a narrative that is evocative and powerful. Her final paragraph for me sums up how i felt reading this book i.e. out of my own world and drawn into hers she says" and now dear reader, the story is over. It is time for you to cross the bridge once more and return to the world you came from"

It is hard to describe the way that the whole is created from so many different narratives and interpretations. I think it would make a superb film for cinema or TV