Once Upon a River
Books | Fiction / Literary
4.2
(721)
Diane Setterfield
“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).
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More Details:
Author
Diane Setterfield
Pages
480
Publisher
Simon and Schuster
Published Date
2018-12-04
ISBN
1501190237 9781501190230
Ratings
Google: 5
Community ReviewsSee all
"This book was dull and much longer than it needed to be. There was only one character I truly cared about, Rita, and she wasn’t the main focus of the plot. I found it difficult to care much about the events in the book, especially since they seem to drag on.
The most surprising thing about this novel was how dull it was. A few years ago, I read “The Thirteenth Tale” by Setterfield and loved it. This book was not even close to that level of storytelling. I kept waiting for a shock, twist, or an “aha” moment and there never was one.
There’s not much to take away from this book. Most everything about it is forgettable. The characters lacked life, the plot lacked intrigue, and the setting was less enchanting than I had hoped for.
I had to try very hard to finish this book and wouldn’t really recommend it to anyone.
2/5 stars. "
"This book was absolutely magical. I love the way the author uses folk lore with a very clever timing for reveals to move the story along and keep the reader guessing. I was able to form a picture of the how the story was going to play out, but couldn't make it all come together! Beautiful, poetic writing with rich characterizations that feel very human and capture the time period of the book. "
"I am the minority in my thoughts about this book. I felt it was a little drawn out. Beautifully written, but found myself a little bored at times. I may give this another read at another time to see if it was just my mood"
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Andrea Jaffray
"Excellent story!"
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Jenny june
"It’s been awhile since I’ve read this book. I wanted to step away and absorb the storyline and characters. The saying, “It’s complicated” come to mind as the story unfolds. The layers and twists makes the folklore mesmerizing as it leads the reader through the rabbit hole. I read a ton of books and for the most part they tend to bleed together and I forget the details of the story. Diane Setterfield’s book is anything but forgettable; It lingers in the back of my mind. Pick this book up for a book club or just because. It makes you think outside the box. A special thanks to Netgalley and Atria Books for giving me this wonderful opportunity to read “Once Upon A River” in exchange for my honest opinion. #NetGalley #OnceUponARiver"
"DNF…this was lush and lyrical, but it was just not holding my attention! I switched from reading to listening to see if it translated better, and I ended up falling asleep. <br/><br/>I’m not writing it off completely though. I made it through all of Part 1, which seemed like a good stoping point, and I’ll mark it as something I would come back to at some point. But if these past two years have taught us anything, it’s like the years are too short to go reading books that don’t hold your interest."
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Allie Peduto