Once Upon a River

A Novel

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Pub Date 04 Dec 2018 | Archive Date Not set
Atria Books | Atria/Emily Bestler Books

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Description

NEW ON-SALE DATE: 12/4/18

Once Upon a River is one of the most pleasurable and satisfying new books I've read in a long time. Setterfield is a master storyteller, her language flowing with a dark magic very like the river at the heart of her tale: swift and entrancing, profound and beautiful. Give yourself a treat and read it!” —Madeline Miller, internationally bestselling author of Circe and The Song of Achilles

“Diane's masterful storytelling draws you in to a beguiling tale, full of twists and turns like the river at its heart, and just as rich and intriguing. It lures you into its depths and carries you along in its vividly evoked world.” —M.L. Stedman, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Light Between Oceans

“It’s a gripper. It takes you by the elbow on the very first page. It should do so well.” —Jim Crace, National Book Critics Circle and Booker Prize winner and author of Being Dead and Harvest

From the instant #1 New York Times bestselling author of the “eerie and fascinating” (USA TODAY) The Thirteenth Tale comes a richly imagined, powerful new 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, the beginning of this novel will sweep you away on a powerful current of storytelling, transporting you through worlds both real and imagined, to the triumphant conclusion whose depths will continue to give up their treasures long after the last page is turned.

NEW ON-SALE DATE: 12/4/18

Once Upon a River is one of the most pleasurable and satisfying new books I've read in a long time. Setterfield is a master storyteller, her language flowing with a dark...


A Note From the Publisher

Thanks for checking out an advance review copy of ONCE UPON A RIVER! We're looking forward to your reviews. Please share on Goodreads as soon as possible, and we would love to see any blog, instagram, and twitter reviews a few weeks before on-sale, all the way through publication on 12/4/18. If you have any questions about when to share your review, please email atriapublicity@simonandschuster.com. Enjoy!

Thanks for checking out an advance review copy of ONCE UPON A RIVER! We're looking forward to your reviews. Please share on Goodreads as soon as possible, and we would love to see any blog...


Marketing Plan

“Told with precision, delight, and a gauzy overlay of magic, Diane Setterfield's masterful novel is part mystery, part love story, part fable. This rich, moving tale reminds us how interconnected we all are—and how a story well-told can stay with you forever.”

—Wendy Sheanin, Vice President, Director of Marketing


“Setterfield is a wonderful architect of stories built on a firm foundation of enchantment, grace and power. And what she has built in Once Upon a River is a labyrinth of a story that readers will become happily lost in.”

—Stu Smith, National Accounts Manager

“Told with precision, delight, and a gauzy overlay of magic, Diane Setterfield's masterful novel is part mystery, part love story, part fable. This rich, moving tale reminds us how interconnected we...


Available Editions

EDITION Other Format
ISBN 9780743298070
PRICE $28.00 (USD)
PAGES 480

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Featured Reviews

Magical! I've waited a long time for this book to be released and it did not disappoint! Don't start this on a night when you need an early morning start. This is an unputdownable, thoroughly engrossable, read into the wee hours of the night type of book. Bound to be an instant bestseller! #OnceUponaRiver #NetGalley

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I feel completely inarticulate when it comes to describing how much I loved this book. Needless to say, I will be purchasing it for my library and a personal copy for myself, because I know this is a book I will want to reread. It was pure magic and I was hooked from the first page. I'd give it 100 stars if I could!

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I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a beautiful novel that intertwines the lives of many families when a child is found and two families have a lost daughter. Both claim the child, and many of the other villagers feel a connection to the girl. Agony, fantasy, and unexpected connections abound in this novel. I love it!

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This was a fantastic book! Diane Setterfield is a master story teller, you won't be able to put this book down. Some very important themes are part of this book including love of all kinds: between parents and children, husband and wife, humans and nature. If you liked the Thirteenth Tale by this author you will LOVE Once Upon a River.

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