Diane Setterfield always writes interesting, thought provoking books and this one is no exception. It is more than it seems - basically it is a tale of 3 girls who are lost all near a village somewhere on the Thames. The characters are all very well defined and extremely interesting. But, for me, beyond the fascinating story, there was an allegory of life/death, living/dying, and constant movement in life. It left me thinking and thinking and thinking. This, I believe, is always the sign of a very good book.

Setterfield is the master of the modern fairytale. With Once Upon a River she takes readers on a dreamy journey to a town, with a central tavern called The Swan, and a cast of characters both colorful and rich. When a child turns up dead, and then suddenly isn't dead, the entire town becomes awash in mystery and speculation as to whose child it is. This is a tale both magical and logical, one that dives deeps into the depths of the human spirit. This is a beautiful novel that every one should immediately add to their TBR list--and punt it to the top!

Once Upon a River is an amazingly magical, timeless tale by Diane Setterfield. Told in a gentle rhythm mirroring the river itself, I was completely enthralled with the setting and characters brought to life by Setterfield. The slow, careful unfolding of the plot is a gift, wrapped in a fine cloth, being revealed out of one peeled-back fold of fabric at a time.

Like every great story, Once Upon a River begins at the beginning. Carving out a spot for the reader in the fabric of time which envelops the Thames River and its surrounding people and places. Such care is taken with each tableau, built by words thick with a moody undercurrent, as Setterfield sets about introducing all the key players to this story as though each were an island of thoughts and ideas.

One island has the Swan, an ancient inn on the river Thames and the core component to the events in the novel. The Swan is home to a large family whose own history of great storytelling precedes the events of the novel by generations. Its inhabitants, its patrons, and its ambiance, layered with decades of storytelling lends itself perfectly for the night that sets the novel into motion.

A young girl, aged around four years, is pulled from the river by a stranger to the Swan late one night. He's severely injured and she is so lifeless the announcement soon comes that there is no hope for her. From the contents of his unconscious form, the tavern discovers the man to be Henry Daunt, and they presume the girl to be his own—until told otherwise. Rita Sunday, the woman who acts as doctor, midwife, and nurse, to the surrounding area, stitches up Daunt and sets about examining the little girl's body.

With no explanation beyond it being declared a miracle, later in the night the girl wakes, and the inn and those living nearby explode with questions and amazement. Everyone seems to feel the need to solve this mystery or be a part of it in some way. The locals around the Swan are quick to weave it into a story of wonder, for it defies explanation. Rita tries to solve the riddle with the application of science and medicine. And in the center of this is a little girl, being gently pulled in different directions.

Three families try to claim her, and the girl—who remains mute—can provide no explanation or confirmation of where she came from or to whom she belongs. Someone's younger sister, someone's granddaughter, and yet another's own daughter. The more settled you get into the story, the more it feels as though it has wrapped you up in an old family quilt—one with its own history and stories to tell. Setterfield is clearly a gifted and talented writer, but her construction of the world, characters, and atmosphere is mesmerizing; it truly was like visiting another world.

In the age when supernatural, folklore, science, and medicine were all but small tributaries leading to the future, yet to converge, Setterfield mixes them all together for a veritable symphony of magic and mystery. Each island of characters are set adrift with their introduction to the story. Once all the characters' islands have started on this river journey of a story, you understand how the rush of water carrying them on will bring them together for a crescendo of a finale.

I love Setterfield--she is a master storyteller, and this offering is fantastic. She weaves so many threads together, and while it boggles you a bit to keep track of them, you realize that even as you do, you still aren't quite sure how the finished tapestry is going to look. This story is about connections, family, and what we convince ourselves is truth. And about the power of story.

Beautifully told, well-penned, and sure to become a classic.

This is my first book by this author and I went into it without knowing anything about this book and I enjoyed it way more than I thought I would !

I received a free e-copy of this book from NetGalley for review purposes.

Admittedly, I didn't think I was a fan of Diane Setterfield. I'd read The Thirteenth Tale, and while I didn't dislike it, I didn't really love it either. The only impression it left on me was that it was written well, but the story itself was lacking. I honestly don't remember much of it (okay, I remember next to nothing about it, even going back and reading reviews nothing is jumping out at me), so it obviously wasn't a stunner for me. In fact, I read it as part of a book club with my cousins and a couple other ladies, and it was *my* pick because I was so excited to read it, and seriously, no one in the group liked it and picked on me for months for choosing it. So there's that, too.

But anyway, back to Once Upon a River, because that is what this review is supposed to be all about. Having had that experience with The Thirteenth Tale, I admit I was a bit wary about requesting this one. But the cover was so pretty (honestly, I'm a sucker for a good cover, especially if it has a good blurb to go with it), and the blurb sounded interesting and just fantastical enough to pique my interest. So I requested, I got approved, and here I am.

And I loved it.

There are a lot of characters here, and a lot of story threads to unwind. I absolutely loved the writing style - I felt like I was reading a period piece, it flowed so beautifully. And I enjoyed the magical aspect of it all, especially since we aren't sure if it's actually supernatural or if these people are so freaking traumatized that they all convince themselves that they see things that aren't really there. Lily White is certainly a victim of that, and her story is pretty damn tragic.

In essence, this is the story of three four-year-old girls - Amelia, Alice, and Ann. As the river twists and winds through the story, so their stories twist and wind together. The little girl pulled dead from the river on the equinox, and then lived again, has everyone in an uproar. The reaction she stirs in everyone is nothing short of remarkable, considering just about everyone wants to take her home. The Vaughns claim her as their own lost Amelia, kidnapped from her bedroom two years prior and never found. Robin Armstrong can't decide if she's his Alice, who he hasn't seen for more than a year, and presumed drowned by her mother. And Lily is absolutely convinced that she is her sister Ann. It takes the entire book to reveal who she really is, and throughout the reader is never quite sure what happened to the missing girls.

This is also the story of a photographer, a nurse, the owner of the Swan (the inn where it all starts) and her family, and the river itself. The figure of Quietly, the mysterious boatman, hovers over all. And everything becomes a story if enough are around to hear it.

I have three minor gripes about the book:

1. I pretty quickly figured out who the unidentified child was, and while the book's twists and turns always kept me guessing, I was not surprised to find out I had guessed right. I do wish it had been more of a surprise. But the road we took to get there was packed with emotion and mystery, and I didn't mind it so much.

2. There is a very long monologue by an unsavory character at the end of the book, outlining literally everything that we were still wondering about and tying up loose ends, connecting people that hadn't been connected previously. I liked having the information, but I wish it hadn't been such an info-dump in the style of the villain who has the hero at their mercy and reveals their entire plot so that the hero can escape and foil it all.

3. I *hate* being addressed at the end in the manner of "And now this story is done, dear reader, so you better get back to your own story." Oooooooh that really made me twitch. But it was the last line of a fantastic book, so I'm not deducting points.

If you aren't sure you like Diane Setterfield, I encourage you to give her another shot with this book. To me it was more masterful than The Thirteenth Tale, and I think it will stay with me for a long time. My heart broke, rejoiced, and rose and fell with the hearts of the characters. They were real people, fully fleshed out, and wonderfully made. I enjoyed this so much more than I expected, and highly recommend it.

I loved Setterfield's first novel, The Thirteenth Tale. While I enjoyed this book, I wasn't able to dive into it the same way.

Setterfield builds a world of unique characters, including the river itself, The language is lush, with sentences to savor and read again. Sometimes this beauty frustrated me as I wanted to read faster to find out how the mystery ended, but I was happy to slow down and enjoy the ride. This book was hard to put down, and I truly enjoyed the story and the unforgettable characters. The ending did not disappoint.

What a fabulous book! I love this author. So many different stories woven together perfectly at the end. This is my kind of book. I plan to read everything Diane Setterfield writes.

As a massive fan of the tradition of Folklore as spoken tales, this novel had me hooked. The pacing at the beginning was a bit slow but I was emotionally invested right off the bat due to the in depth descriptions of Ms. Steerfield. The tale begins with the small child found but the story revolves around the town and their history with one another. I will very likely reread this novel in the next month or so, just to find something new in the story that I missed the first time.

I am SO excited to talk about Once Upon A River by Diane Setterfield, which is one of the best books I've read in a LONG time. I paced myself with this one, which runs nearly 500 pages, because I loved everything about this story and didn't want it to end. Do you ever get that feeling, after finishing a magical book, that you've just lost a friend? That's how I felt when this one was over.

Once Upon A River takes place in a small English town that rests along the Thames River. One winter night, as villagers and and travelers mingle at the local tavern, famous for its storytelling and ale, a mysterious and severely-injured stranger bursts through the door, carrying what looks like a battered rag doll. However, it's actually a little girl with the injured man, and she appears dead but is alive and seemingly back from the dead. Who is this little girl?  Is she the missing daughter of a local wealthy gentleman and his grieving wife? The sister of a parson's housekeeper? The granddaughter of a exceptionally loving father whose only care in the world is his family?

We meet several characters, from nefarious crooks and thieves, to the caring and gentle villagers, who are just as desperate as anyone to figure out who the little girl is and where she belongs. Diane Setterfield weaves magical, lyrical storytelling with science and dark folktales to set the stage for a BEAUTIFUL, curious mystery that isn't solved until the very end. 

I'm certain this book, which comes out in December of 2018, will be on all of the "Best Books of 2018" lists, and I am grateful to have been able to read and love this book before it becomes a massive bestseller. 

5 out of 5 stars for Once Upon A River by Diane Setterfield, which is available for pre-order now and will be released on December 4th, 2018. Definitely add this one to your reading list!

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The story is centered around a river-side pub in England and focuses on the people who live around and frequent the pub. Having spent a few years living in a similar location and read the high praises contained in early feedback and reviews I was looking forward to reading this book...but I was very disappointed in doing so and had to force myself to finish the book. The story meanders more like a barely-moving English canal than any river I've ever seen. The characters were not relatable. And the writing often seemed slow and uninteresting. I know I am very much in the minority, but this was far from the exciting, fast paced and great story that I expected from the ratings and reviews.

I am sorry to say that I did not finish this book.

It was beautifully written, eloquent, intelligent and unique. I just wasn't into the story enough to carry on. It was too weird for me. There were many characters as strange as the next and everyone of them was sad and lonely. Nothing made sense to me and I found myself not caring enough to put myself through it.

I gave it 3 stars simply for the writing. The author has a lot of talent and I enjoyed her previous novel. I just couldn't get onboard this mystical, lyrical storyline.

Thank you for the oppty to review this book. I had once tried (and didn't make it through) THE THIRTEENTH TALE, and ONCE UPON A RIVER has unfortunately also proved too slow and trying-hard-to-be-lyrical to grab me. (I made it 13% of the way through.) Since I don't like to leave reviews unless I can rate a book 4 stars or higher, I will pass on this one! Thanks again.

Sometimes, a bit slow. Only sometimes. Sometimes brilliant. More than sometimes, in fact. Lovely imagery. Beautiful language

I loved Diane Setterfield’s book, The Thirteenth Tale, so I was very excited to get an ARC of her newest novel, Once Upon A River. Now I remember why I enjoyed this author’s style of writing so very much. There is a bit of fantasy and folklore here and the story centers around a small little girl who is found drowned but later mysteriously comes back to life. There are three families who feel this girl is actually their own missing child.
This was a book that only got more interesting and captivating as I got into the story. A five star review from me.
I received a copy from Netgalley and the publisher. This is my unbiased review.

I am usually not interested in historical fiction but this title caught my attention. Great storytelling which begins with a dead girl who comes back to life. Is it magic, or do we see and believe what we want to? Colourful characters, eloquent storytelling and beautifully written. I received this title from Netgalley and in exchange am giving my honest review.

Such a wonderfully written book, well paced with a great cast of characters. A couple families, a vast river, and too many lost little girls. Some of my favorites: Ben, Rita & Daunt, Mr Armstrong's portrait, the Little Margots, and of course, the river.

A little girl is found on the shores of the Thames and brought to Swan Inn where she is thought to be dead and suddenly comes back to life. Surrounding the mystery girl is an endless array of characters all of whom come complete with solid backstories to intensify their connection to the mystery girl and to each other.

One thing books often lack are adequate backstories for their characters which can cause them to seem flat. Once Upon a River excels in making characters come alive by twisting a tale of previous successes or misfortunes while successfully tying them into the present day and the main narrative. This also serves for the rich storytelling culture featured in this book as the backstories aren’t simply provided by the author but usually are shared orally from one character to another.

Once Upon a River held me in suspense as I awaited the true identity of the mystery girl. Is she Amelia, Alice, Ann, or someone else altogether? But, thanks to the complex backstory of each character, I also hung on to see what would happen next and what part they played in the mystery. At the end of all this suspense, everything is resolved and there is complete finality. Every character receives a just and plausible ending that fits well into the story.

Beautiful, enjoyable artistic novel! I just love the mystery of the three girls and the storytelling in the story!! You'll love the many characters and the families!! WONDERFUL!!