Such a beautifully written story. I loved the lush fantasy of ONCE UPON A RIVER. A slow pace but gorgeous novel--you'll be glad to take the time with this one.

After reading The Thirteenth Tale, I was ecstatic to read her next novel. Once Upon a River is a lush novel about a lost girl whom many characters believe to be theirs. The story is slow-moving and is very character-driven telling the views of many characters. I absolutely loved the setting, and I like how fairy tale elements were incorporated into this novel. There were some graphic scenes that made me feel a bit uncomfortable. However, this is very powerful and emotional novel that will linger with you long after you read the final page.

Beautiful and lyrical and ethereal, the prose is gorgeous and the story itself is riveting, if slow-building and winding. Definitely warrants the praise, and is one to be savored slowly, when you have time to devote a while to quiet reading and contemplation.

This book takes place in an ancient inn on the banks of the Thames. Someone washes up on shore that changes their lives forever.

This beautifully written story meanders like the the river. It's a very character driven, slow burner until everything crashes together at the end. It took me awhile to get through this one but the writing is so beautiful it never felt like a chore. Loved it!!!

A lost girl, about four years old, turns up at the ancient Swan inn and tavern by the Thames River in 1887, on the night of the winter solstice. An injured man staggers into the inn, holding the apparently drowned girl in his arms, and promptly collapses. When the local midwife and nurse, Rita, arrives, she privately confirms that the girl is not breathing and has no pulse, though she mysteriously has no sign of drowning or other injury. But a few minutes later the girl suddenly lives and breathes again, stunning Rita and the others at the inn.

The girl is wordless, and it’s soon discovered that she doesn’t belong to Daunt, the man who carried her into the inn. Who, then, does she belong to? Several people raise a claim: Robin Armstrong, the wastrel oldest son of a black gentleman farmer, Robert, claims her as his lost daughter Alice. Lily White, an abused woman whose younger sister may have died many years ago, insists (against all evidence) that the girl is her little sister Ann. Helena and Anthony Vaughan, a couple whose two-year old daughter was kidnapped two years ago, claim the girl as their daughter Amelia, although it soon becomes clear that Anthony has grave doubts, though those are undermined by Helena’s passionate conviction and her joy after two years of inconsolable grief.

These and others are unique, interesting characters with strong backstories that flow like tributaries into the main river of the tale. The Swan inn is a place that specializes in storytelling, and the river that runs past the inn and flows in an out of the story throughout the novel, carries its own stories ― particularly Quietly the mythic ferryman, a gaunt figure who appears to those who are in trouble on the water, helping them either to life and safety or to “another shore.” A diverse cast of unusual characters, some tragedy, a mystery or three, a challenging romance, and a little magical realism spice up the plot of Once Upon a River.

Water flows throughout the tale, a potent symbol that Diane Setterfield, for the most part, uses effectively (I did find the closing paragraph too pat). Everyone’s life has been touched by the river to one degree or another. Daunt is a photographer who’s endlessly fascinated by the river. Rita was born to a despairing mother who threw herself into the river, dying just after giving birth to Rita. Helena has always loved boating on the river, until her daughter’s kidnapping and disappearance two years ago.

"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. She bailed and she bailed, but no matter how often she repeated the effort, she could not get to the end of it."

Setterfield’s language is lovely and her storytelling is beautiful, with depths to it that most fantasy authors don’t aspire to. I also admire her ability to develop multi-layered characters and build a world that I felt wholly immersed in.

Bill’s (my co-review at Fantasy Literature) primary complaint is that Once Upon a River becomes too concrete and obvious in its symbolism, structure and plot. That wasn’t an aspect that bothered me; I’m generally just happy to see symbolism make an appearance at all (I strongly suspect that my literary tastes aren’t as exacting as Bill’s). What did vex me was that the pacing of the novel was so languid until it finally picked up in the final third. But then it was fascinating to see all the various tributaries (plot threads) of the story come together, although Setterfield makes a little too much use of coincidence in tying the threads together and wrapping up her story. Though perhaps one might call those coincidences fate, or Providence, or even Quietly the ferryman watching over the river and the people whose lives are touched by it.

Like the river that is the fluid, adaptable symbol for this Victorian-era story, Once Upon a River meanders at first, but gains force as it flows toward a compelling conclusion. It’s a profound and meaningful voyage that I enjoyed and would recommend to readers who enjoy thoughtful historic tales with a dash of fantasy.

The plot was extremely slow, there were a LOT of characters to keep straight with most of them taking over POV for at least one scene. I think that was a major problem that kept me from falling into the plot. The characters were written in a way that made them all seem like they didn't have emotions, only an inner monologue stating what their emotion was.It was weird This books saving grace is the fact that its author really is such a gifted storyteller. I never once considered throwing this book off to the DNF pile. That really speaks for itself. I didn't really care what happened to the adults and was pretty indifferent to big end solving the mysteries but it was pretty to read. i enjoyed the town and the description and the back stories. But something was missing this book was missing. I'm not explaining this very well. All in all I liked the book but I'm left feeling pretty frustrated because a little extra character building would have made it great. Maybe I'll think on it some more and then adjust the review if need be. Ok, I should probably stop talking to myself in my written book review...

Real Quick Synopsis
Thames - Big important English River with most English of all the River names. Every rule in the English language would indicate this river's name should rhyme James. Naturally it called tems instead. Yay for English.
One day this river beats up a man and spits him out along with a 4yr old. They end up in a country tavern. an astonishing number of people seem to have misplaced a 4 yr old. There is drama. Also, there's several pigs, a bad son, a photographer, a suicide, and a murder all thrown into the mix.

Masterful story, filled with magic and real life centering on the river that flows through the lives of complex, wonderfully drawn characters. I was enraptured from the first sentence and read breathless this perfectly paced, excellent novel. I received an advance copy of this fine novel through the generosity of NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Like the power and force of a river, Once Upon a River is truly awe inspiring. It is a great story beautifully told and hard to put down. A truly marvelous book.

Excellent modern fairy tale. When a young girl drowns in the river and comes back to life, families uncover secrets. A small community along the river has long held beliefs about the river . This author has the touch to make fantasy reality. Always look forward to her books

Once Upon a River is storytelling at it's best. Folklore, mystery, magic, more mystery, legends, small town charm and a dose of wonder. There's not much I can say about Once Upon a River that hasn't already been said, but Setterfield's ode to rivers, imagination, and wonder set in the lovely Victorian era is magnificent and a treasure.

This was a different genre than I usually read but I enjoyed it very much!
It read kind of like a fairy tale. I got a little confused with so many characters in the story and it took a while for the story to move from one point to another because you had to go through all the characters’ perspectives. It was definitely a slow build and I had to push myself to finish the book, but the writing was beautiful and I know some people would absolutely adore this story. I kind of expected some big reveal in the ending about the girl. There ended up being a couple surprises but nothing was super surprising that you would’ve never expected.

How Dreamy is this Fantasy, Once Upon a River? Diane Setterfield is a brilliant writer. The intertwining of story, the life experiences that cross over into other realms. The confusion that one little baby can create. Is so well told that you just can't put this book down.

If you love fantasy like Inkheart; Lord of the Rings; The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe I can see you falling in love with this book.

This is the third book by Setterfield that I read. The Thirteen Tale captivated me, and while the synopsis of this book seemed a bit strange, it only made me more curious about it.
Once Upon a River is a very peculiar and complex story; it is thoughtfully woven and we can find many characters. At first that was confusing, for each character has a story but slowly the stories start to align in some way and all the characters play a part. I loved Rita and Mr. Armstrong, they were my favorites along with Daunt.
The story is full with mystery, in a unique way and even when you might have you own theories, they may be wrong like mines were. The pace is good, the story is fluid and gripping; it kept me reading for hours, it didn’t’ matter I was exhausted, I just had to know more and finish the book.
I deeply enjoyed it and I liked the very detailed parts of the story, the detailed characters and plot. I highly recommend it and hope Diane keeps writing more amazing books, hopefully soon.

There's one review I read where the reader appeared to think that the landscape here was made up. No, it wasn't: I spent time (probably too much, to be honest) tracing the path of this story and, given the difference in timing between the story's era and ours, many of the manors and towns still exist. And clearly the author has done a lot of research into how people lived back then, so the realism makes the surreal parts feel even more odd.

Yes, this is a slow read. There's not a lot of action, it's more character studies and people interacting. The events that unfold - from the child's coming back to life to the search for her parents to the lives of those in the town and the small, ancient in - are what makes this so powerful. There are times readers will have to remind themselves that these are not modern people, that to them, ghosts and spirits and evil really existed and affected lives. Stick with this book. It's worth it.

eARC provided by publisher.

"It was solstice night, the longest night of the year... And as the borders between night and day stretch to their thinnest, so too do the borders between worlds... Unexpected things can happen. Did the solstice have anything to do with the strange events at the Swan? You will have to judge for yourself."

The novel opens on the winter solstice of 1887 at The Swan, a pub on the Thames River in England. The Swan is where drinking patrons gather to tell and hear stories. The stories are suddenly interrupted by the appearance of a badly injured stranger at the door, carrying a dead little girl. When the child, who had no signs of life, hours later begins to breathe again, everyone wonders who or what she is. A miracle? A spirit? Who is the injured man, not the father, but carrying the little girl? Whatever she may be, once revived, three different people claim her as their own lost little girl.

But in describing the basic premise, I am short shifting Once Upon a River. This is a rich and complex novel. A lyrical fairy tale steeped in the art of story telling and painted with its river setting symbolism. I was completely enveloped in this fascinatingly entwined story of the little girl, the mysterious injured man, the families, and the various patrons who witnessed the miracle.

Like any good fairy tale, we're never sure what's myth or reality. A woman with an patch over an eye that has the power to see deep into people's souls and there's Quietly - the river's mythical guardian who watches over all who cross or boat upon it.

Don't be put off by the size of this novel - it's a chunkster - but Ms. Setterfield has carefully woven the stories together so that you're eager to visit with each character to hear their side of the story -- their version of the history. The stories swirl along the river and back and forth in time. The river itself, the Thames, is not just a setting, it serves both as character and metaphor -- the reader and the story follow its twists, ebbs and flows -- straining to see what's around the next bend...

Once Upon a River had me spellbound for days (and nights). Ms. Setterfield shows the import of stories to shape and define lives. How stories change the past, hide secrets, form resentments, to love and be loved -- and in the end, to flourish as humans.
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This is a very slow book and I really struggled to stay engaged and interested. It did pick up but I only found it ok. There were so many perspectives sand story lines to keep in your mind, it just fell flat for me.

DNF at 51%

Once Upon a River was very descriptive with extremely fleshed out characters, but I didn't have the patience for the pacing. Before you grab your pitchforks, I'm aware this was a story about storytelling, and the writing was reminiscent of someone orally telling a tale. However, reading this book was mentally exhausting. There were a lot of characters, a million little details, and a thousand threads to follow. I never felt connected to the characters, and that's likely because we were constantly jumping from one person to the next.

I just wanted to know who the little girl was! Why did she resemble so many people? Was she actually dead? Where did she come from? I was tempted to skip to the very end to see if any of those questions were answered, but even that seemed like too much effort.

The history, the language, the characteristics of people and places -- all amazing. I enjoyed learning about their lives, but all of the details made the book feel a little dense. I prefer stories with a quicker pace, so maybe I was doomed from the start. Despite feeling like some of the information was unnecessary, it did enrich the overall story.

This review can also be found at Do You Dog-ear? on January 31, 2019.

This did not draw me in as quickly as the Thirteenth Tale. I felt parts of it were disjointed, however, overall it was enjoyable.

This book was sloooooow at the beginning and if it hadn't been a Diane Setterfield I might have abandoned it. But The Thirteenth Tale is a favorite of mine so I was hoping she would not disappoint, and she didn't. Despite not liking the writing style, the plot came together magically.

I am sorry for the inconvenience but I don’t have the time to read this anymore and I did not want to skim your book and write a rushed review. Again, I am sorry for the inconvenience.