My thanks to the publisher and to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

A very beautiful piece of writing, to my mind quite different from her other work, this is a magical mystery story based around some of the settlements of the upper Thames around Oxford. The river flows through the writing, a passage from place to place, and a key player in events. At times the feel is also rather meandering, and the flow of the story slowed in the middle section. But there is a Dickensian feel to the action and to the more sinister characters which carries the reader through. Discussing this with my husband, reading it at the same time, we both saw this Dickensian feel and, in some of the supporting characters, a hark back to the writing of Hardy.

The final section of the novel is genuinely exciting as the mysteries become solved and the relationships between individuals are clarified. The fact that this story refers to an actual photographer, who lived and worked in the area, is immensely satisfying too. A good read for a summer afternoon, when you can take your time, stop to think and pay close attention to the action. There are some critical facts and events somewhat hidden so keep your wits about you as you read.

Recommended.

Once Upon A River is an intertwining tale of life and death, and everything inbetween, of river people. A story where folklore is the King, and where the secrets are contained within the cold, incessant ebbs and flows of the water.

Diane Setterfield is a wonderful writer. I loved her book The Thirteenth Tale and was eagerly awaiting this book - and I'm pleased to say it didn't disappoint. Her characters, her prose... it was just exquisite. Beginning when the body of a girl is brought into an Inn, it beautifully weaves many stories as the mystery unravels. Can't recommend it enough.

*** ARC provided by Netgalley via the publisher in exchange for an honest review. ***

I’m new to Diane Setterfield’s writing, though since researching I can see that The Thirteenth Tale her first book was extremely popular. As such, this book has been highly anticipated by many. I feel lucky to have stumbled upon this book as I really enjoyed it and will certainly be going back and reading The Thirteeneth Tale.

What I love about this book is the way that story-telling within the book drives the story-telling of the book itself. Very meta! It’s almost like a fairy tale crossed with historical fiction. This book was filled with well thought-out characters who drew me into the story and I found myself rooting for more than one of them.

Would I recommend this book to others? Absolutely!

Diane Setterfield, author of the modern classic The Thirteenth Tale, is back on form with her third novel after her slightly disappointing (but good by anyone else’s standards) second book, Bellman and Black.

Once Upon a River is set in Oxfordshire in the late 19th century and is a tale of the Thames, the majestic river which stretches from the Cotswolds to London. The regulars of the Swan Inn are enjoying a drink and a rendition of the folk tales for which the hostelry is famous, when a mysterious and badly injured stranger staggers into the inn carrying the body of a young girl who he has pulled from the river. To all intents and purposes the child is dead, but when she appears to come back to life a short while later, so begins a richly magical and absorbing tale about the effect that this young girl has on all those with whom she comes into contact.

There’s the wealthy Vaughan family, in mourning following the disappearance of their own daughter two years earlier for whom the appearance of the girl (four years old but mute following her near death experience) awakens a desperate sense of hope. We also meet noble and honorable farmer Robert Armstrong, trying to do the best by the child who might or might not be the daughter of his errant step-son Robin, and midwife Rita Sunday who nursed the child and her rescuer back to health and forms a strong bond with the enigmatic stranger.

The mystery of the girl’s background provides the regulars of the Swan with a rich tapestry on which to weave a web of fanciful tales. Is she the Vaughan child mysteriously returned to her parents, and if so where has she been for two years or could she be Robin Armstrong’s daughter, whose distraught and unbalanced mother was last seen leading a child towards the river? Could she be the abandoned child of one of the river gypsies who travel up and down the Thames or the daughter of Quietly, the ghostly ferryman whose job it is to guide drowning sailors and swimmers on the final stage of their journey?

There’s a rich vein of magical realism running throughout this beautifully written, haunting and compelling story of hope and the power of myths and legends. I adored it.

This was such an unusual story, and I loved it. The writing was fresh and original, the imagery was superb. The author’s description of how the river Thames affected and impacted on the lives of the people who lived along its banks is sublime. The river becomes a living entity to the reader, which of course, it is. The tales of the people from a time long past were so varied, from the poorest to the wealthy farmers, but all were pawns in the power of the mighty river. The folklore which surrounds the river, and the strength of the community spirit amongst the dwellers was so strong, forming a major part of the lives described in the book. Exceptional. Highly recommended.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for my advance copy of this wonderful book.

I adored The Thirteenth Tale So was keen to read Diane Setterfield’s newest book, I faltered at my first start as the story seemed to start so left field but an afternoon in sunny Tenerife gave me the time to get absorbed and then I found myself carving out time to read, shunning a stroll and even sleep one night when I work at 4am just for the chance to read some more. My mistake in my firstvreading was thinking I knew what was coming. I didn’t, and once I let the book take its course, I was hooked.

A book about story telling, filled with wonderful stories told by many voices and perspectives all linked by a river wending it’s way from source to end. As each teller unfolds their view you know it will connect later and at times I just had to trust that would emerge and let go of the send it was a little left field. As each story emerged, each layer unfolded I enjoyed it more and more. The creative mind behind this novel is clever in just the right way, has mystery beautifully crafted and a keeps a golden thread - or in this case the course of a river - to navigate the reader through a captivating story,

So pick up this book, be prepared for the mystery of a girl who was dead, but then wasn’t, what it means to be a parent and also not, the risks people will take for others, what love means, and what it doesn’t. And through it all drawn into the story of people and the river which connects their lives.

I loved the story and how the author takes you back in time. The characters were beautifully described and stayed with you much after the story was over. A definite read.

-Once Upon a River is a mysterious tale of a young girl, returned seemingly from the dead in a stranger's arms, one dark night. A wonderfully woven tale, rich in detail, with something magical throughout.

In The Swan pub, on a dark winter's solstice eve, people gather to tell stories. Storytelling is seen as a serious business, with pubgoers learning their craft fuelled by alcohol, camaraderie, and the reactions of their peers to the stories they tell. The importance of story as a theme is intricately woven through the book - not least in the search for the identity of the little girl, who is claimed by more than one family as their own.

I absolutely loved this book - it is a captivating mix of folklore, suspense, magic and mystery. The story wasn't 'just a story'; there was always a sense of something other, something more, tantalisingly floating just out of reach. Each character was someone I wanted to know more about - from the storytellers in The Swan pub, by day gravel-diggers and boatmen, to the ghost of Quietly, who is said to appear to those in trouble on the river. Folklore and superstition are common throughout the book, and as a huge fan of the 'not-quite-explainable' I loved the effect this had on the story.

5 stars from me - Diane Setterfield writes beautifully and I'm off to consume as much of her work as I can find!

The Guardian described Diane Setterfield as "a mistress of the craft of storytelling" and I could not agree more. I was lucky enough to be accepted by NetGalley to read and review this text and I will be forever grateful. I opened up Once Upon A River expecting a magical story - and that's what I got - but nothing could prepare me for the masterful and beautiful writing from start to finish. I was hooked within the first few pages and continued to love it until the very end, eventually awarding it a five star rating.

As I mentioned above, Setterfield's writing really is a cut-above as she includes the most beautiful descriptions time and again within her novel. I highlighted quote upon quote of stunning writing that simply flows off the tongue much like the river she is describing throughout.

By night (and this story begins at night) the bridge was drowned black, and it was only when your ears noticed the low and borderless sound of great quantities of moving water that you could make out the stretch of liquid blackness that flowed outside the window, shifting and undulating, darkly illuminated by some energy of its own making. (1%)

This example of beautiful storytelling came right at the beginning of the novel and I immediately knew that I was going to love this book. Yes, I enjoy books that may not be very well-written but that have an engaging and exciting plot. However, there is nothing I admire more in a book than good story-telling that clearly comes from an intelligent and imaginative mind. Often a book can begin with good writing, as though to hook the reader and showcase an author's talent at the outset, but this quickly falls by the wayside to make room for the plot. Once Upon A River, however, is not one of those texts. Setterfield continues this vivid description throughout the novel and this works to maintain the magical atmosphere that is so key to the book.

A second aspect of the novel that I particularly loved was its treatment of the theme of storytelling. Setterfield continually weaves this theme in throughout the novel as the community tells and retells the story of the little girl and what happens after her revival. She highlights the importance of the oral tradition of storytelling in this community, something we have lost as technology has taken over our lives. Though this may seem worlds away to us now, Setterfield uses it to scrutinise our own ideas of storytelling and how it can be manipulated for a desired effect. For example, she writes,

Every detail of the day’s events was gone over, the facts were weighed and combined, quantities of surmising, eavesdropping and supposition were stirred in for flavour, and a good sprinkling of rumour added like yeast to make it rise. (36%)

Here, the author compares storytelling to a recipe and suggests that calculations are made in order to produce the best end-product. People are not simply relating what happened but are adding things in "for flavour" and manipulating facts to make a better story. We often see ideas like this within literature through the use of an unreliable narrator (one of my best themes), but Setterfield merely uses her plot to explore the act of writing. There are multiple quotes like this throughout, suggesting that a story must be altered in order to get the right reaction from its readers (or listeners). Nevertheless, though the characters react with distaste to a 'boring' story, they do not appreciate complete fabrication either as the author writes, "storytelling was one thing, lying quite another" (46%). This is an interesting premise as it scrutinises the idea of 'artistic license'. In both literature and film, we, as an audience, look for something that will excite us and keep us engaged and, therefore, allow for a little manipulation and bending of the truth. However, outright lying will always be frowned upon.

Finally, one thing I will always mention if it is well-articulated within a novel is the theme of gender and I absolutely loved Setterfield's exploration of it. The author portrays a world where women are thought of as more fragile and virtuous creatures when she writes of how, when attempting to nurse an ailing man, "her patient was naked and a white handkerchief had been placed to protect his modesty and Rita’s reputation" (4%). Though it is her job, the men still decide that "an unmarried woman could not strip a man’s clothes from him without unsettling the natural order of things" (4%). This is a scenario we can recognise as in previous centuries, and even throughout other parts of the world today, women are required to act in certain ways that have been decreed as 'ladylike' or 'feminine' by men. However, Setterfield challenges these notions throughout by illustrating the potential women have beyond the confines of this role. Rita relates how she is "more use to the world as a nurse than as a wife and mother" (5%). It is sad that she believes a woman can either be one or the other - take a private role or a public one - but it is important that she is exploring this and deciding on her role for herself, rather than having it dictated to her.

My book of the year so far! Once Upon A River is a beautifully written, lyrical tale. I thoroughly enjoyed it and was totally sold on the unique premise.
Margot runs a pub, full of storytellers, their normal evening is disturbed by the arrival of an injured man with a girl who appears to be dead–until she isn't! What follows, is a mixture of mystery, folklore and fairytale. The theme of storytelling runs throughout which is irresistible for us bookworms.
I can't recommend it highly enough.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

Once upon a time, there was an author who wrote stories, really good stories. She loved stories so much that she wrote a novel about them – about the way in which stories mould our world, fashion our thoughts, shape our past and help us fathom our present; about the way in which, like a living being, tales change and grow at each retelling; about how each and every one carry stories in our hearts, whether we choose tell them or not...

Diane Setterfield’s third novel Once Upon a River is an ambitious and complex work, but one which wears its erudition lightly and hides its artifice well. At one level, in fact, it can be enjoyed as a well-crafted historical mystery. We are in the 19th Century, on the evening of a winter’s solstice. The door of The Swan, an inn at Radcot on the River Thames, opens to reveal a badly injured man carrying a little girl. She’s seemingly dead – Rita, the local nurse and midwife, can detect no breath or heartbeat. Yet, against all odds, the girl revives and wakes up, whether by magic, as a result of a miracle or through some natural wonder. This does not solve the enigma of the girl’s identity, which cannot be easily ascertained especially since she turns out to be mute. The girl could well be the daughter of the Vaughans, kidnapped two years previously finally returned by her captors. Or the illegitimate granddaughter of a local farmer, abandoned by her mother before she committed suicide on being forced into prostitution. Or, if one is to believe Lily, the parson’s housekeeper, she might be a revenant, the ghost of Lily’s long-dead sister.

This mystery lies at the heart of the novel and makes a page-turner out of it, particularly in the rather breathless final chapters. Setterfield houses her story in a well-researched historical context which is conjured through loving descriptions of the Thames and its communities, and through references to the new scientific worldview which was then challenging more conservative religious and supernatural views. The story is peopled by interesting characters, including farmer Robert Armstrong, the dark-skinned illegitimate son of an earl and a housemaid; strong-willed Rita, a self-taught scientist; and Henry Daunt, who is actually based on the real-life Henry Taunt, photographer and chronicler of the Thames. Setterfield also subtly evokes the period through references to the literature of the time – echoes of Dickens and, to my mind at least, Wilkie Collins, abound.

All this would have been enough to make of the novel a considerable achievement. But Once upon a River is also a post-modern piece of meta-fiction. An insightful review on the Opinionated Reader blog makes the valid point that the novel purposely includes familiar tropes of British Gothic literature, particularly the river and the inn. This is very true – the Thames, in particular, could be considered not just a setting but a central character in the book, whereas the Swan is the place where the novel starts and ends. But the novel is also rich with other references to legends and folklore. Key scenes occur on the winter and summer solstice and the Autumn equinox; there are mentions of dastardly highwaymen, water sprites, goblins, ghosts, changelings, clairvoyants. And even though most of the supernatural aspects of the tale can be (but are not necessarily) rationally explained (Ann Radcliffe-style), the otherworldly is never too far too seek. Setterfield also throws her net wider than the reaches of British folklore – the figure of Quietly, the ghostly ferryman, owes as much to Classical mythology as to the classic English ghost story, and the motlew crew at the Swan act as a more modest version of a Greek chorus.

What is impressive, at the end of the day, is that all these knowing references are presented in an intriguing and involving story worthy of the classic 19th century novelists. True, it’s a tall tale, and some of the loose ends are perhaps too conveniently tied up at the end. But, we don't really mind... Like the patrons of the Swan, we all love a great story, don’t we?

A very unusual, mystical story. Great characters, even the river takes on a personality of it's own. A mystery, thriller and ghost story all in one. Very well written and kept me wondering right to the end. This novel has a little of everything and is very readable.

Once Upon a River is a concoction of historical fiction and Victorian horror stories, and just the right amounts realistic and supernatural. The river Thames itself is the central driving force of the story and starts it by delivering an injured man and a drowned girl to The Swan, which is a pub dedicated to storytelling. After being declared dead, the 4-year-old girl, seemingly miraculously, comes back to life.

Three different families try to claim the resurrected girl as their own, and the dispute is further complicated by the fact that the girl won't speak. Because The Swan encourages people to spend their evenings telling stories, we get to hear various different versions and theories about who she is, told by bargemen and gravel-diggers. (I had my own favourite theory about who the girl is fairly early on, and I was really happy that that's where the story ended up going!)

While I found the story really enjoyable, by the end there are so many loose ends to tie together that the narrative starts to lose its momentum. It constantly halts to explain what different characters are doing in different locations, and there are so many of them that there is a lot to explain. On the other hand, however, this is part of the book's charm too, as this reflects how the regulars in The Swan tell stories and what they deem to be a satisfactory ending. ...I guess I can't quite make up my mind about this point. I can see why the author tied everything together this way, but it wasn't quite my thing and I was sad to see the sense of urgency melt away towards the end.

The book has a major black character, who has to spend a lot of time navigating his way around people's racist prejudices and does this with a sort of "killing them with kindness” approach by offering little gifts to children, alcohol to men, and impeccable manners to women. I liked that the book acknowledges the racism he has to deal with in Victorian society and that he has his own storylines unrelated to racism as well; he is not just there to be the token black character. However, it bothered me that there was little to no acknowledgement of what a constant mental strain it must put on him, having to deal with this hostility daily and having to justify his right to exist to everyone he meets. It's like he is never allowed to be angry or frustrated even inside his own head. (Maybe he has to filter his thoughts even when talking to the readers in order to appease us too and to justify why he deserves a place in the narrative.) He is a lovely, gentle character and a devoted father, but sometimes his gentleness goes so far that it seems like he's forbidden from expressing normal, negative human emotions.

Like many other historical fiction originated from the British Isles (such as in Emma Donoghue and Sarah Waters's work), this book also casually throws around a lot of racial stereotypes about "gypsies" (as well as calling them "gypsies“ like it's a completely neutral word), and never stops to critically examine or challenge these stereotypes by, for example, including an actual Romani character in the narrative. As I said, this is extremely common in Victorian historical fiction, and as much as I enjoy this genre, I hope this is something that improves in the future, or I'll be hesitant to continue to support these authors.

What a brilliant piece of storytelling this is-it had me hooked from the dramatic opener to the very last page.The strands of the complex plot are woven together so skilfully and cleverly and the way everything is explained and drawn together by the end is quite wonderful.It's full of great characters,some likeable and some extremely unpleasant,all linked by a child who disappeared and one who is miraculously saved from drowning in the river Thames,which it could be said is the book's main character.
The descriptions of the river in all its different moods are beautifully written and you can almost see the scenes described.Also fascinating are the parts dealing with early photography.
All in all it's a fabulous book which I can't recommend highly enough-just read it!

Once Upon a River was an amazing read and I am positive Setterfield is now going to become one of my favourite authors - she really is a wonderfully talented writer. She evoked the late 1800's and Victorian life along the upper reaches of the Thames in Oxfordshire so well - the always moving and changing river, the mists, and the wet marshes adding to the mystery and slightly menacing atmosphere that at times permeated through the pages.

It's certainly a different book that will make you feel many emotions, full of hidden truths, surprises, kindness and sadness. The magical, mystical and supernatural are interwoven with the everyday world, creating a mesmerising masterpiece.

"Along the borders of this world lie others. There are places you can cross. This is one such place".

The writing is fluid and descriptive, the plot is woven cleverly and keeps you gripped and the large cast of characters built up and developed incredibly. Diane Setterfield is a master at building and creating characters, which is shown within the book. The protagonists are diverse, interesting, full of heart and soul, and at times eccentric, and the vile villains brilliantly developed.

Definitely a must read for anyone who enjoys historical fiction with a touch of magical realism. It is a smorgasbord of gothic, mystery, and local folklore. A little bit weird, but also wonderful, at times heartwarming and others sad, yet throughout beautifully written.

With thanks to NetGalley and Random House U.K, Transworld Publishers for the opportunity to read this ARC, in return for an honest and unbiased review.

I’ll come right out and say it: this was a lyrical, moving treat of a novel. Written in the same style as The Essex Serpent, it’s every bit as good as Sarah Perry’s prize-winning novel, and a good deal more heart-wrenching, too.
Once Upon A River is a book where nothing is what it seems, where folklore and superstition is a part of everyday life for the people of Beckford, and no evening is complete without an evening of storytelling at The Swan. And one night a story comes to life in front of them, as a wounded man stumbles into the local pub carrying a dead girl… who then comes back to life.
After that, we’re introduced to a plethora of fully-realised characters, each of them with their own background, motivation, and reason for wanting to lay a claim on the resurrected girl. From the bereft Vaughans, who are mourning the disappearance of their daughter some two years ago, to the local nurse Rita Sunday, who suspects that there is more to this supposed ‘miracle’ than meets the eye. Setterfield makes sure to give each of these characters the time to grow and endear themselves to us: the result is a rich and multi-layered story with strands that intersect each other in ways you don’t expect.
One thing I particularly enjoyed about Once Upon A River is the pace of the book. Like the river it’s set around, the book is slow, meandering: it takes its time, and rewards the patient reader. The whole way through, Setterfield has her hand firmly on the tiller, guiding us through the story with a storyteller’s tone, making the whole thing seem like a piece of local folklore.
And it’s that feeling that starts to blur boundaries, sucking you into a time when the supernatural was an accepted part of everyday life, and you can’t tell whether the resurrection of the little girl was magic, or science. My favourite local figure was Quietly, the mythical ferryman who comes to ferry you ‘across the river’ when your time has come- or pluck you out of the river and save you when it hasn’t. Stuff like that makes the book feel more real, as though Setterfield is just recounting the past rather than writing a novel.
So, overall? This book was a treat. Full of hidden depths and dangerous currents, it’ll sweep you away just like the river. Even if you think it’s not your thing, it definitely is: I can’t recommend it enough. Read it!

Thank You Netgalley & Publishers For Granting My Request To Review This Book.

Where Can I Start?! This Book Fascinated Me. I Love How The Author Made The Swann Inn The Scene For All The Characters To Meet. I Felt Like When They Departed, They Spread Out Like a Spiders Web With The Swann Being At The Center, Linking Everything.

At First, I Was Slightly Overwhelmed With The Amount Of Characters But Every One Of Them Had A Story To Tell Which Enhanced The Book.

A Different Kind Of Historical Fiction Than Id Usually Pick Up But The Synopsis Really Drew Me In. A Great Book For People When Like Mystery & Suspense

Beautifully written, wonderfully crafted but never boring. A weird proviso to add but when I read the words beautifully written etc, etc I think, does that mean there’s no story? Once Upon a River is not that book, yes, it is beautifully written, wonderfully crafted and it meanders like the constancy of the river threading through the story but it’s never boring.

It’s actually quite tricky to get a handle on because it’s partly based firmly in reality- Henry Daunt, one of the lead characters is drawn from a real photographer of the time named Henry Taunt and at the heart of the book there is a mystery to solve. But then we have folklore, a ghost story and supernatural elements weaving and twisting the story towards a fairytale and that’s where the magic happens.

I would term this a cosy book, it’s a real snuggle up, get yourself comfy in your favourite chair (maybe with a hot chocolate) and surrender to the machinations of Diane Setterfield - wonderful.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

A beautifully written rich tapestry of a stories interwoven into a central mystery.
I really felt for the characters and thoroughly enjoyed this book from beginning to end.