Once Upon A River is the latest novel by Diane Setterfield, released in 2018. Setterfield is also the author of The Thirteenth Tale, which was a huge success.
I’ve no idea what took me so long to read this book as it promised to have everything I love from a good story – mystery, intrigue and a little bit of magic.
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Plot
The Swan pub stands on the bank of the Thames and is known as the place to hear stories. One night, as the landlord is about to launch into a tale, an injured man staggers through the door, with what appears to be a dead little girl.
The locals care for the man and respectfully place the lifeless body of the little girl in a different room. However, a few hours later the girl wakes up. Is it a miracle? And who does this little girl belong to?
The story of these miraculous events circles far and wide and is heard by several families, who all believe the child to be theirs.
Once Upon A River Book Review
I was captivated by this story from the first page. It’s an atmospheric tale that entwines folklore and myth with the everyday lives of the characters. The plot is so intricate that I found it required my full attention. Thankfully it’s so gripping and immersive that my mind was never given the chance to wander!
It’s a mystery with an almost gothic edge and I was constantly trying to predict where the story was leading. There are quite a lot of characters but they were all so well drawn that it never became confusing.
I particularly loved the character of Rita and her no-nonsense approach to life. I liked how Rita’s pragmatism was set against the mysterious happenings and her determination to find the logic in the situations. Robert Armstrong was another fantastic character who constantly pulled at my heartstrings.
It was so well written and I really enjoyed how the narrator talked directly to the reader. The descriptions were so vivid that I could clearly see The Swan and the regulars who frequented it. The Thames almost became a character in its own right and I loved the mystery and folklore surrounding this famous river.
Overall I found it to be absorbing, immersive mystery and quite unlike anything else I’ve read.
Has Diane Setterfield written any other novels?
Diane Setterfield is also the author of The Thirteenth Tale and Bellman & Black.
What should I read after Once Upon A River?
If you enjoy 19th century historical fiction you may also want to read The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern and Moonlight and the Pearler’s Daughter by Lizzie Pook.