Once Upon a River - Softcover

Setterfield, Diane

Softcover

ISBN 10: 074329808X ISBN 13: 9780743298087

Publisher: Atria Books, 2019

Synopsis

From the instant #1 New York Times bestselling author of the "eerie and fascinating" (USA TODAY) The Thirteenth Tale comes a "swift and entrancing, profound and beautiful" (Madeline Miller, internationally bestselling author of Circe) 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, this is "a beguiling tale, full of twists and turns like the river at its heart, and just as rich and intriguing" (M.L. Stedman, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Light Between Oceans).

About this title

Review

"I was completely spellbound by this book. Numerous strands of the same story are skillfully woven into a magical web from which I, as a reader, had no desire to escape. Setterfield's prose is beautiful, dark and eerily atmospheric, and her rich cast of characters convincingly illustrate the best and worst of humanity. Utterly brilliant!"--Ruth Hogan, internationally bestselling author of THE KEEPER OF LOST THINGS and THE WISDOM OF SALLY RED SHOES

"Once Upon a River is a delight, just marvelous. I devoured it in gulps."--Jo Baker, internationally bestselling author of LONGBOURN

"Once Upon A River succeeds in doing what you hope every book will do - pull you in from the first page, hold you captive in the middle, then leave you satisfied and thoughtful at the end. I loved it."--Renee Knight, critically-acclaimed author of DISCLAIMER

"Diane Setterfield has created a true reading experience. Once Upon a River is the story of three missing girls and three desperate families all set against the Thames and woven together with magic, mystery, and mayhem. It is beautiful and heartbreaking and altogether wondrous. Simply put, it is a joy to read."--Ariel Lawhon, author of I WAS ANASTASIA

"Setterfield fills this richly layered plot with a fascinating cast of memorable characters who weave in and out of each other's lives."--Booklist

"Setterfield masterfully assembles an ensemble of wounded, vulnerable characters who, nevertheless, live by the slimmest margins of hope--hope that springs from family, from the search for meaning, from people's decency to strangers, from the belief that truth heals and sets one free . . . Celebrates the timeless secrets of life, death and imagination--and the enduring power of words. Fans, rejoice!"--Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"The heart of the story are the relationships that twist and turn, as if they also follow the river."--Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"A magical, lyrical tale, filled with quests and questions."--The BBC

"This probing inquiry into human nature is also spooky fun."--Vulture, "6 New Books You Should Read This December"

"This enchanting book from the author of The Thirteenth Tale is filled with folklore, romance, suspense."--Bustle, "The 8 Best Fiction Books Coming Out In December 2018"

About the Author

Diane Setterfield is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Thirteenth Tale, and a former academic, specializing in twentieth-century French literature, particularly the works of Andre Gide. She lives in Oxford, England.

About this edition

• Publisher: Atria Books
• Publication date: 2019
• ISBN 10: 074329808X
• ISBN 13: 9780743298087
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 496