What readers think of Once Upon a River, plus links to write your own review.

Oh, what a story! Imagine sitting beside a wide stone fireplace, a roaring fire within, and a storyteller perched on the hearth ready to spin a tale…a tale that will have you mesmerized for hours even as the embers die down. Yes, that is this book. It is an old-fashioned kind of story, spun of facts and fantasy. And can you tell the difference between what is real and what is imagined?

It's the winter solstice sometime in the 1870s (ish) in England in a village by the mighty River Thames. The Swan, the local watering hole is filled with thirsty men who are regaling each other with stories. While some of the area's pubs are known for singing or brawling or gambling, the Swan is known for the tales spun by the regulars. But on this night, all conversation suddenly ceases when a very large man profusely bleeding from his cut-up face kicks open the door. In his arms he is cradling a child, a dripping-wet little girl of about four years old who appears to be dead. Her skin is waxen. She isn't breathing. She has no pulse. But after a while, she comes back to life. Who is this mysterious child who has seemingly been raised from the dead? She won't speak a word so she can't tell where she has been and who she is. Three local families lay claim to her, each with their own tale of sadness and secrets.

This richly imaginative and spellbinding story, expertly woven by author Diane Setterfield, is an absolute delight to read with its vividly created characters, captivating plot, elements of suspense, and something that is simply magical that very colorfully ties all the threads together. There are heroes and miracles, villains and treachery, spirits and superstitions, and romance and love. The writing is exquisite. Even the chapter titles are perfect for advancing the story.

And while the novel moves slowly at first—why rush such wonder and enchantment?—it soon picks up the pace as the storyline becomes more intense. And the ending? Well…let's just say this: It's perfect.

Savor it. Enjoy it. Fall into the magic and wonder. This is the art of storytelling at its finest. And this is why we read books.

In 2006, I fell in love with The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfied. This new third book Once Upon River once again has drawn me into a world of such intrigue and mystery involving children and the adults around them. I savored reading the book and felt as though I were sitting inside The Swan with all the characters listening to a riveting story. This book is entrancing from page one all the way to the end.

4.5 stars

I loved this book. It not only attests to the excellent story telling of the author, but it held me in awe of it's mastery of detail and readability. I felt that the story was enthralling, but the attention to detail and story follow up, along with the touch of magical realism, was wonderful. Setterfield's style and technique is above most.

Wonderful folklore about the Thames River. Mostly set in the Swan Inn, where tales are told. Until that frightful night that an unknown man staggers in with a lifeless girl in his arms.

Splendid, charming story, told in an enchanting way, by an excellent story teller.

Storytelling at the Swan is the favorite past time of the crowd and the reason so many men stop by for their drinks.

One night the storytelling became real when a man who had been hurt and a small girl who appeared as if she had drowned fell through the inn’s front door.

Then a miracle happened....the girl came alive again. The townspeople and their storytelling ways had many questions, and some thought the girl was one of their own who had passed.

We follow the characters as they try to interpret what happened as we are treated to Ms. Setterfield’s beautiful, poetic, descriptive style.

And...we can’t forget the character, the Thames River....it is a part of everyone’s lives and what the story line revolves around.

The ending of each character’s story made the statement....”Something is going to happen,” and something definitely did.

ONCE UPON A RIVER beautifully and slowly unfolded as the mystery of the little girl was revealed and as we learn about the lives of the characters.

If you enjoy a Gothic theme, and a story line with intriguing as well as odd characters, ONCE UPON A RIVER should be a book you will enjoy.

I do have to say it was a bit long, but Ms. Setterfield's marvelous storytelling skills make you want it to go on even longer especially once the mystery is revealed and you find out more about the characters. 4/5

I really wanted to like this book. I love the Oxfordshire countryside, the 19th Century, the idea of stories and old codgers sitting around a fire to tell them. I don't have a connection to the Thames but I love geography and there's nothing I love more than describing the youth, middle age and old age of a river. So what went wrong with the book. It just couldn't decide what it wanted to do or be or even be about, was it mystery novel or a mythical novel or a historical romance or a fictional biography. It couldn't help getting a bit of a woke element in it, and it never kept my interest going (I took a year and a half to finish it, yet I did persevere) and it just seemed to be stringing me along creating fake tension and then trying to be literary to make up for the lack of a story. I got bored so often, yet the reviews said it was so good, so I kept going. Imagine my surprise from half an hour ago when I finally finished the book and nothing. Nothing happened! Ben was possibly the most interesting characters but was given a 10d role. Vaughan and his wife could have come and gone and I wouldn't have missed them or barely noticed them. Armstrong was just too goody goody, and Robin too baddy baddy. In the end it seems to me that the whole thing was a vehicle for the photographer, Henry Daunt or Taunt, who seems to have had a very interesting life and didn't need a fictional structure to colour him and give him a stage. I am sorry to say that at least for me the book didn't get my fire going and nor did it get even close to keeping the old codgers awake as they sat drinking their pints. Oh, and yes I forgot to mention The Child. That was on purpose, it wasn't worth mentioning.