Once Upon A River

Author: Diane Setterfield
Genre: Historical Fiction, Folklore, Fantasy ...
Type: e-book
Source: NetGalley
Publisher: Atria (Simon and Schuster)
First Published: December 4, 2018
Opening Lines: "There was once an inn that sat peacefully on the bank of the Thames at Radcot, a day's walk from the source. There were a great many inns along the upper reaches of the Thames at the time of this story and you could get drunk in all of them, but beyond the usual ale and cider each one had some particular pleasure to offer."

Book Description from GoodReads: A dark midwinter’s night in an ancient inn on the Thames. The regulars are entertaining themselves by telling stories when the door bursts open on an injured stranger. In his arms is the drowned corpse of a little child.

Hours later the dead girl stirs, takes a breath and returns to life.

Is it a miracle?

Is it magic?

Or can it be explained by science?

Replete with folklore, suspense and romance, as well as with the urgent scientific curiosity of the Darwinian age, Once Upon a River is as richly atmospheric as Setterfield’s bestseller The Thirteenth Tale.

My Rating: 4 stars

My Review: Once Upon A River is a well-written, deeply atmospheric novel and, as its title suggests, has a strong sense of folklore. One might even call it more of a gothic fairy tale. At the heart of the story is a mystery surrounding the identity of the young girl who is found in the Thames and pronounced dead … until she isn't. 

Within the first few pages I realized I was in for a treat. Readers will immediately be drawn to Setterfield's wonderful writing, vivid descriptions of the setting and her diverse group of characters which drives the story much more than the mystery. Much like the Thames itself, the story meanders as the various tributary subplots and characters are introduced but if readers can wade through these slower points in the middle, they'll realize that these aspects all have purpose and are given an incredible amount of depth. 

This gothic folktale stands out for its vivid characterizations, imaginative plot and hint of fantastical things with Setterfield's enchanting storytelling abilities easily being the highlight of this book for me.  Recommended for fans of Setterfield's first book, The Thirteenth Tale.

Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to the publisher, Atria Books for providing me with a complimentary digital copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.