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).
Genre: Literary Fiction
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).
Genre: Literary Fiction
Praise for this book
"This is magical, bewitching story telling and so cleverly structured
it possesses all those narrative values I have always cherished
: high prose expressed with rare clarity, story for the unashamed sake of story, a kind of moral dreaminess." - Jim Crace
"I was completely spellbound by this book. Numerous strands of the same story are skilfully 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
"Once Upon a River is one of the most pleasurable and satisfying new books I've read in a long time. Setterfield is a master storyteller, her language flowing with a dark magic very like the river at the heart of her tale: swift and entrancing, profound and beautiful. Give yourself a treat and read it!" - Madeline Miller
"Diane's masterful storytelling draws you in to a beguiling tale, full of twists and turns like the river at its heart, and just as rich and intriguing. It lures you into its depths and carries you along in its vividly evoked world." - M L Stedman
"I was completely spellbound by this book. Numerous strands of the same story are skilfully 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
"Once Upon a River is one of the most pleasurable and satisfying new books I've read in a long time. Setterfield is a master storyteller, her language flowing with a dark magic very like the river at the heart of her tale: swift and entrancing, profound and beautiful. Give yourself a treat and read it!" - Madeline Miller
"Diane's masterful storytelling draws you in to a beguiling tale, full of twists and turns like the river at its heart, and just as rich and intriguing. It lures you into its depths and carries you along in its vividly evoked world." - M L Stedman
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Used availability for Diane Setterfield's Once Upon a River
Hardback Editions
March 2019 : USA Library Binding
January 2019 : UK Hardback
December 2018 : USA Hardback
December 2018 : USA Hardback
Paperback Editions
October 2019 : USA Paperback

Title: Once Upon a River
Author(s): Diane Setterfield
ISBN: 0-385-66333-1 / 978-0-385-66333-5 (USA edition)
Publisher: Anchor Canada
Availability: Amazon CA
August 2019 : UK Paperback
July 2019 : USA Paperback
December 2018 : UK Paperback
Audio Editions
January 2019 : USA Audio edition

Title: Once Upon a River
Author(s): Diane Setterfield
Publisher: Random House Audiobooks
Availability: Amazon
January 2019 : Australia Audio edition

Title: Once Upon a River
Author(s): Diane Setterfield
Publisher: Random House Audiobooks
Availability: Amazon AU
January 2019 : UK Audio edition

Title: Once Upon a River
Author(s): Diane Setterfield
Publisher: Random House Audiobooks
Availability: Amazon UK
December 2018 : USA Audio CD
December 2018 : USA Audio edition

Title: Once Upon a River
Author(s): Diane Setterfield
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Availability: Amazon
Kindle Editions
December 2018 : Canada Kindle edition

Title: Once Upon a River
Author(s): Diane Setterfield
Publisher: Bond Street Books
Availability: Amazon CA
December 2018 : USA Kindle edition

Title: Once Upon a River: A Novel
Author(s): Diane Setterfield
Publisher: Atria/Emily Bestler Books
Availability: Amazon
December 2018 : Australia, UK Kindle edition