“A river no more begins at its source than a story begins with the first page.“–Diane Setterfield, Once Upon a River
On a cold winter night, a tavern along the Thames becomes the spot for mystery and intrigue as a badly injured man, with a lifeless child in his arms, bursts into the room where the regulars have gathered for storytelling. Hours later, the girl somehow returns to life and as her miraculous story spreads, three families are convinced the child is theirs. Complicating the situation is the fact that the girl does not speak and cannot tell anyone who she is or where she came from. Many secrets of the three families will be discovered before the identity of the mysterious girl is known.
Diane Setterfield has crafted a gripping narrative with as many twists and turns as the Thames itself. She introduces a host of characters and their stories that bring the tale to life as well as providing an emotional connection with the reader. This is not always an easy book to read and is not quite as bucolic as the cover would lead one to believe. There are difficult and disturbing circumstances which Setterfield handles carefully and does not go into great detail about. The reader is able to get a clear picture without graphic descriptions. She also deftly weaves folklore, science, magic and religion into the story as the characters seek to understand the world around them and their part in it. The river plays a prominent role in the story–look for the many ways the symbolism of water adds to the book.
I really like this book and the audiobook narrated by the incomparable Juliet Stevenson is fantastic.
Content Advisory: Death, references to sex, some language, abuse, cruelty, emotional manipulation