Once Upon a River: A Novel
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).
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Community Reviews
Written in a writing style that I don't connect with. I had a feeling this book is the kind that drags, and I was proven right after pushing through a couple of chapters. Sadly. If anyone likes reading stories that are written in a classic fairy tale fashion, this may be a book for you though!
Диана Сеттерфилдл - официально не мой автор (да, даже Тринадцатая сказка мне не понравилась). А эта - вообще скучища. Ну то есть, поначалу в повествовании хотя бы есть какой-то темп, но в темпе происходят ровно те события, которые описаны в аннотации. А потом всё становится страшно медленно и неинтересно. Персонажи никакие, интрига слабая. Еле дочитала, вот прям из принципа.
Author Diane Setterfield takes her readers back to 1887 when history was passed from generation to generation orally, neighbors all knew each other, and the local pub was the place where people gathered to share news and repeat the same stories over and over. It was a time before modern medicine and forensics.
Against that backdrop, the story begins at the Swan, an ancient inn operated by Joe Bliss and his wife, Margot, on the night of the solstice, a particularly magical and mysterious time. As the locals gather, the door bursts open and a man with a bloodied, misshapen head roars in carrying a lifeless child. Rita Sunday, the local nurse, begins caring for the man but, like the others present, is convinced that the little girl is deceased. But then something miraculous happens. The child opens her eyes, leaving everyone stunned. Everything that Rita understands about science and healing tells her that what she has witnessed could not have actually happened.
So begins the quest to ascertain the child's identity. The man who brings her to the Swan is Henry Daunt, a photographer, who pulled the drowned child from the Thames. But how she ended up there is a mystery that she cannot help unravel because she does not speak. Helena Vaughan is convinced that the child is her beloved Amelia, who was kidnapped from her bedroom in the Vaughans' mansion two years ago. During those two years, Helena has been inconsolable, and believing that her daughter has returned not only restores her hope and vigor, but rejuvenates her marriage to Anthony. He is convinced only of one thing: the child is not Amelia, although he has never confessed the real reason why he is certain. Rather, he goes along with Helena, participating in the charade, relieved to see his wife happy and their relationship vibrant again.
But could the child be Alice Armstrong, daughter of Robin? Little Alice's mother committed suicide, and is presumed to have drowned her daughter. Robin has been a disappointment to his stepfather, Robert, who married Robin's mother, Bess, vowing to love and raise her unborn child as his own. Robert is educated, articulate, and aristocratic, but has always known, because of the color of his skin, what it feels like to be an outsider. He was determined that Robin would never know that same pain, but despite his efforts, Robin has turned out to be a gambler, drinker, and criminal who does not care about his family, and is perhaps determined to profit by convincing everyone that the child is indeed Alice.
Lily White, a widow, works in the parson's household but returns to her modest cabin each night where she receives visits from a strange man who steals her money and food, and regularly abuses her. To keep him from taking everything and leaving her destitute, the parson keeps part of her wages hidden away for her. Lily insists that the little girl is her sister, Ann, who went missing at four years of age. Rita and the parson attempt to convince Lily that is quite impossible, given that Lily is in her forties, but she will not be dissuaded. She has harbored a dark secret for decades about which she has been consumed with grief and self-loathing.
Satterfield weaves a compelling tale about mistaken identity, longing, grief, and the willingness to believe the impossible in order to alleviate sorrow. Her large and eclectic cast of characters each have engrossing histories, secrets, and motivations. Satterfield skillfully reveals the truth about each character's past, along with his/her longing and desires, injecting clues at expertly-timed intervals as to the true identity of the adorable child that so many want to claim as their own and raise. She explores her characters' inner conflicts with compassion and insight, rendering many of them empathetic and relatable. That is especially true of Robert, an honorable man with a special ability to relate to and care for animals, whose heart has been repeatedly broken by the child he was determined to raise as his own so that he would never experience the rejection and ostracism that Robert did. In contrast, Rita has been afraid to love and be loved, but is forced to confront her fears if she is to enjoy the kind of home and family she has always wanted. Lily has spent decades carrying the guilt and remorse that drove her from her familial home, while Helena and Anthony suffered a great loss and the repercussions but neither of them has been honest with him or herself, much less the other.
Satterfield eloquently illustrates how, just as the river flows endlessly -- sometimes raging and overtaking its banks, sometimes ambling along at a leisurely pace -- life proceeds in the same manner. The pace of the book emulates that of the river's flow, slowing and accelerating as necessary in order to provide context to the mystery that is the centerpiece of the story. Beneath the river's surface lurk dangers -- rocks, tree stumps, tangled weeds. Just as the people with whom we interact are not always who they seem to be. The river reveals itself as the seasons change, as do we. And always there are mysteries that the river keeps to itself.
Once Upon a River is a fairy tale with a timeless quality, full of lush, evocative prose. Atmospheric and original, populated by fascinating and endearing characters, and full of unexpected plot twists and surprises, the story is as haunting as it is charming.
Thanks to NetGalley for an Advance Reader's Copy of the book.
Against that backdrop, the story begins at the Swan, an ancient inn operated by Joe Bliss and his wife, Margot, on the night of the solstice, a particularly magical and mysterious time. As the locals gather, the door bursts open and a man with a bloodied, misshapen head roars in carrying a lifeless child. Rita Sunday, the local nurse, begins caring for the man but, like the others present, is convinced that the little girl is deceased. But then something miraculous happens. The child opens her eyes, leaving everyone stunned. Everything that Rita understands about science and healing tells her that what she has witnessed could not have actually happened.
So begins the quest to ascertain the child's identity. The man who brings her to the Swan is Henry Daunt, a photographer, who pulled the drowned child from the Thames. But how she ended up there is a mystery that she cannot help unravel because she does not speak. Helena Vaughan is convinced that the child is her beloved Amelia, who was kidnapped from her bedroom in the Vaughans' mansion two years ago. During those two years, Helena has been inconsolable, and believing that her daughter has returned not only restores her hope and vigor, but rejuvenates her marriage to Anthony. He is convinced only of one thing: the child is not Amelia, although he has never confessed the real reason why he is certain. Rather, he goes along with Helena, participating in the charade, relieved to see his wife happy and their relationship vibrant again.
But could the child be Alice Armstrong, daughter of Robin? Little Alice's mother committed suicide, and is presumed to have drowned her daughter. Robin has been a disappointment to his stepfather, Robert, who married Robin's mother, Bess, vowing to love and raise her unborn child as his own. Robert is educated, articulate, and aristocratic, but has always known, because of the color of his skin, what it feels like to be an outsider. He was determined that Robin would never know that same pain, but despite his efforts, Robin has turned out to be a gambler, drinker, and criminal who does not care about his family, and is perhaps determined to profit by convincing everyone that the child is indeed Alice.
Lily White, a widow, works in the parson's household but returns to her modest cabin each night where she receives visits from a strange man who steals her money and food, and regularly abuses her. To keep him from taking everything and leaving her destitute, the parson keeps part of her wages hidden away for her. Lily insists that the little girl is her sister, Ann, who went missing at four years of age. Rita and the parson attempt to convince Lily that is quite impossible, given that Lily is in her forties, but she will not be dissuaded. She has harbored a dark secret for decades about which she has been consumed with grief and self-loathing.
Satterfield weaves a compelling tale about mistaken identity, longing, grief, and the willingness to believe the impossible in order to alleviate sorrow. Her large and eclectic cast of characters each have engrossing histories, secrets, and motivations. Satterfield skillfully reveals the truth about each character's past, along with his/her longing and desires, injecting clues at expertly-timed intervals as to the true identity of the adorable child that so many want to claim as their own and raise. She explores her characters' inner conflicts with compassion and insight, rendering many of them empathetic and relatable. That is especially true of Robert, an honorable man with a special ability to relate to and care for animals, whose heart has been repeatedly broken by the child he was determined to raise as his own so that he would never experience the rejection and ostracism that Robert did. In contrast, Rita has been afraid to love and be loved, but is forced to confront her fears if she is to enjoy the kind of home and family she has always wanted. Lily has spent decades carrying the guilt and remorse that drove her from her familial home, while Helena and Anthony suffered a great loss and the repercussions but neither of them has been honest with him or herself, much less the other.
Satterfield eloquently illustrates how, just as the river flows endlessly -- sometimes raging and overtaking its banks, sometimes ambling along at a leisurely pace -- life proceeds in the same manner. The pace of the book emulates that of the river's flow, slowing and accelerating as necessary in order to provide context to the mystery that is the centerpiece of the story. Beneath the river's surface lurk dangers -- rocks, tree stumps, tangled weeds. Just as the people with whom we interact are not always who they seem to be. The river reveals itself as the seasons change, as do we. And always there are mysteries that the river keeps to itself.
Once Upon a River is a fairy tale with a timeless quality, full of lush, evocative prose. Atmospheric and original, populated by fascinating and endearing characters, and full of unexpected plot twists and surprises, the story is as haunting as it is charming.
Thanks to NetGalley for an Advance Reader's Copy of the book.
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