{"product_id":"once-upon-a-river-by-diane-setterfield-book","title":"Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield","description":"\u003ch2\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAbout Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield – A Haunting Historical Mystery of Storytelling, Family, Science and the River Thames\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOnce Upon a River by Diane Setterfield is a rich historical mystery set beside the River Thames in the nineteenth century. The story begins on a dark winter night at the Swan, an old riverside inn where people gather to drink, talk, and tell stories. The regular evening changes when a badly injured stranger enters carrying the body of a small girl who appears to be dead. Hours later, the child breathes again.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNo one knows who she is, where she came from, or how she survived. Because the girl cannot explain her past, other people begin to create answers for her. Soon, three different families believe she may belong to them.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFrom this strange event, Setterfield builds a story about grief, hope, identity, parenthood, love, folklore, and the need to make sense of things we do not understand. The book mixes mystery with historical fiction and a touch of the uncanny. It asks whether every mystery needs one clear answer, or whether people sometimes live between fact, belief, memory, and story.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA winter night at the Swan changes everything\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Swan is more than a pub. It is a place where stories are shared, changed, remembered, and passed from one person to another. People come because they enjoy listening as much as talking.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOn the night the novel begins, the regulars expect another evening of familiar tales. Instead, a stranger enters badly hurt. He carries a small child who seems lifeless.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe shock is immediate. The people at the inn stop being storytellers and become witnesses to something they cannot explain. Then the girl begins to breathe.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThat moment gives the novel its central mystery. Was the child truly dead? Did the cold river make her appear dead? Was her return a miracle? Is there a scientific answer? Or has the river done something no one can understand?\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSetterfield does not force the reader to choose too quickly. The mystery stays open long enough for both reason and wonder to matter.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe unknown girl becomes the center of many lives\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBecause the girl does not speak, she cannot tell anyone her name. This silence creates a space that other people quickly fill.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOne family believes she may be Amelia Vaughan, a child who was kidnapped years earlier. Another family sees a possible connection to their own missing child. A third claim also appears, giving the mystery more emotional weight.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eEach family has a reason to hope. Each has suffered loss. That means identifying the girl is not simply a matter of solving a puzzle. The answer could change several lives.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis is where the book becomes more than a strange river mystery. It becomes a story about what grief can make people believe and what hope can make people risk.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eReaders are asked to look at each claim with sympathy while also asking what the evidence truly shows.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan\u003eScience and folklore flow beside each other\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOne of the most interesting parts of Once Upon a River is the way science and old stories exist side by side.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe nineteenth century was a time of growing scientific curiosity. New ideas about the body, nature, medicine, and human life were challenging older ways of understanding the world.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eRita Sunday, a nurse, represents careful observation and practical knowledge. She wants to understand what happened to the girl through evidence and the body.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOther people are more willing to believe in miracles, river spirits, old tales, or forces that cannot be measured.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe novel does not treat one side as foolish and the other as cold. Instead, it shows why people need both explanation and meaning.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe river feels alive without becoming a simple fantasy\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe River Thames is one of the most important presences in the novel.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePeople work beside it, travel on it, fear it, respect it, and tell stories about it. The river connects different homes and communities, but it can also separate people.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWater carries objects, secrets, bodies, memories, and rumors. Its movement gives the book a natural shape. Stories travel like water, changing as they move from one person to another.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSetterfield makes the river feel powerful without turning it into a simple magical creature. It remains real water with real danger, but it also gathers symbolic meaning.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis is one reason the novel feels so atmospheric. The setting is not only a background. The river shapes the lives of the characters and the way the story itself moves.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eReaders who enjoy books where place matters as much as plot may find this especially satisfying.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan\u003eStorytelling is not just decoration here\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOnce Upon a River is deeply interested in why people tell stories.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAt the Swan, stories are entertainment, memory, community, and sometimes a way to make life easier to understand.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePeople do not always tell stories exactly as events happened. They select details. They change emphasis. They fill gaps. They sometimes make a tale better for the listener.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe mystery of the girl becomes another story that spreads along the river. Each person hears it slightly differently. Each family brings its own hopes and fears.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe novel asks a simple but important question: when many versions of an event exist, how do we know which one to trust?\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan\u003eRita Sunday brings calm reason into a strange situation\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eRita Sunday is one of the most grounded characters in the novel.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eShe is practical, skilled, and interested in evidence. When the child appears dead and later breathes again, Rita does not immediately accept a supernatural explanation. She watches, thinks, and asks what the body may have done.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHer presence gives the novel a strong balance. The story can explore folklore and mystery while still respecting science.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eRita is also emotionally complex. She is not only a medical mind. She has her own fears, hopes, and relationships.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThrough Rita, Setterfield shows that reason and emotion do not need to fight each other. A person can want evidence and still feel wonder. A person can understand medicine and still be moved by mystery.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFamily love gives the mystery its emotional force\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe question of the girl's identity matters because several people are carrying deep pain.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eParents who have lost a child do not experience the mystery as an interesting problem. For them, it may be a chance to recover someone they have never stopped missing.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis gives every new clue emotional weight.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHope can become dangerous when someone wants an answer too badly. Setterfield handles this carefully. The families are not only plot devices. Their grief, love, guilt, and uncertainty become part of the heart of the book.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eReaders who enjoy family-centered mysteries may find this part especially strong.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA historical mystery with a Gothic touch\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe novel combines several kinds of reading experience.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThere is a mystery to solve, but there is also a strong sense of history. The setting includes old inns, river travel, rural communities, changing science, and social rules of the period.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThere is also a Gothic feeling. A child returns from apparent death. The river is full of old stories. Darkness, winter, silence, and uncertainty create an eerie mood.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eYet the novel is not a horror story. Its tension is quieter. Fear grows from not knowing what is true and from understanding how much people stand to lose.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWhat makes Once Upon a River worth reading\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe novel offers many reasons to choose it:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA strange opening mystery that begins with a child who appears to return from death.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA richly drawn nineteenth-century setting beside the River Thames.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThree competing family claims that give the mystery emotional depth.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA strong mix of folklore, science, history, suspense, and romance.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMemorable characters with different beliefs and motives.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThemes of grief, parenthood, identity, truth, memory, and hope.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA river setting that shapes both the story and the mood.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA thoughtful look at how stories change as people repeat them.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA mystery that allows both evidence and wonder to remain important.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBeautifully layered storytelling for readers who enjoy slow, immersive fiction.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe novel also won the 2019 Historical Writers’ Association Gold Crown Award, adding to its reputation as a strong work of historical fiction.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWho should read Once Upon a River?\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis book is a strong choice for readers who enjoy historical fiction, literary mystery, Gothic atmosphere, folklore, family drama, and stories set in old England.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIt may especially appeal to readers who liked novels where a place feels alive, where the mystery develops slowly, and where the characters matter as much as the final answer.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBook clubs can find many useful questions here. Was the child’s survival a medical event or something more? Why do different people believe different stories? How does grief change judgment? What makes a family? Can a story be emotionally true even if every detail is not factual?\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eReaders who enjoy layered stories with patient pacing, emotional questions, and a strong sense of place may find the novel especially rewarding and memorable.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA premium reading copy from Bookish Wonderland\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOnce Upon a River is a detailed, atmospheric novel that many readers may want to enjoy slowly. Bookish Wonderland offers a reader-friendly copy with premium eye-soothing cream paper, crystal-clear print, and high-quality stitched plus glue binding for better longevity.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe cream paper helps make longer reading sessions comfortable, while the clear printing keeps the text easy to follow. The durable binding is designed for regular reading and long-term collection.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFor readers comparing the Book price in Bangladesh for Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield, Bookish Wonderland offers a convenient local option for ordering this atmospheric historical mystery.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNationwide delivery is available across Bangladesh, including inside and outside Dhaka. Cash on delivery is available, and fast or urgent delivery options may also be available in Dhaka.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA mystery that asks what truth really means\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe deeper strength of Once Upon a River is that the book does not only ask who the girl is.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIt asks how people decide what to believe.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eEvidence matters. Memory matters. Love matters. Fear matters. Stories matter. Sometimes these things point in the same direction, and sometimes they do not.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe characters must live with uncertainty while still making choices. Setterfield uses the mystery to show that truth can be something we search for carefully, but meaning is also shaped by the stories we tell about what happened.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLet the river carry you into the mystery\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOnce Upon a River by Diane Setterfield begins with one impossible-looking event and grows into a wide story about families, loss, identity, science, folklore, and the power of storytelling.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe novel takes its time, but that slow movement is part of its charm. Characters enter gradually. Stories cross. Clues appear. The river keeps moving while people try to decide what is true.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIf you enjoy books that mix mystery with atmosphere and emotional depth, this is an excellent title to choose. It gives you a historical setting, a memorable cast, and a central question strong enough to pull the whole novel forward.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOrder Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield from Bookish Wonderland and discover a spellbinding Thames mystery where science, folklore, family love, and storytelling meet around one silent child and one unforgettable winter night.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIf you require any customization or have any questions, please inbox us via FB or Insta.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Bookish Wonderland","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":43727284928609,"sku":null,"price":342.0,"currency_code":"BDT","in_stock":true},{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":43727284961377,"sku":null,"price":426.0,"currency_code":"BDT","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0619\/1788\/8609\/files\/Once_Upon_a_River_by_Diane_Setterfield_in_BD.jpg?v=1790249878","url":"https:\/\/bookishwonderland.com\/products\/once-upon-a-river-by-diane-setterfield-book","provider":"Bookish Wonderland","version":"1.0","type":"link"}