Once Upon a River Summary
Diane Setterfield

Once Upon a River Overview

Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield is a historical novel based in 1880s England on the banks of the Thames River and highlights oral tradition. A presumably dead unidentified, mute child was brought to the Swan Inn and later pronounced alive, and she wreaked havoc in the hearts of various people and families who believed she belonged to them. The novel deals with themes of family, storytelling, grief, and duality among others.