“And now, dear reader, the story is over. It is time for you to cross the bridge once more and return to the world you came from. This river, which is and is not the Thames, must continue flowing without you. You have haunted here long enough, and besides, you surely have rivers of your own to attend to?”
I had a co-worker who would always say “Happy Monday!” Is it me, or is this an oxymoron? Mondays come fast and hard. I thought a mini-review might chase away beginning-of-the-week blues. And who better to help cheer us than Bristish lovely Diane Setterfield? Rae introduced me to the master storyteller a while back. I tried to return the favor; for Christmas, I gave her Setterfield’s latest Once Upon a River.
I L-O-V-E-D listening to this magical, puzzling tale of three desperate families in search of three girls, all independently and mysteriously missing. Like the river it revolves around, the Thames, Setterfield’s modern folklore will draw you in. Hers is a rich plot with highly memorable characters whose lives are impeccably intertwined. Combine an enchanting yarn with audible phenom, the gifted Juliet Stevenson, and you’re bound to swoon over Once Upon a River. To the Top 100 reviewer who said, “if I threw [this book] across the room, I think it might fly,” I offer my two cents—not only does Once Upon a River fly, it will take you to another world that leaves you wanting when your feet eventually touch back down on the ground.