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Once Upon a River

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Once Upon a River

By: Diane Setterfield
Narrated by: Juliet Stevenson
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About this listen

Random House presents the audiobook edition of Once Upon a River, written by Diane Setterfield and read by Juliet Stevenson.

A dark midwinter’s night in an ancient inn on the Thames. The regulars are entertaining themselves by telling stories when the door bursts open on an injured stranger. In his arms is the drowned corpse of a little child.

Hours later the dead girl stirs, takes a breath and returns to life.

Is it a miracle?

Is it magic?

Or can it be explained by science?

An exquisitely crafted multi-layered mystery brimming with folklore, suspense and romance, as well as with the urgent scientific curiosity of the Darwinian age, Once Upon a River is as richly atmospheric as Setterfield’s bestseller The Thirteenth Tale.

©2019 Diane Setterfield (P)2019 Penguin Audio
Fantasy Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Literary Fiction Magic Mystery Heartfelt Suspense

What listeners say about Once Upon a River

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Perfect

This is a perfect marriage of story and narrator. Juliet Stevenson uses different tones, inflections and accents to make each character sing. Sublime! The story is full of human tragedy, tinged with magic and mystery. Highly recommended.

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4 people found this helpful

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Great storytelling!

The narrator was brilliant. The story was a facinating tale. I looked forward to listening every day. I will be looking forward to another story by the same author.

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3 people found this helpful

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Hang In there


As with the listeners of the storytellers Your find yourself trying to solve the mystery

A mystery that will keep you guessing

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1 person found this helpful

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A Real Gem

The story and narration are brilliant.
Reminds me of the old days when stories where told in pubs on a cold winter night.

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speechless

This was the first book in a long time that has left me quite speechless afterwards, and I had to have a coffee before reviewing it as I couldn't seem to find the right words for it. So... All I will say is this... There were moments when I thought the story was being dragged out, but when it comes together, and questions are answered, everything falls into place. Well worth the read

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Beautiful story and wonderfully read

Thoroughly enjoyed listening to this story of characters I cared about, it is beautifully read by Stevenson, she adds so much to the story

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Lovely little story

This is a sweet lovely and easy to follow story. Good to listen to while doing other things as it doesn’t require much thinking.

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A Joy

So easy to immerse yourself in.
So calming even when strife is at play.
Very well balanced.

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Enjoyable

An exquisite tale meandering its way between two worlds.
I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the audiobook.

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Beautiful Writing

The story is a tad long but so beautifully written and narrated. A joy.

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In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.