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.
Stedman, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Light Between Oceans )..
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.
Once Upon a River is a glorious tapestry of a book that combines folklore and science, magic and myth.
Each family has mysteries of its own, and many secrets must be revealed before the girl\'s identity can be known.
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.
The parson\'s housekeeper, humble and isolated, sees in the child the image of her younger sister.
A farming family reeling from the discovery of their son\'s secret liaison stand ready to welcome their granddaughter.
A wealthy young mother knows the girl is her kidnapped daughter, missing for two years.
Three families are keen to claim her.
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.
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.
Is it a miracle? Is it magic? Or can science provide an explanation? These questions have many answers, some of them quite dark indeed.
Hours later, the girl stirs, takes a breath and returns to life.
In his arms is the lifeless body of a small child.
The regulars are telling stories to while away the dark hours, when the door bursts open on a grievously wounded stranger.
On a dark midwinter\'s night in an ancient inn on the River Thames, an extraordinary event takes place.
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
