There is a timelessness to this story but not in the usual way. Yes, it is definitely a new tale in an old setting that can be understood across future decades, but it feels like an old, old story that has been retold, examined and embelished by many years. It would not be surprising to find your copy strangly tattered and smelling like damp river water and age. So, while reading you are a bit off balance in time and Setterfield takes full advantage of this state and pulls you into this story river. And pull you in she does.
There is an inn by the river Thames, ancient and welcoming to those with stories to share. It is here that the core tale begins on a stormy night (of course). An injured man staggers in with a dead little girl in his arms. Both are unknown in this small community. At first. Here the tale begins to take shape, grow, meander and build upon layers of connections. These connections glue this book into a wonder of good and evil.
There is an inn by the river Thames, ancient and welcoming to those with stories to share. It is here that the core tale begins on a stormy night (of course). An injured man staggers in with a dead little girl in his arms. Both are unknown in this small community. At first. Here the tale begins to take shape, grow, meander and build upon layers of connections. These connections glue this book into a wonder of good and evil.