Set in 1887 along the Thames River, Once Upon a River reads like a folklore tale of yore. Storytelling is a favorite past time at the Swan Inn so when an unknown girl, who was dead but now is alive, appears in the arms of a mysterious man, everyone spins their own tale of the unfolding events. Thus follows a dark and twisty tale that is intriguing yet also, at times, maddeningly slow in its reveal. The prose was beautiful, yet verbose and longer than necessary. Having not read anything else by this author, I can only guess that this is her writing style and that shortening it would have been nearly impossible.
Who is the child and why did she arrive in the arms of Henry Daunt, a photographer? Could she be Amelia, the little girl who was kidnapped from her bed two years ago? Could she be Alice, Robin's daughter? Or, could she be Ann, Lily's little sister? What is it about her that causes (almost) everyone in her presence feel protective of her?
The refrain of the story was: "Something is going to happen." ... But what? And can it please happen a bit more quickly?
Overall, I enjoyed this story for its unique writing style and old fashioned storytelling chock full of interesting characters, a bit of magic, and plenty of secrets waiting ... and waiting ... and waiting ... to be revealed.
Thank you to BookishFirst for an advance copy won in a giveaway. All opinions are my own.
Location: 1887 England along the Thames River
Who is the child and why did she arrive in the arms of Henry Daunt, a photographer? Could she be Amelia, the little girl who was kidnapped from her bed two years ago? Could she be Alice, Robin's daughter? Or, could she be Ann, Lily's little sister? What is it about her that causes (almost) everyone in her presence feel protective of her?
The refrain of the story was: "Something is going to happen." ... But what? And can it please happen a bit more quickly?
Overall, I enjoyed this story for its unique writing style and old fashioned storytelling chock full of interesting characters, a bit of magic, and plenty of secrets waiting ... and waiting ... and waiting ... to be revealed.
Thank you to BookishFirst for an advance copy won in a giveaway. All opinions are my own.
Location: 1887 England along the Thames River