Once Upon a River Audiobook By Diane Setterfield cover art

Once Upon a River

 Preview
LIMITED TIME OFFER

3 months free
Try for $0.00
Offer ends July 31, 2025 at 11:59PM PT.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 3 months. Cancel anytime.

Once Upon a River

By: Diane Setterfield
Narrated by: Juliet Stevenson
Try for $0.00

$0.00/mo. after 3 months. Offer ends July 31, 2025 at 11:59PM PT. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $20.33

Buy for $20.33

Confirm purchase
Pay using card ending in
Switch payment method
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use, License, and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.
Cancel

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 Fairy Tales Fantasy Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Literary Fiction Magic Mystery Suspense
All stars
Most relevant  
Although I did get a little muddled by how many children drowned or did not,( my fault no doubt),I did become engrossed in all the tales of families and life on a river.
Being familiar with the Collodion photographic technique, I was also appreciative of how the author integrated this important development in the history of image capture.
The actor’s voice characterizations were so apt and skilled. No wonder Ms Stevenson has been much “used” on stage, screens and audio.

Enchanting, watery story.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
If you are planning to read just one book this year, let it be Once Upon the River!! Stories, magic and beautiful language you will find in it .... Ms Stevenson's narration is an absolute delight!

A most stunning novel!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I’m 3/4 of the way through and I can’t get enough of it. Can’t believe it will let me down though. The narrator I followed from Mrs.Benson’s Beetle, as I prefer English accents, but she really did a bad job at the West Indian accent in this tale. It sounded more welsh or like a cartoon character/ absurd. I can’t wait to finish it nonetheless.

Loving this story

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Once you take the chance on this story, it'll pay you back double. A very good story, and very nicely read.

Succes

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
although i really enjoyed this book, it took me 3 hours to get 'in' to it and with all the names it become a but confusing at times. The book as a whole is wonderfully written and the accents were really enjoyable.

thoroughly enjoyed.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I got this one based on all the great reviews, however, i'm 5 hrs in and a little bit bored. It started great and the picture the author paints its brilliant, but maybe its a bit too slow for me.

Its 'ok'

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.