Once Upon a River

Content Warning: This section of the guide contains discussion of death.

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. Setterfield organized the novel around solstices and equinoxes. What emotions did this structure evoke as you progressed through the story?

2. Which aspect of the novel—mystery, historical fiction, or magical realism—resonated most strongly with you?

3. How does Once Upon a River compare to other works that feature mysterious children, such as Eowyn Ivey’s The Snow Child or Neil Gaiman’s The Ocean at the End of the Lane?

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. In Once Upon a River, multiple characters claim The Child as their own. Have you ever felt a deep connection to someone who wasn’t biologically related to you?

2. What fears have shaped your major life decisions in the way that Rita’s fear of childbirth influences her choices throughout the novel?

3. Do you tend to seek logical explanations or embrace mystery when faced with unexplainable events in your life?

4. Several characters in the novel carry secrets that prevent them from healing or moving forward. How has keeping or revealing a significant secret affected your relationships with others?

5. In what ways have first impressions or superficial judgments affected how someone was treated in your community?

6. Which character’s journey particularly resonated with your own experiences of grief, loss, and healing?

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. What parallels do you see between the novel’s portrayal of photography as new technology and our society’s adaptation to emerging technologies today?

2. The Swan Inn serves as a gathering place where stories shape community understanding and identity. What spaces in modern society serve a similar function?

3. In what ways does the novel’s exploration of humanity’s relationship with nature reflect contemporary environmental concerns?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. How does the narrator’s occasional direct address to the reader influence your experience of the story?

2. What purpose does The Child’s silence serve in the narrative?

3. Water appears as a motif throughout the novel as rivers, floods, and tears. Analyze how water functions as both a literal force and a symbolic element in the text.

4. How do supernatural abilities like Bess’s “seeing eye” and Jonathan’s perfect recall complicate the novel’s exploration of truth and belief?

5. How does Setterfield use the characterization of Robin Armstrong and Victor Nash to explore the nature of evil?

6. In what ways did the converging storyline structure enhance or detract from your engagement with the novel?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. What five scenes from the novel would you include in a photography exhibition based on Once Upon a River?

2. Imagine an epilogue that provides concrete answers about The Child’s identity and future—what would happen in your version?

3. If you were to create a gathering place dedicated to storytelling in your community inspired by the Swan inn, what traditions would you establish there?

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