內容簡介
內容簡介 全球暢銷小說《第十三個故事》作者最新奇幻作品！某個隆冬時節，泰唔士河畔的一間小酒館裡的常客們各自說著故事，突然門口闖入了一個看似悲傷不已的陌生人，他的手上抱著一個已沒有生命跡象的小女孩。但就在過了幾個小時後，小女孩翻了翻身，又開始呼吸……這是奇蹟嗎？還是某人施了魔法？還是科學有可能解釋這個現象？對於這個小女孩死而復生的謎題，河邊居民開始提出自己的理論，但隨著時間過去，謎題並沒有被解開，反而更顯詭譎。她是誰？她從哪裡來？她是誰的孩子？小女孩卻無法開口回答這些問題。有三家人聲稱女孩是自己的家人。一個富有的年輕婦人聲稱女孩是她兩年前被綁架的女兒；一戶農家說女孩是兒子的私生女，準備好要帶女孩回家；牧師的謙卑管家則說女孩是自己失散已久的妹妹。不管哪一家人的分離都充滿苦楚，每一家人也都有自己的秘密，女孩的身份揭曉前還有許多謎題需要解開。THE LONG-AWAITED, SPELLBINDING NEW NOVEL FROM THE AUTHOR OF THE BESTSELLING THE THIRTEENTH TALE, A 'MISTRESS OF THE CRAFT OF STORYTELLING' (Guardian).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.
