Once Upon a River

I don't know what I was expecting this novel to be, but it did not align to what I thought it should be about (based solely on the cover). That being said, this novel of storytelling, love, nature, and imagination was unique in every aspect. Like the flow of a river, I had no idea where the story was going to take me and I certainly didn't come close to predicting the end. The two central figures in this novel are the Swan (a nice little pub where storytelling is the highest form of currency) and the river. One ordinary night as the drinks were flowing, a man stumbled in and immediately passed out due to injuries, with him is a young girl of four; cold and dead. When Rita the local doctor is called for she patches up the injured man and sets the girl outside.... only to realize that the young dead girl is no longer dead. The tale of this miraculous girl grows and spreads. Where did she come from? How did she come back from the dead? What has the river done? Fascinating tale that ebbs and flows with multiple narrators and perspectives.

The Thirteenth Tale

This novel is a book lover's dream; it's lush, gorgeously written, and the way the author lovingly talks about reading and the power of books makes you want to curl up with this unique novel even more. Margaret Lea, a book lover of the highest order and part time antiquarian book dealer and amateur biographer, finds a mysterious note. It turns out to be from the world's most famous living author, Vida Winter. Margaret is stunned, she has never even read one of Vida's 50+ novels, and how on earth does Vida even know who she is? Vida knows she is reaching the end of her life and she wants to set the record straight. For years, she has spun tales about her life, fearful for people to peer too closely in at her. However, now she is ready to get it off her chest, so she asks Margaret to be her biographer and thus begins a complex tale of deceit, mental health issues, and overall a most peculiar childhood where nothing is as it seems. Once you get started reading this there is no stopping, you have to barrel along to the end where even more surprises wait. A complex, beautiful, and haunting read. I can't wait to discuss this with my book club!