Life is full of twists and turns you never see coming. But what if you did?
The plane is jam-packed. Every seat is taken. So of course the flight is delayed! Flight attendant Allegra Patel likes her job—she’s generally happy with her life, even if she can’t figure out why she hooks up with a man she barely speaks to—but today is her twenty-eighth birthday. She can think of plenty of things she’d rather be doing than placating a bunch of grumpy passengers.
There’s the well-dressed man in seat 4C who is compulsively checking his watch, desperate not to miss his eleven-year-old daughter’s musical. Further back, a mother of two is frantically trying to keep her toddler entertained and her infant son quiet. How did she ever think being a stay-at-home mom would be easier than being a lawyer? Ethan is lost in thought; he’s flying back from his first funeral. A young couple has just gotten married; she’s still wearing her wedding dress. An emergency room nurse is looking forward to traveling the world once she retires in a few years, it’s going to be so much fun! If they ever get off the tarmac. . . .
Suddenly a woman none of them know stands up. She makes predictions about how and when everyone on board will die. Some dismiss her. Others will do everything they can to make sure her prophecies do not come to pass. All of them will be forever changed.
How would you live your life if you thought you knew how it would end? Would you love who you love or try to love someone else? Would you stay married? Would you stop drinking? Would you call up your ex-best friend you haven’t spoken to in years? Would you quit your job?
Intricately plotted, with the wonderful wit Liane Moriarty has become famous for, Here One Moment brilliantly looks at friends, lovers, and family and how we manage to hold onto them in our harried modern lives.
Here One Moment is a thought-provoking contemporary fiction novel that explores themes of fate, free will, prophecy, and mortality. The story begins on an ordinary flight from Hobart to Sydney, which takes an extraordinary turn when a woman named Cherry, later dubbed as “The Death Lady,” stands up mid-flight and predicts the age and cause of death for several passengers. After the flight, when these eerie predictions begin to come true, the story centers on six of the passengers who are confronted with the real possibility of their own mortality and who begin to search for “The Death Lady,” while wondering if something sinister is at work. Moriarty brilliantly depicts how life-altering events can greatly alter human behavior.
The book has a relatively large cast of characters, most of whom are introduced on the flight—it’s a good idea to jot down their names and associations early on, as some of the characters are similar and can easily be confused. The characters are richly developed, each with unique backstories that add layers to the central narrative. Each character responds to their unsettling prophecy differently, but most initially brush it off as the words of a “mad woman.”. As the story unfolds, each of these individuals is forced to confront their foretold destiny, prompting reflections on their life choices and relationships—they try to alter everything that can cause the prophecy to come to fruition, making for very dramatic storytelling. The story toggles back and forth between the POVs of the six passengers and Cherry, including many flashback scenes detailing Cherry’s decades-long backstory leading up to the flight. Cherry’s POV is especially compelling as she speaks directly to the reader as if telling them a story, making the story feel more intimate and allowing readers to feel a special connection with her. On the other hand, she’s a woman brought up in a different time and is very judgmental and reckless, which makes her difficult to love.
This book is quite lengthy, at over 500 pages, but the chapters are short and straightforward, so it feels like a quicker read. One thing to note is that the chapters aren’t labeled—with the numerous POVs, it sometimes becomes confusing determining which character’s story you’re delving into when switching chapters. As the story comes to a climax, there are unexpected ties that emerge, leading to satisfying and profound character arcs. The book could have been condensed and just as effective, but as you spend substantial time with the characters, you’ll appreciate the expanded storyline and see even more value in how intricately the narrative comes together at the end.
In summary, Here One Moment is a thought-provoking and highly entertaining read that may lead readers to reflect on the choices in their lives and their own mortality. In similar fashion to her previous works, such as “Big Little Lies” and “Nine Perfect Strangers,” Moriarty demonstrates her talented ability to create intricate, character-driven stories that people can easily resonate with. Readers who enjoy contemporary literary fiction, parallel storylines, and richly developed characters will definitely enjoy this book! With this book’s immense popularity, having made many top book lists of 2024, it’s definitely one that readers of all genres should consider!
