Here One Moment
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER From the beloved author of Big Little Lies, Apples Never Fall, and The Husband’s Secret comes a moving novel of love, marriage, family, and trying to find certainty in a fragile world.
“The premise is irresistible—a woman on a flight from Hobart to Sydney begins predicting the age and manner of death of her fellow passengers. Beautifully written, this propulsive novel has a serious theme. Could be a great . . . present for that special someone.”—Stephen King
“A riveting story so wild you don’t know how she’ll land it, and then she does, on a dime.”—Anne Lamott
AN NPR BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR
Life is full of twists and turns you never see coming. But what if you did?
Flight attendant Allegra Patel loves her job, but today is her twenty-eighth birthday and she’d rather not be placating a plane full of passengers unhappy about a long delay. There’s the well-dressed man in seat 4C desperate not to miss his daughter’s musical. A harried mother frantically tries to keep her toddler and baby quiet. Honeymooners still in their wedding finery dream of their new lives, while a chatty emergency room nurse dreams of retirement.
Suddenly a woman traveling alone stands. She walks down the aisle making predictions about how and when passengers will die. Some dismiss her, they don’t believe in psychics. Some are delighted with her prophecies! Their lives will supposedly be long. Others are appalled.
Then: a few months later, the first prediction comes true.
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.
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#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER From the beloved author of Big Little Lies, Apples Never Fall, and The Husband’s Secret comes a moving novel of love, marriage, family, and trying to find certainty in a fragile world.
“The premise is irresistible—a woman on a flight from Hobart to Sydney begins predicting the age and manner of death of her fellow passengers. Beautifully written, this propulsive novel has a serious theme. Could be a great . . . present for that special someone.”—Stephen King
“A riveting story so wild you don’t know how she’ll land it, and then she does, on a dime.”—Anne Lamott
AN NPR BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR
Life is full of twists and turns you never see coming. But what if you did?
Flight attendant Allegra Patel loves her job, but today is her twenty-eighth birthday and she’d rather not be placating a plane full of passengers unhappy about a long delay. There’s the well-dressed man in seat 4C desperate not to miss his daughter’s musical. A harried mother frantically tries to keep her toddler and baby quiet. Honeymooners still in their wedding finery dream of their new lives, while a chatty emergency room nurse dreams of retirement.
Suddenly a woman traveling alone stands. She walks down the aisle making predictions about how and when passengers will die. Some dismiss her, they don’t believe in psychics. Some are delighted with her prophecies! Their lives will supposedly be long. Others are appalled.
Then: a few months later, the first prediction comes true.
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.
P. Chen –
One of the best books by Liane Moriarty
I really enjoyed this book, probably the most out of the three books I’ve read by Liane Moriarty (“Nine Perfect Strangers” and “Big Little Lies”) .Part of the reason is that the author is so good at writing characters. Nearly every character–with the exception of Cherry and her mother, notably and ironically–was so realistic. Reading Moriarty’s characterization of someone, like Cherry’s dad, was almost like listening to someone talk about their dad in real life. The things they thought and worried about, the way they talked to their partners and spouses, how they reacted to their predictions and causes of death–all seemed like they could be real people doing and saying those things.Eg. When Cherry was narrating: “Arthur, my dad, was a shy, deep-voiced, tall country boy from Lismore, with a head for figures, good with his hands, a careful, meticulous, logical man. His favorite things were fishing, canoeing, and chess.”The structure was also interesting. Even though it seems that this book, like the two other of Moriarty’s I’ve read previously also has an ensemble cast, the story brings them all together at the beginning, then we learn about who each one is in turn before learning how they will all (or some of them anyway) will connect with each other later on.Even though Cherry was creepy to me at first, over the course of the book, as we learn more about her and her background, she becomes a more fleshed-out person that I started to really like! Maybe because she was also a white woman in her 70s, but her cute sense of humor reminded me of Joyce from “The Thursday Murder Club,” except Cherry is more knowledgeable about technology and recent pop culture.Example of her sense of humor, especially with the use of the phrase “Never mind” after what she had intended to be a pithy and wise remark:”A year later Ivy sent me a letter of apology. It was a very nice letter and of course I forgave her.”It’s never too late for an apology.”Correction:”Sometimes it is too late.”Never mind.”Another one:”Look a little closer at the next old lady you meet. You might see that sparkle.”Or you might not. Some of us are grumpy and sad. Some of us are in serious pain: our feet, our hips, our shoulders. Some of us are crazed with grief and regret for wrong decisions.”Never mind.”Some of the other characters were funny too. Like Eve, one of the two Millennials that the author was definitely poking fun at. Here’s an excerpt:”Eve straightens her mother’s black dress, her go-to dress for funerals. Imagine having a go-to dress for funerals. That’s what it’s like to be old. As if wrinkles were not enough.”Hilarious!Anyway, I really enjoyed this book, including the ending, which a mostly happy one–thank goodness.
Michelle M –
This is a great book that makes the reader want to see what happens next
This is an entertaining book that encourages the reader to think about how they are living their life. I enjoyed the plot and the multitude of characters showing how different people react to the “death notice” information they were given. I enjoyed the writing style that was humorous and very reader friendly. I have read all of the authors’ novels and this one is in the top 3 of my favorites. It is worth your time to read if you like this kind of novel.
Friend Zone –
A Book for All Moments
I started with the audiobook, then bought the hardcover as a gift—this book is that good. I’ve devoured every single Liane Moriarty novel, and this one is another gem in her collection. She’s hands down the queen of conversational storytelling, and Here One Moment grabs you right from the jump. Picture yourself on a jam-packed flight, stuck on the tarmac—and an odd woman gets up from her seat and starts making dire predictions—just the thought of it is enough to give you chills. But Moriarty makes it so vivid, it’s like you’re wedged into the middle seat right next to these unforgettable characters.The story kicks off with Allegra, the flight attendant celebrating her birthday while keeping an eye on her eclectic mix of passengers. There’s the guy nervously fiddling with his watch, the harried mom wrangling her kids, and a beaming bride still basking in post-wedding bliss. Each of them feels like a fully formed world. And just when you’re settling in, Moriarty drops the mic: a mysterious woman stands up and announces how and when everyone on the flight will die. (Yes, really. Buckle up!)What follows is an emotional thrill flight as we dive into the minds of the passengers. Some are desperate to change their fates, others spiral into denial, and a few take it as a wake-up call to rethink their lives. It’ll have you wondering: what would you do if you knew your expiration date?Moriarty’s signature blend of wit, charm, and heartfelt insight is on full display here. While the book plays with big, existential questions about fate and mortality, it’s really a love letter to the complicated, messy, wonderful relationships that make life worth the chaos. It’s laugh-out-loud funny, deeply moving, and thought-provoking all at once. Here One Moment is a must-read. You won’t want to put it down—or forget it.
Meredith –
Worth A Read
I enjoyed the book and it’s worth the read, but the ending fell flat. Just a little disappointing how it ended
Karin Eder –
Liane Moriarty is currently my favorite author, bar none. Every time she surprises me. I wouldn’t say every book is better than the other because I like them all so much, the stories are so unique.So on THIS book, I started reading and it took me a while to get into the story, because it isn’t the story of one character, there are several and they are completely unrelated. Little bits of their personalities are revealed at times, and you start to care about them and then you KNOW something horrible will happen. There’s a “buildup” to a terrible situation and you go “nononono” because you don’t want that the thing you know – or think you know – is going to happen, well, happening. It’s an emotional roller-coaster. I felt terrible and relieved several times, and also terrible and sad, too.A great read, a dive into human nature, as always.Looking forward to her next book!
Kristen –
I look for books that are unique, interesting to read. This book lets the reader feel like they might be reading a personal diary.It also makes you ponder your own mortality and intuition.Loved the writing style and would be interested in reading another novel by Liane.
Snapdragon –
Hooray for a new Liane Moriarty novel. The setup is this: a plane from Hobart to Sydney is delayed on the tarmac. An older, well dressed woman suddenly stands and starts telling the passengers at what age they will die and of what cause, eg: workplace accident, aged 43. This is distressing if you’re 42. The novel proceeds by inviting us into the lives of those who received predictions and the tragedies, lessons and joys of the predictor herself. It plays with the notion of free will vs determinism, & invites us to consider the age old question of how we would live our lives if we knew we only had a little time left. Also: is it actually possible to tell the future?Liane Moriarty is an empath who can dive right into the heart of other people’s lives while at the same time assessing situations with intelligent clarity. She’s often whimsically humorous, but is just as likely to reduce you to tears. She draws plenty of warm, wise, common sense conclusions about life – that random chain of happenstance – and it’s amazingly entertaining to enter the lives of this gallery of personalities, from twenty somethings to centenarians. This is an absolute joy, will make an excellent TV series in the right hands and is more entertaining and USEFUL than many a more “highbrow” novel.
n.moloney –
I absolutely loved this book. I found the concept of the book to be unique and I really enjoyed getting to know each of the characters and watch their stories unfold, especially the main character. I loved how her story and time lines weaved in and out of the present day and couldn’t wait to pick it up again each day and find out a little more. I felt really invested in the characters and their fate. It was also just a really beautiful reminder of what’s imporant in life but told through characters I felt like I could relate to or who I could just as easily know, a friends parents or a friend of a friend. It felt familiar and initmate like I was living it out along side them. I highly recommend!
B –
Great read