I’m so happy that, when I asked Shannon what novel I should read next, she gave me the name of this one — Here One Moment, by Liane Moriarty. She’d just finished reading it and said she loved it. We’ve both read so many of Liane Moriarty’s books and enjoyed them, so I was excited to start this one.
I listened to this book on Audible because I wanted to walk, drive, or do chores around the house while hearing a story. (Audiobooks are a great way to make not-so-fun tasks more tolerable because you’ll look forward to finding out what happens next in the book while you get stuff done.)
I burned through this book SO fast because I could not stop listening. It is SO FREAKING GOOD, mamas. Check it out at the library, buy it, download it, borrow it… Just don’t miss this incredible book. It’s so intense in all the best ways, and it’s my favorite book of the year so far. I fully expect it to be turned into a series on Apple TV or one of the other big streaming services. Can’t wait!
Book title: Here One Moment
Author: Liane Moriarty
Genre: Family Life Fiction
What it’s about (without spoilers):
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.
Why we like it: There are so many things we love about this book, so it’s impossible to list them all. Just know that it is masterfully written and leaves no loose ends, which isn’t easy to do when the cast of characters is this big. We felt so invested in each character’s life and what might happen to them. There were many times when I said (out loud), “Oh no!” because I felt the danger heading straight toward these fictional people. I love it when a book puts me right on the edge like that.
What other people say: This book was released on September and already has thousands of Amazon reviews and a 4.4 star rating (out of 5).
“Unputdownable . . . [a] propulsive, philosophically rich saga.”—Oprah Daily
“Everything we loved about Moriarty’s Big Little Lies—the pacing, the twists, the taut energy—is here, in a high-flying exploration of free will and destiny.”—Good Housekeeping, Book of the Month Book Club Pick
“Meticulously plotted . . . exquisitely rendered characters . . . Moriarty has outdone herself.”—Publishers Weekly, starred review
About the author: Liane Moriarty is the author of the #1 New York Times bestsellers Big Little Lies, Apples Never Fall, The Husband’s Secret, and Truly Madly Guilty; the New York Times bestsellers Nine Perfect Strangers, What Alice Forgot, and The Last Anniversary; The Hypnotist’s Love Story; and Three Wishes. She lives in Sydney, Australia, with her husband and two children.
