Summary
Liane Moriarty's novel Here One Moment"centers on a suspenseful narrative set during a flight from Hobart to Sydney. An enigmatic passenger, referred to as "The Death Lady," predicts the age and manner of death for fellow travelers. This encounter disrupts the lives of passengers, including flight attendant Allegra Patel and a stressed parent, as they confront mortality. Some passengers disregard the predictions, while others experience anxiety as several forecasts come true. The novel delves into themes of fate, destiny, and the human desire for control amidst uncertainty.
Plot
In Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty, a routine flight from Hobart to Sydney changes when Cherry Lockwood, called "The Death Lady," makes predictions about the passengers' deaths. She forecasts Leo Voldik's workplace accident, Sue O'Sullivan's cancer diagnosis, and Timmy Binici's drowning. These predictions provoke self-reflection and significant life changes for those involved.
Leo, a civil engineer, grapples with mortality after Cherry's warning. His focus on death affects his family relationships, especially with his daughter. As Leo notices other predictions coming true, he decides to return to Tasmania. This decision marks a shift towards prioritizing family.
Sue learns about a potential cancer diagnosis and chooses to live with renewed energy. Initially fearful, she explores her identity through dance and strengthens her partnership with Max. Her journey involves themes of health, fear, and a determination to enjoy life despite uncertainty.
Paula, driven by her son's prediction, becomes focused on preventing Timmy's projected drowning. She enrolls him in swim lessons and finds reassurance through a meeting with Cherry arranged by mutual contacts. This encounter emphasizes life's unpredictability.
Eve and Dom face relationship pressures, with predictions suggesting potential violence. Financial stress and insecurities present challenges, but their dedication to communication helps maintain their bond.
These interconnected narratives examine fate and free will. Cherry Lockwood, an actuary, emphasizes logic over mysticism after experiencing personal loss. Her role ties the passengers' stories together, exploring themes of mortality and choice. Moriarty depicts characters adapting to Cherry's predictions, highlighting adaptability and resilience in the face of potential destiny.
Characters
Liane Moriarty's Here One Moment centers on a group of characters facing personal dilemmas and existential questions. Cherry Lockwood, known as "The Death Lady," uses actuarial science to predict passengers' deaths. This initiates the story's events.
Allegra Patel, a flight attendant, confronts a prediction of self-harm coinciding with her 28th birthday. This highlights her struggle against a seemingly predetermined fate. Leo Voldik, a civil engineer, deals with a predicted workplace accident, raising tension between his professional ambitions and personal life.
The middle-aged couple Sue and Max O'Sullivan face irony, as Sue handles a severe health prediction despite her nursing background. This emphasizes the unpredictable nature of mortality. Timmy Binici, a young boy, is predicted to drown, creating anxiety for his parents.
These characters explore themes of human fragility, resilience, and the limits of fate.
Themes
In Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty, the novel explores fate and free will, examining how knowledge of death affects decisions and emotions. The narrative begins with Cherry Lockwood predicting the passengers' deaths, sparking a philosophical dialogue about destiny and autonomy. Characters face their predicted fates and grapple with whether these futures are changeable or predetermined.
Each character's response to Cherry's predictions showcases different reactions to foreknowledge. Paula Binici takes immediate action, enrolling her son in swim lessons to prevent his predicted drowning. Conversely, Sue O'Sullivan starts appreciating life more after a false cancer scare, highlighting the tension between inaction and proactive change.
The novel also addresses the ethical implications of predicting death and questions the morality of such revelations. Cherry, using actuarial methods, is wrongly identified as a psychic. This aspect adds depth to the exploration of predetermined paths versus statistical probabilities.
Through personal stories, Here One Moment engages with broader themes of grief, mental illness, and life's uncertainty. Moriarty examines human agency amid mortality's inevitability, prompting reflection on the extent of control individuals have over their lives.
Narrative style
In Here One Moment, Liane Moriarty uses a narrative style that combines suspense with complexity. The story starts with an omniscient narrative voice that introduces an eerie atmosphere. The "Death Lady" character boards a flight unnoticed. Moriarty defines this character through absences, using terms like "not frazzled" and "not frail."
The novel's structure alternates perspectives to provide multiple views of lives changed by Cherry Lockwood's predictions. Moriarty uses character-driven storytelling to maintain engagement. Each chapter reflects a different character’s voice. There are no explicit labels for perspective shifts, requiring readers to identify them. Moriarty contrasts Cherry's viewpoint with other passengers, maintaining tension while balancing humor and introspection. This results in a cohesive story.
Adaptation potential
Ensemble cast and character arcs: The novel Here One Moment features a diverse cast with characters such as Leo Voldik and Sue O’Sullivan. These characters offer depth and realism. Their journeys could effectively engage audiences in an on-screen adaptation, reflecting varied human experiences.
Intrigue and suspense: The mystery surrounding the “Death Lady” and her predictions is central to the book's narrative. This element aligns with the suspense seen in previous Moriarty adaptations and could maintain audience interest through unexpected twists and dramatic events.
Philosophical themes: The book explores themes of fate, free will, and foreknowledge. These dilemmas faced by the characters provide a thematic basis suitable for adaptation. They encourage viewers to consider questions about destiny and control.
Visual storytelling opportunities: The setting of a flight combined with characters' lives and ominous predictions offers opportunities for visual storytelling. This setting could create a dynamic cinematic experience, with potential tensions similar to adaptations like Moriarty's Nine Perfect Strangers, known for its visuals and thematic complexity.
Liane Moriarty's mix of humor, emotional insight, and thoughtful narrative offers a strong foundation for an adaptation. This could capture both film and television audiences with its storytelling and character portrayal.
Quick facts
Liane Moriarty's book Here One Moment features Cherry Lockwood, an actuary who predicts passengers' death dates and methods using data analysis, not psychic abilities.
The story is centered around a flight from Hobart to Sydney, Australia, where Cherry, called 'The Death Lady,' shares predictions about passengers' deaths.
Some predictions begin to come true, significantly affecting passenger behaviors and triggering widespread media attention and chaos.
The narrative alternates between Cherry's backstory and the lives and psychological reactions of the affected passengers.
Themes like fate, free will, mortality, destiny, and human reactions to extraordinary predictions profoundly shape the storyline.
Despite serious themes, the book is described as uplifting, interwoven with humor and emotionally touching character interactions.
Liane Moriarty’s writing in Here One Moment is often compared to her highly successful book Big Little Lies, notable for its engaging pacing and surprising plot twists.
Timmy Binici, predicted to drown at age seven, defies Cherry’s grim foresight and eventually wins an Olympic gold medal at age 17.
The book has been selected as a Book of the Month Club Pick and listed as a #1 New York Times Bestseller.
Here One Moment is planned for adaptation into a screen production, with Nicole Kidman starring.
The story includes explorations of contemporary cultural elements such as influencers, viral memes, and current parenting practices.
The audiobook edition is narrated effectively by Caroline Lee, capturing the novel’s balance of drama, tension, and humor.
About the authors
Liane Moriarty is an Australian author. She gained international recognition with her novel Big Little Lies, which was adapted into a television series. Moriarty explores human behavior and societal norms in her work, often with wit and observation. Her novels, such as Nine Perfect Strangers and Truly Madly Guilty, combine mystery, suspense, and drama.
