Here One Moment

By: Liane Moriarty

Narrated by: Caroline Lee, Geraldine Hakewill

#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.

“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?

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.

©2024 Crown (P)2024 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“Unputdownable . . . [a] propulsive, philosophically rich saga.”—Oprah Daily

“In Here One Moment, Australian author Liane Moriarty takes readers on a wild ride as passengers deal with love, heartbreak, and careers, all while contemplating whether fate and destiny are real—and whether the outcome can be changed. It’s a captivating book that keeps you reading till the end to find out what happens to the passengers and just who Cherry really is.”—Jeanine Herbst, news anchor, NPR

“Terrifically crafted . . . By turns bighearted and sardonic, Here One Moment ponders such imponderables as free will, providence, love, death.”—The Wall Street Journal

Very interesting premise

I enjoyed the intriguing themes in how various characters approached both mysticism and end of life, the way the character’s lives built upon each other, and the complexity of the ending-not a simplistic happily-ever-after, but realistically hopeful.

As other reviewers pointed out, I found the length and depth of emphasis in several areas tedious. It felt artificially lengthening of the book. For instance, the introduction of the passengers at the opening was difficult for me to stay with, though I understood the rushed impression of plane boarding she was striking. The repeated “she was not…”, “she did not” went on for a very long time. The number of characters and their stories were difficult to track, and I listened in a single Sunday, unbroken by sleep or major disruptions. I was able to follow the story nonetheless, but would have preferred fewer central characters. The psychological analysis of characters sometimes feels simplistic and stereotyped, which grates upon me as a psychologist.

Overall, a thought provoking and entertaining story that I thought could have been shorter and accomplished its goals.

Living vs Existing

Absolutely amazing read and a great reminder of life’s delicacy and inevitability. I love that this book seems predictable but it is absolutely not. Ironically, just like life.

Her best yet!

Truly amazing! I laughed, cried, and felt inspired. Loved the characters, their stories and how seemingly random strangers lives all intertwined. The message is one we all need to remember and this is book I won’t forget!

Another great book!

Another great Liane Moriarty! Always a pleasure. Greedy for the next one. The narrator is fabulous too.

Suspenseful throughout

Brilliant concept, and many poignant life lessons sprinkled throughout. Lots of characters to care about. Philosophy included!

Loved this book

Caroline Lee is one of the best narrators. (The other one was great too) I loved everything about this book. So well done. I rarely write reviews but felt strongly about this book.

Very disappointed

The book just rambled. I know there was a plot in there somewhere, but I couldn’t find it. Gave up after chapter 9.

Lots of jumping around

Too much jumping from character to character. Otherwise a good listen. Good narration. Worth buying

She’s done it again!👏👏👏👏👏

Liane Moriarty is a true master storyteller. Riveting, emotional, poignant, beautiful. I have yet to find an author who writes novels like this over and over again. The BEST narrators. Always!
This one got me good. ♥️♥️
HIGHLY recommend!!

page turner

the only reason this isn't a five star is due to my own difficulty following murderous characters and story lines. Very clever and unique plot. Hard to put down!