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.

Review: Here One Moment

Liane Moriarty’s HERE ONE MOMENT is a captivating exploration of fate, free will, and the human condition. The narrative centers on a seemingly ordinary flight from Hobart to Sydney, where a woman, later dubbed the “Death Lady,” predicts the specific ages and causes of death for several passengers. Initially dismissed as the ramblings of an unwell individual, her eerie prophecies gain unsettling credibility as they begin to come true.

Moriarty masterfully crafts a diverse ensemble of characters, each reacting differently to the ominous predictions. From a middle-aged civil engineer to a young mother with her children, the passengers’ lives intertwine in unexpected ways, reflecting the author’s keen insight into human behavior and relationships.

Comprised of 126 brief chapters, the novel maintains a propulsive pace that kept me rapt. Moriarty’s signature blend of humor and depth is evident as she delves into life’s existential questions.

Charming, funny, thoughtful, and unexpectedly bighearted, this is Liane Moriarty at her best.