Death predictions lead to radical life changes – Winnipeg Free Press

What would you change today if you knew your life was ending tomorrow? Or in a year? Would you quit your job if someone predicted your death from a work accident? Or leave your spouse if you were told you were destined to be the victim of a domestic murder – even though your husband is non-violent, gentle and loving? What if you knew you would one day die from self-harm – would you call a therapist?

These are the questions that several passengers on a fateful flight from Hobart (Tasmania) to Sydney are grappling with after an eccentric elderly lady, seemingly in a trance, makes predictions about the cause of death and the age at which each person will die.

Passengers are either angered, horrified or entertained after receiving these unsolicited prophecies. The flight ends and all passengers live on. But when three of the deaths occur as predicted, doubt turns to chaos and the eccentric woman becomes known as the “Death Lady.”

Paula, one of the passengers, turns her life upside down to prepare herself for the prediction that her young son Timmy will die in a drowning accident at the age of seven. She enrolls the baby in swimming lessons several times a week and cannot shake off the possibility of impending doom.

Workaholic Leo is pressured by his wife to quit his job and give up financial security to avoid a fatal injury, while Sue takes better care of herself in the hopes of avoiding a pancreatic cancer prognosis.

As each of the passengers grapples with fate, mortality, and the millions of paths a life can take, they find ways to reinvent themselves, find meaning and purpose, and live each day as if it were their last.

For master storyteller Liane Moriarty, this may be her most fascinating work yet, as she explores these themes in her tenth novel for adults. One moment please.

At the heart of the 500+ page story is protagonist Cherry Lockwood and her transformation into the “Death Lady.” Accustomed to the devastating grief of loss and death, she is an actuary by profession and the daughter of a famous psychic. She delves into the depths of grief, saying it cannot be “project-driven,” but she reflects on ordinary moments of happiness with loved ones and invites you to reflect on the things that provide meaning, joy, and gratitude.

Her compassionate views make the novel an exploration of the concept of fate while also forcing her to examine the flawed human tendency to attribute cause-and-effect relationships to random circumstances, such as the belief that bad things happen because of bad behavior in the past.

Readers will no doubt be crossing their fingers and hoping that these quirky, unforgettable, and beautifully portrayed characters all find a way to somehow escape their foretold fate and discover new meaning.

One moment please is a gripping invitation to explore the meaning of life, the depth of love, and our never-ending search for certainty in an uncertain world. It is a beautifully constructed story of free will and fate that leaves the reader with profound questions long after the story ends.

Rochelle Squires is an avid reader. She has traded in her files of government letters for novels and can be found at home reading her ever-growing pile of unread books.

Rochelle Squires
columnist

Rochelle Squires is a politician on the mend after 7½ years in the Manitoba legislature. She is a political and social commentator whose column appears every Tuesday.

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