Here One Moment

Liane Moriarty

64 pages 2-hour read

Liane Moriarty

Here One Moment

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2024

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Character List

Meet the key characters, with insights into their roles, motivations, and relationships.

Major Characters

Cherry is a petite, middle-aged woman with gray hair who wears a silver brooch. A widow mourning a recent loss, she is highly logical and relies heavily on math and statistics. Her sudden outburst of fortune-telling on the flight is uncharacteristic of her usual quiet life in Hobart, Tasmania. She quickly gains internet infamy as 'The Death Lady.'

Key Relationships

Daughter of Mae

Widow of Ned Lockwood

Ex-wife of David Smith

Close friend of Bert

Close friend of Jill

Fellow passenger of Leo Vodnik

Fellow passenger of Sue O'Sullivan

Fellow passenger of Ethan Chang

Fellow passenger of Paula Binici

Fellow passenger of Eve

Passenger to Allegra Patel

Allegra is an Indian American flight attendant who suffers a back injury while helping a passenger with heavy luggage. She carries emotional baggage from a past breakup and proceeds cautiously in new romances. A family history of depression makes Cherry's grim prediction particularly unsettling for her.

Key Relationships

Romantic interest of Jonny Summers

Coworker of Anders

Attendant to Cherry Lockwood

Leo is a 42-year-old civil engineer known for his elegant clothes and wild hair. His demanding job places immense pressure on him, causing him to frequently neglect his family responsibilities. Cherry's prediction that he will die in a workplace accident at age 43 forces him to reevaluate his work-life balance.

Key Relationships

Husband of Neve

Father of Bridie

Father of Oli

Son of Mira

Friend of Ethan Chang

Fellow passenger of Cherry Lockwood

Paula is a former contract lawyer turned stay-at-home mother. She has a history of obsessive-compulsive disorder that resurfaces after hearing Cherry's prediction. Desperate to protect her baby boy from an early death by drowning, she throws herself entirely into preventative measures.

Key Relationships

Mother of Timmy Binici

Mother of Willow

Wife of Matt

Ally of Eve

Fellow passenger of Cherry Lockwood

Ethan is a 29-year-old software engineer who recently injured himself while attempting rock climbing. He is grieving the sudden loss of a friend and views himself as a mild-mannered person who avoids physical altercations. Cherry's prediction of his death by assault at age 30 makes him hyper-vigilant of his surroundings.

Key Relationships

Best friend of Harvey

Flatmate of Jasmine

Rival of Carter

Friend of Leo Vodnik

Friend of Lila

Romantic interest of Faith

Fellow passenger of Cherry Lockwood

Sue is an emergency room nurse, mother to five adult sons, and grandmother to seven. She is enthusiastic, practical, and heavily invested in planning for her retirement. Hearing that she only has three years left to live prompts her to aggressively seek medical testing.

Key Relationships

Wife of Max O'Sullivan

Friend of Caterina

Passenger to Allegra Patel

Fellow passenger of Cherry Lockwood

Supporting Characters

Mae is Cherry's late mother, who worked under the moniker 'Madame Mae.' She operated as a fortune teller, relying on a strict belief in determinism and the inevitability of fate. Her approach to life directly contrasts with her daughter's reliance on logic and mathematics.

Key Relationships

Mother of Cherry Lockwood

Eve is a 24-year-old newlywed traveling to her honeymoon in her wedding dress. She is financially inexperienced and discovers severe debt shortly after her wedding. She finds Cherry's prediction of intimate partner homicide entirely unbelievable due to her husband's gentle nature.

Key Relationships

Wife of Dom

Ally of Paula Binici

Fellow passenger of Cherry Lockwood

Timmy is Paula's infant son. He displays a natural affinity for water from a very early age, which heavily contrasts with the prediction that he will drown at age seven.

Key Relationships

Son of Matt

Brother of Willow

Dom is a personal trainer and Eve's new husband. He is known for his extreme kindness but suffers from a lifelong habit of sleepwalking and sleep-talking, which causes him severe anxiety following Cherry's prediction.

Key Relationships

Husband of Eve

Jonny is a handsome pilot working the Hobart-to-Sydney flight. He is open about his vulnerability and affection, actively pursuing a relationship with Allegra and encouraging her interest in aviation.

Key Relationships

Romantic interest of Allegra Patel

Max is Sue's cheerful, practical husband. He refuses to entertain the idea of psychics and tries to keep his wife grounded when the predictions begin to take a mental toll on the passengers.

Key Relationships

Husband of Sue O'Sullivan

Jasmine is a wealthy frozen-fish heiress sharing an apartment with Ethan. She encourages Ethan to seek a second opinion from a psychic regarding his prediction.

Key Relationships

Flatmate of Ethan Chang

Girlfriend of Carter

Carter is Jasmine's handsome but volatile boyfriend. He is highly possessive and quickly develops an aggressive jealousy toward Ethan.

Key Relationships

Boyfriend of Jasmine

Antagonist to Ethan Chang

Harvey is Ethan's deceased friend and former coworker. Described as peculiar, pessimistic, and sincere, his sudden death from an aneurysm deeply affects Ethan's outlook on life and mortality.

Key Relationships

Best friend of Ethan Chang

Brother of Lila

Neve is Leo's wife. She typically acts as the soother in their relationship but becomes increasingly distressed by Leo's high-stress job and the looming deadline of his predicted death.

Key Relationships

Wife of Leo Vodnik

Mother of Bridie

Mother of Oli

Bridie is Leo and Neve's 11-year-old daughter. She struggles with mathematics at school and develops a keen anxiety after overhearing the details of her father's predicted death.

Key Relationships

Daughter of Leo Vodnik

Daughter of Neve

Kayla is a 19-year-old passenger who receives a prediction of death in a car accident. She attempts to alter her fate by driving with extreme caution.

Key Relationships

Fellow passenger of Cherry Lockwood

Acquaintance of Eve

David is Cherry's handsome, half-Korean first husband. A cardiologist by trade, he eventually moves Cherry across the country to Perth, straining their relationship.

Key Relationships

Ex-husband of Cherry Lockwood

Ned was a highly energetic high school math teacher who originally met Cherry at university. His sudden passing leaves Cherry in a state of profound grief right before she boards the flight.

Key Relationships

Husband of Cherry Lockwood

Luca is a practicing psychic who explicitly rejects the concept of preordained destiny. He advises Ethan on his romantic life and channels insights about Ethan's deceased friend.

Key Relationships

Spiritual guide to Ethan Chang

Mira is Leo's mother, a resident of Tasmania. She receives a clean bill of health right before the flight and eventually forms a bond with Cherry through an aqua aerobics class.

Key Relationships

Mother of Leo Vodnik

Lila is Harvey's sister. She is friendly and understanding, helping Ethan process his grief over her brother's sudden death.

Key Relationships

Sister of Harvey

Friend of Ethan Chang

Faith is Harvey and Lila's cousin from Tasmania, currently considering a move to Sydney. She immediately catches Ethan's eye when they meet.

Key Relationships

Cousin of Lila

Cousin of Harvey

Romantic interest of Ethan Chang