This post was originally published at Novelicious.com and is now at WritingTipsOasis.com. WritingTipsOasis.com acquired Novelicious.com in June 2022.
Reviewed by Jenni Cahill
Lou is people-watching during her usual commute on the train one Monday morning when the man across the aisle from her suffers a heart attack. Anna is disgruntled when her train makes an unexpected stop as she is going to be late for work and is due to be in a meeting. It soon transpires that someone has been taken ill in another carriage and an ambulance is on its way. Without wanting to miss her meeting, Anna decides to take a taxi. Lou reaches the lone taxi at the same time and they agree to share. Karen is on the train with her husband when he suddenly becomes ill and, before she knows what is happening, he has slumped forward in his seat and people are rushing to help. Paramedics arrive, but it is too late. Karen’s husband is dead and not only does she have to come to terms with his shocking death, she also has to find a way to explain it to their young children.
Over the course of the following few days, One Moment, One Morning tells the story of Karen, Anna and Lou as they cope with the aftermath of Monday’s events. Karen must deal with her loss while trying to keep everything together for the sake of her children. Anna must remain strong for her grieving best friend, putting her own problems aside to offer support to Karen. Lou has her own troubles too, but she finds herself being drawn into Anna and Karen’s lives.
One Moment, One Morning is an emotional tale of love, friendship and loss as well as strength. I really felt for Karen as she struggled to come to terms with her husband’s death. She has not only lost her husband, but her best friend and the father of her children. Luke and Molly are only five and three, so explaining what has happened to their father is difficult. As far as they are aware, their father has disappeared from their lives and won’t be coming back and they aren’t completely sure why. The three women are involved in different emotional levels to the death, but in being brought together the incident allows them to examine their own lives in a different light and discover what is important and how they can make changes for the better.
One Moment, One Morning is no light read. It explores the raw emotions of grief and loss and in doing so displays the strength of the women – especially Karen – as they move forward.
8/10
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