Book By Book: Liane Moriarty, best-selling author of ‘Big Little Lies,’ ’Nine Perfect Strangers,’ ‘Apples Never Fall,’ and her latest ‘Here One Moment’
A new Liane Moriarty book is always cause for celebration in my world, and her latest, Here One Moment is another standout, and an Amazon Editors’ Pick for the Best Literature and Fiction of September. The premise is a woman on an airplane who tells every passenger—whether they want to hear it or not—what they will die from and how old they will be. All of these different people, connected by this crazy experience, and what happens when they return to their lives with this information stuck in their heads. I couldn’t put it down!
Here One Moment entertained me but also made me ask myself powerful questions about belief, fate, and living for today. We asked Moriarty to tell us about some of her earlier books, and two of them had significant phone calls attached to them—you’ll see how, below.
My first book: the one inspired by sibling rivalry
Twenty-five years ago, I got a phone call that would change my life. It was my sister calling to tell me her first novel had been accepted for publication. She and I had always wanted to be authors. Our father used to ‘commission’ us to write novels for him, but as I grew older, I’d lost confidence and eventually stopped writing altogether. My sister’s news was the inspiration I needed to get me back to the keyboard. In a fever of sibling rivalry, I wrote my first novel, Three Wishes. I felt exhilarated to finally be writing, after all my years of procrastinating. I’m forever grateful to my sister for doing it first. —Liane Moriarty
My most personal book
I was single, in my late thirties, desperate to have a baby and writing a novel. You will be amazed to learn the novel’s main character, Sophie, was also single, in her late thirties and also desperate to have a baby. The book is set on a fictional island in the Hawkesbury River north of Sydney. It was such a pleasure to sit down each day and escape to Scribbly Gum Island. By the time The Last Anniversary was published, I’d met the man who would become the father of my two children. He turned out to be just around the corner, exactly as my mother promised he would be. —Liane Moriarty
My breakout book: another unforgettable phone call!
I will never forget the day my editor called to tell me The Husband’s Secret had hit the New York Times best-seller list. I’d just dropped my son off at school and I was taking my little girl out to a café for breakfast. I was going to have muesli and yoghurt, but once I heard the wonderful news, I decided to have French toast to celebrate. So, now, whenever I hear the words ‘New York Times bestseller’, I taste maple syrup and icing sugar. —Liane Moriarty
My first book to be adapted for television
Big Little Lies is the story of a school trivia night that goes horrifically wrong, when one parent ends up dead, possibly murdered. It was adapted into an award-winning television series starring Nicole Kidman and Reese Witherspoon. I’d had books optioned before, but nothing ever came of it. Other authors always warned me, “Don’t get excited until the day they start shooting.” Well, that day finally came. I was lucky enough to visit the set when they were filming the school trivia night. It was a surreal experience and a great thrill to meet the cast and chat with people like the set designers and stuntmen. Because they were filming the night scenes, everyone was working right through the night. I must admit I eventually got tired and left them to it. —Liane Moriarty
Author photo credit: Über Photography
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