One Moment, One Morning by Sarah Rayner

Val Penny ♦ October 12, 2015 ♦ Leave a comment

One Moment, One Morning was book of the month in my book group. It was written by Sarah Rayner, a British author. Rayner was born in London in 1963 and grew up in Richmond, Surrey. The author now lives in Brighton, England. She worked as an advertising copywriter before writing fiction full-time. This is the first book by Sarah Rayner that I have read and is not one that I would have chosen had the book group not picked it.

Having said that, I did enjoy the book. The original premis is clever. Three women who do not know each other are on the 07:44 train from Brighton to London one morning. Abruptly, everything changes: a man has a heart attack, and cannot be resuscitated; the train is stopped, an ambulance called and it affects all of their lives. The very essence of the chaos theory.

One of the women, Lou witnesses the man’s final moments. Another of the women, Anna shares a cab with Lou when they realise the train is going nowhere fast. Anna is the best friend of Karen, the woman whose husband has died.

One Moment, One Morning is a stunning novel about love and loss, about family. It tells the story of the week following that fateful train journey. It is a story of trust, friendship and support. It is a stark reminder that, one moment is all it takes. It also reminds the reader that somehow, and even in dark hours, life can and does go on.

Valerie Penny