Set in middle-class Hobart, The Accident weaves between the perspectives of three women – Grace, Zoe and Imogen – exposing how even the smallest of actions can impact another person’s life.
Grace is a single mother trying to navigate and support her daughter, Emma, who is battling an eating disorder. When Grace’s old friend and flame moves back to Hobart, they begin an affair which impacts her relationship with her daughter.
Zoe is Emma’s teacher. She is newly single after getting unexpectedly left by her long-term boyfriend. She’s not where she’d like to be at this point in her life, and this feeling is further compounded by her best friend Claire’s pregnancy.
When Zoe begins dating Nick, a handsome and charismatic man she meets through Claire, her life is seemingly back on track – that is until something from his past overshadows their relationship.
This is where Imogen comes in – she’s a junior medical professional at the local hospital whose only friend appears to be Nick. From getting insight into her state of mind, we learn that she is lonely and overworked.
McMahon’s work as a medical doctor has clearly informed the exploration of these issues. She cleverly brings the characters together through various social events and friends. It was really interesting seeing the different ways each character perceived actions differently, and this ultimately leads to a climactic ending.
Notably, traffic reports are placed between chapters alluding to an accident that happens at the end of the novel, making it a suspenseful read.
The Accident is a gripping psychological drama and entertaining read.
Reviewed by Akina Hansen
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
I grew up in Frankston and always really enjoyed doing my English homework. After year twelve I enrolled in a journalism degree at RMIT. But before it started, I decided I wanted to become a doctor instead. I had to do year eleven and twelve again, this time with a lot of things about velocity and battery acid. (At least I got to drive myself home at lunchtimes.)
Once I finally finished high school, I moved to Hobart. It was the mid-90s and there was a place near the waterfront that sold $2 instant coffee in polystyrene cups. (Now it is a very fancy bar, and I suspect instant coffee would set off some type of alarm there.)
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