Exploring moral dilemmas in Fiona Lowe’s newest novel

The Accident details the story of Freya and Hannah and their partners, Ryan and Jamie, living in the small town of Garringarup.

Hannah and Jamie are soon to be married, but on their wedding day, a tragic accident occurs, leading to devastating consequences.

As the details surrounding the accident emerge, ugly secrets start to surface.

The novel explores some heavy but common moral dilemmas many people face, including trust, betrayal, grief, and motherhood.

Mrs Lowe’s past novels have addressed similar topics of moral dilemmas, which she said has been influenced by her time working across various roles in her career, including being a midwife, sexual health counsellor and a family support worker.

The Accident delves into the challenges of uncovering a truth that alters your perception of a person you believed you knew well.

“I think we only know someone as well as they are prepared to tell us, and that takes on a more dramatic effect when we’re in a relationship with someone romantically or as a friendship,” Mrs Lowe said.

“We truly believe we know and trust them, so when we find out something that we didn’t know after a long time of knowing them, it bruises our trust in them.

“That can be a lot worse if you find this information out after death, and you can’t ask them about it.

“I wanted to explore grief with the added burden of grieving for someone you thought you knew, only to discover that the person you loved had a side you never knew about.”

Another theme Mrs Lowe was eager to explore was motherhood and how it looks different for everyone.

Whichever route is taken – having a child traditionally, choosing to be childless, IVF pregnancies, adoption, or post-humous sperm retrieval – Mrs Lowe said each elicits its own moral dilemmas.

As a mother who underwent IVF treatment and as an employee in the field, Mrs Lowe drew on her personal experiences to assist her writing process for this novel.

“I channelled a lot of my experiences in the book, the decisions we had to make, the questions we were asked, and none of them are easy at all,” she said.

“Women and mothers are under the most scrutiny they’ve ever been.

“Your parenting style is always judged; everyone has opinions on what they should and shouldn’t be doing.”

The Accident is Mrs Lowe’s 37th novel.

However, it’s her eighth novel exploring modern-day moral dilemmas based in the Australian outback after she changed directions from writing romance novels.

“I’m writing about things modern Australian families are dealing with today,” she said.

“I love delving into contemporary social issues – either you or someone you know has experienced these issues.”

Mrs Lowe will visit three libraries across the Goulburn Valley to discuss The Accident, the themes explored in the novel, her other books and how she began her writing journey.