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The Impact of a Single Event
A terrible car accident occurs. Richard and Sonia, a couple with a crumbling marriage, stop to help the critically injured victims. In the process, they find a 140-year-old journal by the side of the road. Six different people have written in the journal. Though the entries span three centuries, the writers share a quest: the search for meaning in their lives. These stories take Richard and Sonia on a personal and historic journey: across Canada to the jungles of India and back to the Canadian Rocky Mountains, where a final mystery awaits.
288 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2008
17 people are currently reading
1523 people want to read
About the author
R.L. Prendergast
4 books204 followersR. L. (Rod) Prendergast’s first novel, "The Impact of a Single Event," was long-listed for literary fiction by the Independent Publisher Book Awards in 2009. The book became a bestseller in Canada. Rod’s second novel, "Dinner with Lisa," was awarded the 2012 Independent Publisher Book Awards Bronze Medal for Best Regional Fiction, Western Canada. Inspired by his son’s inability to sleep through the night, Rod then wrote a children’s story, "Baby, Please go to Sleep." "The Confessions of Socrates" is his third novel and fourth book. "The Confessions of Socrates" was a finalist for the 11th annual National Indie Excellence Award for historical fiction, is a finalist for the 2017 Whistler Independent Book Award for Fiction and is shortlisted for the 2017 International Rubery Book Award, which is the largest cash award for books published by independent publishers in Great Britain.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
May 12, 2020
In the Fall of 2017, I won The Impact of a Single Event by R.L. Prendergast in a Goodreads Giveaway. I was finally able to make time to read it, and I'm so sorry I waited this long. It was superb! I initially entered the contest because it was about the passing of a journal over a 150+ year period throughout a few different connected families. Writing and genealogy, how could I not love it? At about ~280 pages, it is such an easy-to-read novel, I devoured it in about 3 hours one afternoon.
Sonia and Richard, a couple in their mid to late 30's, stop on the road to help victims of a car accident. After the ambulance arrives and carts the couple to the hospital, Sonia and Richard find the journal among the victims' belongings, then rush to the hospital to drop it all off. From there, the book alternates chapters tracing the lineage of the journal back 6 generations and discussing the impact of it on Sonia and Richard's current lives. We learn more about what's going on with Sonia and Richard in their chapters and understand what troubles they face, but we also see how the journal was used by each of the 6 people who'd previously written in it. In the final chapter, Sonia and Richard leave their own imprint when the journal finds its way back to their hands.
Much of the writing style and language in this book is absolutely enchanting. In the first 75%, I found myself turning pages without even realizing how much time had passed by. It was so engaging. When I hit the final chapter, I was less interested only because it became a bit more Eat/Pray/Love journey, which while fascinating, isn't something I can easily grasp when it's set in 1860s India. I'm just not familiar enough with the country, religions, or the history, but for the right reader, this will be, I'm certain, a phenomenal journey. That said, it was still beautiful, and if that final chapter (the longest) was more like the rest, I would have given this 5 stars. It was more a case of reader disconnect and not anything the writer had done. It was written well, just hard for me to connect when the main character of that journal entry was hiding in a jungle hoping not to be eaten by a tiger! I tend to prefer something a bit more concrete with just a dose of philosophy.
The way the journal is handed off from person to person is breathtaking. The characters are rich and vibrant. The jump from time periods is virtually effortless. And there's a great family tree graphic in the beginning to help you understand how everyone's connected, but in all honesty, it's not necessary despite how complicated the story can get. And there's a wonderful surprise at the end which I wasn't expecting.
It's a high recommendation from me if you like books to move you and take you on a journey. But you need to be comfortable with missing details, getting in your head, and taking a leap of faith in philosophy. Kudos to the author for one of the most seamlessly written books of this nature I've read before.
Sonia and Richard, a couple in their mid to late 30's, stop on the road to help victims of a car accident. After the ambulance arrives and carts the couple to the hospital, Sonia and Richard find the journal among the victims' belongings, then rush to the hospital to drop it all off. From there, the book alternates chapters tracing the lineage of the journal back 6 generations and discussing the impact of it on Sonia and Richard's current lives. We learn more about what's going on with Sonia and Richard in their chapters and understand what troubles they face, but we also see how the journal was used by each of the 6 people who'd previously written in it. In the final chapter, Sonia and Richard leave their own imprint when the journal finds its way back to their hands.
Much of the writing style and language in this book is absolutely enchanting. In the first 75%, I found myself turning pages without even realizing how much time had passed by. It was so engaging. When I hit the final chapter, I was less interested only because it became a bit more Eat/Pray/Love journey, which while fascinating, isn't something I can easily grasp when it's set in 1860s India. I'm just not familiar enough with the country, religions, or the history, but for the right reader, this will be, I'm certain, a phenomenal journey. That said, it was still beautiful, and if that final chapter (the longest) was more like the rest, I would have given this 5 stars. It was more a case of reader disconnect and not anything the writer had done. It was written well, just hard for me to connect when the main character of that journal entry was hiding in a jungle hoping not to be eaten by a tiger! I tend to prefer something a bit more concrete with just a dose of philosophy.
The way the journal is handed off from person to person is breathtaking. The characters are rich and vibrant. The jump from time periods is virtually effortless. And there's a great family tree graphic in the beginning to help you understand how everyone's connected, but in all honesty, it's not necessary despite how complicated the story can get. And there's a wonderful surprise at the end which I wasn't expecting.
It's a high recommendation from me if you like books to move you and take you on a journey. But you need to be comfortable with missing details, getting in your head, and taking a leap of faith in philosophy. Kudos to the author for one of the most seamlessly written books of this nature I've read before.
May 31, 2023
“How can he be happy all the time?”
Richard and Sonia were sadly heading home from a ill-fated and failed vacation attempt to rescue their crumbling marriage. When they encounter a terrible car accident, they rescue the seriously injured victims and discover a 140 year old journal among the belongings that they gather up from the wreckage to return to the hospitalized owners. The journal spans six owners, three centuries, and several countries owners in what was clearly a search for development, fulfillment and understanding of the meaning and the purpose of each of their lives.
THE IMPACT OF A SINGLE EVENT, far from being a drab, formulaic, self help book with recipes and guides for personal transformation is a very compelling read with richly developed characters. Richard and Sonia’s attempt to rediscover their love for one another with the journal’s unintended assistance from the past is written in a style that can only be called heartwarming, enchanting, and completely captivating. While it’s not gripping in the sense that is usually applied to thrillers, readers will certainly be fully engaged and loath to set the novel aside.
The ultimate takeaway in the more old fashioned wording, “To thine own self be true”, may sound trite and timeworn but Richard and Sonia’s voyage of self-discovery through the journal is anything but.
Paul Weiss
Richard and Sonia were sadly heading home from a ill-fated and failed vacation attempt to rescue their crumbling marriage. When they encounter a terrible car accident, they rescue the seriously injured victims and discover a 140 year old journal among the belongings that they gather up from the wreckage to return to the hospitalized owners. The journal spans six owners, three centuries, and several countries owners in what was clearly a search for development, fulfillment and understanding of the meaning and the purpose of each of their lives.
THE IMPACT OF A SINGLE EVENT, far from being a drab, formulaic, self help book with recipes and guides for personal transformation is a very compelling read with richly developed characters. Richard and Sonia’s attempt to rediscover their love for one another with the journal’s unintended assistance from the past is written in a style that can only be called heartwarming, enchanting, and completely captivating. While it’s not gripping in the sense that is usually applied to thrillers, readers will certainly be fully engaged and loath to set the novel aside.
The ultimate takeaway in the more old fashioned wording, “To thine own self be true”, may sound trite and timeworn but Richard and Sonia’s voyage of self-discovery through the journal is anything but.
Paul Weiss
January 6, 2012
Story Description:
A terrible car accident occurs. Richard and Sonia, a couple with a crumbling marriage, stop to help the critically injured victims. In the process, they find a 140-year-old journal by the side of the road. Six different people have written in the journal. Though the entries span three centuries, the writers share a quest: the search for meaning in their lives. These stories take Richard and Sonia on a personal and historic journey: across Canada to the jungles of India and back to the Canadian Rocky Mountains, where a final mystery awaits.
My Review:
Richard and Sonia happen upon a car crash on the highway. There are two people trapped inside an over-turned vehicle. The woman is hanging upside down in her seatbelt and the man is pinned in by the steering wheel. Sonia calls 911 on her cell phone to report the horrific scene displayed before them. Quickly the smell of gasoline permeates the air and the rush is on to remove these two people from their car before it catches fire or explodes into a fireball. They finally free them and manage to drag them to a safer place. The female is bleeding profusely from a chest wound where a large piece of glass has impaled her chest and the man is making horrible gurgling sounds from his throat. The ambulance finally arrives and the victims of the accident are on their way to the hospital.
Once the ambulance has gone, Richard and Sonia notice that the personal belongings of the passengers are strewn about the highway. Feeling badly for the couple they garner some garbage bags from the police and two old suitcases from the back of the car and begin the process of collecting their property and packing them in the bags and suitcases. When they are done, they head over to give the property to the police to deliver to the hospital for the couple, in case they survived, but the police wouldn’t have time and asked Richard and Sonia if they wouldn’t mind dropping them off themselves. They were a little taken aback but quickly agreed. As they were walking back to their own vehicle, Richard suddenly sees what looks like a book under the bumper of his car and bends down to retrieve it. Once inside the car where he could see, he quickly realizes this book is very, very old and appears to be a diary or journal of some sort.
It turns out to be a journal that is 140-years-old and has been passed along to different people who have recorded a story from their own lives into it. Although each person’s story is somewhat a condensed version, they are riveting stories that you simply can’t stop reading. Mr. Prendergast has smartly woven these stories together with a constant character that has come into possession of the journal.
I thoroughly enjoyed the amalgamation of stories from the different time periods. The characters in each life story were well-developed and the vividness of the writing made me feel as though I myself was there. I could see the sights, surroundings and smell the odours. I also loved the fact that the book was written by a Canadian and set in various parts of Canada!
The Impact of a Single Event had me pulled in right from the beginning and held my attention non-stop until the end. Speaking of the end, I loved the ‘twist’ at the end, totally unexpected but absolutely perfect! Don’t miss out on this one, once the word is out about how good this book is, it’s going to be a roaring success!!! Well-done Mr. Prendergast!
A terrible car accident occurs. Richard and Sonia, a couple with a crumbling marriage, stop to help the critically injured victims. In the process, they find a 140-year-old journal by the side of the road. Six different people have written in the journal. Though the entries span three centuries, the writers share a quest: the search for meaning in their lives. These stories take Richard and Sonia on a personal and historic journey: across Canada to the jungles of India and back to the Canadian Rocky Mountains, where a final mystery awaits.
My Review:
Richard and Sonia happen upon a car crash on the highway. There are two people trapped inside an over-turned vehicle. The woman is hanging upside down in her seatbelt and the man is pinned in by the steering wheel. Sonia calls 911 on her cell phone to report the horrific scene displayed before them. Quickly the smell of gasoline permeates the air and the rush is on to remove these two people from their car before it catches fire or explodes into a fireball. They finally free them and manage to drag them to a safer place. The female is bleeding profusely from a chest wound where a large piece of glass has impaled her chest and the man is making horrible gurgling sounds from his throat. The ambulance finally arrives and the victims of the accident are on their way to the hospital.
Once the ambulance has gone, Richard and Sonia notice that the personal belongings of the passengers are strewn about the highway. Feeling badly for the couple they garner some garbage bags from the police and two old suitcases from the back of the car and begin the process of collecting their property and packing them in the bags and suitcases. When they are done, they head over to give the property to the police to deliver to the hospital for the couple, in case they survived, but the police wouldn’t have time and asked Richard and Sonia if they wouldn’t mind dropping them off themselves. They were a little taken aback but quickly agreed. As they were walking back to their own vehicle, Richard suddenly sees what looks like a book under the bumper of his car and bends down to retrieve it. Once inside the car where he could see, he quickly realizes this book is very, very old and appears to be a diary or journal of some sort.
It turns out to be a journal that is 140-years-old and has been passed along to different people who have recorded a story from their own lives into it. Although each person’s story is somewhat a condensed version, they are riveting stories that you simply can’t stop reading. Mr. Prendergast has smartly woven these stories together with a constant character that has come into possession of the journal.
I thoroughly enjoyed the amalgamation of stories from the different time periods. The characters in each life story were well-developed and the vividness of the writing made me feel as though I myself was there. I could see the sights, surroundings and smell the odours. I also loved the fact that the book was written by a Canadian and set in various parts of Canada!
The Impact of a Single Event had me pulled in right from the beginning and held my attention non-stop until the end. Speaking of the end, I loved the ‘twist’ at the end, totally unexpected but absolutely perfect! Don’t miss out on this one, once the word is out about how good this book is, it’s going to be a roaring success!!! Well-done Mr. Prendergast!
February 28, 2014
I stumbled upon this novel by chance (extremely fitting, after having read it) while volunteering at a literacy event. This book has changed me. I have only just finished reading it, so I'm still sort of in a state where my thoughts aren't entirely coherent as I try to explain its beauty. For those of you who spend your free hours contemplating the nature of our world and the purpose of existence, you will find many of the questions you ask yourself as you lie awake at night answered here. Of course, I use the term "answered" very loosely - there are no real, concrete answers to these contemplations. When you finish reading this masterpiece, in all likelihood you will observe the world differently. I had quite a few personal philosophical epiphanies throughout my reading that I needed to jot down. I was so excited to know that the thing mentioned at the end of the book actually exists. I want to make it an aspiration of mine to visit it sometime during my life. But who knows if I will? "An eternally changing world offers no future for which you must aim."
March 14, 2011
I read this book because my Mum was walking through the bookstore, and the author was signing copies. As mother's do, she started talking about me, and Mr. Prendergast told her I'd probably love this book. Turned out, I did. I found it a different and fascinating read. I would definitely recommend it to anyone interested in this kind of book.
January 28, 2014
I was very intrigued when I discovered this book,by the title, and that it was written by a Canadian author I had yet to hear about. I was not disappointed; a very compelling story written in a unique format. The story is told in the form of a journal, spanning many years, with entries made by many people, searching, as we all do, for meaning in their lives. Those who inherited the journal all felt "The Impact of a Single Event".
November 10, 2016
What a neat book this was. Written by an author from Edmonton, Alberta, he describes a series of events that are all connected through a journal that has been passed down from person to person for 150 years. A good book, with many life lessons mixed in.
March 16, 2017
Loved this book! Kept me engaged from beginning to end. Beautiful message and really makes you think about life from a different perspective. Can't wait to see his next book!
April 2, 2018
Delightful
I found myself being quite irritated with many of the characters in the beginning of the book, but as the stories unfolded, and the meaning of the book unfolded in so many layers, I realized the author meant it to be that way. The early characters were very simple and flat, but as the many lessons of the book were revealed, so the characters increased in their depth.
Well done. Ready for another of his books.
I received this book as a Good reads giveaway. Thank you.
I found myself being quite irritated with many of the characters in the beginning of the book, but as the stories unfolded, and the meaning of the book unfolded in so many layers, I realized the author meant it to be that way. The early characters were very simple and flat, but as the many lessons of the book were revealed, so the characters increased in their depth.
Well done. Ready for another of his books.
I received this book as a Good reads giveaway. Thank you.
April 1, 2018
A novel worth reading
An old and weathered journal impacts the lives all all who chance to read it. Covering 150 years, it reveals varied and complex characters whose lives are altered after reading the journal, and who in turn pass it off to persons who will continue making entries.
An old and weathered journal impacts the lives all all who chance to read it. Covering 150 years, it reveals varied and complex characters whose lives are altered after reading the journal, and who in turn pass it off to persons who will continue making entries.
March 30, 2018
What would you record if handed a journal and asked to write a dairy entry? After a car accident a couple on the verge of divorce finds a car crash with seriously injured man and woman. As they try to collect the injured couples belongings to deliver to the hospital, they find a dirty, old ancient book. In it is a series of entries that will connect them all and send them in search of the last puzzle. Very interesting as it gives short glimpses into the lives of each journal entry and the problems they endure. Good reading.
March 21, 2018
A very compelling read with richly developed characters.
The author introduces us through a journal that spans portions of 3 centuries to those who have written in it as they reflect upon the joys and sorrows, moral conflicts, and other aspects of their lives while also seeking to understand whether or not there is ultimate truth and whether or not their individual lives have purpose in the grand scheme of things. Tying all these stories together is the modern day story of a once-loving couple who have grown apart from one another, but who through an unexpected incident (a horrific auto accident they come upon while traveling home following a truncated getaway in which they hope to rediscover their love for each other) discover this journal and begin their own process of transformation.
(I recently received this as an e-book through a Goodreads giveaway and am grateful to the author and publisher for making it available in this way and for introducing me to an author who I look forward to continuing to read! Soon, I intend to read either "Socrates' Confessions" or "Dinner with Lisa", Mr. Prendegast's other two novels, with the goal of soon having read them both.)
The author introduces us through a journal that spans portions of 3 centuries to those who have written in it as they reflect upon the joys and sorrows, moral conflicts, and other aspects of their lives while also seeking to understand whether or not there is ultimate truth and whether or not their individual lives have purpose in the grand scheme of things. Tying all these stories together is the modern day story of a once-loving couple who have grown apart from one another, but who through an unexpected incident (a horrific auto accident they come upon while traveling home following a truncated getaway in which they hope to rediscover their love for each other) discover this journal and begin their own process of transformation.
(I recently received this as an e-book through a Goodreads giveaway and am grateful to the author and publisher for making it available in this way and for introducing me to an author who I look forward to continuing to read! Soon, I intend to read either "Socrates' Confessions" or "Dinner with Lisa", Mr. Prendegast's other two novels, with the goal of soon having read them both.)
April 6, 2018
Richard and Sonia come upon a wreck driving to Montreal and while gathering the victims belongings, they find a 140-year-old journal by the side of the road. Six different people have written in the journal. Though the entries span three centuries, the writers share a quest: the search for meaning in their lives. These stories take Richard and Sonia on a personal and historic journey: across Canada to the jungles of India and back to the Canadian Rocky Mountains, where a final mystery awaits.
I won this in a Goodreads Giveaway. I wasn't sure I was going to like the book until about 1/4 of the way through. The first part gave us a glimpse of Richard feeling sorry for himself and apparently mad at his wife, Sonia. But as soon as the journal was introduced and the stories unfolded, I understood why the book started out the way it did. A wonderfully written book about the authors inside the journal.
Thank you Goodreads for the opportunity to win this gem.
I won this in a Goodreads Giveaway. I wasn't sure I was going to like the book until about 1/4 of the way through. The first part gave us a glimpse of Richard feeling sorry for himself and apparently mad at his wife, Sonia. But as soon as the journal was introduced and the stories unfolded, I understood why the book started out the way it did. A wonderfully written book about the authors inside the journal.
Thank you Goodreads for the opportunity to win this gem.
March 13, 2018
The Impact of a Single Event is written as a series of diary entries moving backward in time from the most recent to the earliest date. Each entry is a vignette that strongly illustrates the impact a single event has had on its writer. The diary is then passed on to another individual the current writer deems in need of the advice and wisdom contained within the journal. The author concludes with an unexpected twist that delivers a strong message about life. I enjoyed each entry, especially the last one written by the originator of the journal. I want to thank Goodreads for sending me this book and also the author for writing it!
January 17, 2018
bought for .99
4.5 Stars - I wanted to start reading this book again as soon as I finished it.
The book spans 140 years of journal entries from different people and the author does an excellent job of using the vernacular and tone of each generation and era of time in the journal writings.
I did think that Richard's
I also found that the way that Richard and Sonia's relationship broke down was so relatable to how otherwise healthy relationships flounder and fail without open communication and honesty and how quickly it can both happen and how quickly with the vulnerability of both parties, it can start to resolve.
All in all, this is probably going to be a re-read and marked as one of my all time favorite books.
4.5 Stars - I wanted to start reading this book again as soon as I finished it.
The book spans 140 years of journal entries from different people and the author does an excellent job of using the vernacular and tone of each generation and era of time in the journal writings.
I did think that Richard's
I also found that the way that Richard and Sonia's relationship broke down was so relatable to how otherwise healthy relationships flounder and fail without open communication and honesty and how quickly it can both happen and how quickly with the vulnerability of both parties, it can start to resolve.
All in all, this is probably going to be a re-read and marked as one of my all time favorite books.
April 29, 2019
I had a hard time putting this book down. I would recommend this book to all who have down times in their lives. I will be reading this book again and again.
February 19, 2018
A couple come across a terrible accident. They call the ambulance and pull the couple out of the wreckage. They pick up the couples belongings which include a handwritten journal. They bring everything to the couple and leave their phone number. The couple calls them.. The couple injured gives them a copy of the journal. They read it and end up trying to find the treasure left by the writer. Everyone in the journal learns a lesson. So does the two different couples. A must read!!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 23, 2018
1.5 stars - sorry not sorry, this book was a navel gazing boring snooze.
October 14, 2011
Overall the book was a fairly interesting idea. The character of Richard (one of the only ones visited consistently during the story) is a bit annoying... but it is required for him to have his a-ha moment at the end. The author did a good job of writing about different time periods and different people. That said, I found that the ending felt disloyal to one of the characters in the book, had them be devious and deceitful when then had been portrayed as a character of high quality prior to that.
All in all the book was good for reading at bed time.
All in all the book was good for reading at bed time.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 5, 2017
I loved this book! I bought it for my dad when my sister and I met the author in Chapters and had planned on reading his copy, but never did. Then a friend lent me this and another book by the same author. Without reading them, I tried to return them, but he told me that I HAD to read this one! Thank goodness I did -- what an amazing book! It definitely held me captive. All of the people in the book are wonderful! Even though I couldn't wait to see how it ended, I didn't want it to end... I loved it!
May 10, 2018
Richard and Sonia stop to help the victims of a car crash, and find an old journal at the scene. As they read the entries made over the past 140 years, they start to look back at their lives and the events that brought them to the point of a struggling marriage.
This novella made me realize the common thread we all have in our lives: struggles. Rethinking those struggles can change their impact on our lives.
I enjoyed this book. I would label it as inspirational, but not in an in-your-face, deeply philosophical way.
This novella made me realize the common thread we all have in our lives: struggles. Rethinking those struggles can change their impact on our lives.
I enjoyed this book. I would label it as inspirational, but not in an in-your-face, deeply philosophical way.
February 17, 2018
Loved it and will review this book soon. Stay tuned!
June 13, 2017
I enjoyed this book. I won it in a Goodreads contest - thank you very much - as I'm not sure it would have come under my radar otherwise.
I enjoyed the layout of the book and the glimpses into the lives of all the journal entry writers. I think many of their stories could be drawn out and be interesting.
The message is a a good one, it makes you pause and reflect.
I enjoyed the layout of the book and the glimpses into the lives of all the journal entry writers. I think many of their stories could be drawn out and be interesting.
The message is a a good one, it makes you pause and reflect.
June 11, 2009
Very neat book. It's about a diary that contains entries from various people over the years who are all searching for meaning in their lives. As well, it goes into the impact th ediary has on the lives of the final couple to have the diary.
April 16, 2010
I really enjoyed the layout of this book. It certainly made it a pageturner for me.
April 18, 2010
I went into this one very skeptically and ended up really enjoying it. I loved the ending.
April 16, 2011
Interesting idea. Super cool surprise twist.
August 17, 2011
This is one of those very special books you really should read!
March 4, 2015
Really good. I enjoyed it a lot!
October 8, 2014
Enjoyable read. Did not know what to expect & was pleasantly surprised.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews