The Alternatives

'Caoilinn Hughes is one of the most intelligent, surprising, and delightful writers around. The Alternatives made me laugh, cry, and think.' Louise Kennedy, author of Trespasses

'I wish I knew how Caoilinn Hughes has managed to write a book of such depth and gravity that is also so gripping and relentlessly funny.' Hernan Diaz, author of Trust

'Beautiful... The Alternatives is both a book of ideas and a gripping read, formally audacious yet deeply humane. Superb.' Rumaan Alam, author of Leave the World Behind

'The Alternatives is fizzy, brainy, and brilliant, always at the service of a drama of great emotional power. Caoilinn Hughes is an extraordinarily gifted writer.' Joseph O’Neill, author of Netherland

'Hughes's elegiac romp into our collective crises erupts in gorgeous language and sizzles with wit, yet is undergirded by pathos. A shapeshifter of a writer, she can draw any character, any foible with crystalline precision.' Diane Cook, author of The New Wilderness

‘The Alternatives is vintage Caoilinn Hughes—sharp, funny and philosophical, and very much a novel for our times.’ Carys Davies, author of The Mission House

'I've admired all Caoilinn Hughes' books, and this one is a triumph, searching and clever and warm and funny.' Sarah Moss, author of Ghost Wall

'A novel so full of verve that one gains energy from reading it. The prose is a delight, and the force of the author’s intelligence would be overwhelming if not for its warmth and wit.' Jing-Jing Lee, author of How We Disappeared

'Simply brilliant... The dynamics of the sisters' interactions and the easy way they anticipate each others' needs while slipping into decades-old roles are the novel's highlights.' Booklist (starred review)

'Moving, richly detailed... Intelligent, impassioned, and wholly satisfying.' Kirkus (starred review)