The Alternatives

'Exuberant... A bold, beautiful, complex novel, and I can’t wait to read what Hughes writes next. She, too, is an unstoppable force.' New York Times 'Superb is the only word for this novel… A timely, sly and frequently hilarious read.' Irish Times 'It's just glorious. If it doesn't end up on a hatload of award shortlists by the end of the year, I will eat an actual real-world hat.' Irish Independent '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 'A constantly surprising story of sisterhood and survival... It’s a brainy novel, full of ideas about life and how to live it – both now and in a disrupted future.' Mail on Sunday '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 '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 '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 'Bold, witty and intellectual... An exciting book, a book of intelligent women that very successfully plays with form and intertwined big ideas.' Sunday Independent 'A witty, bittersweet and often stylistically bold exploration of blood ties and chosen family.' New York Times Book Review, Editor's Choice 'The new novel from rising Irish star Hughes is a thought-provoking, gorgeously written look at the meaning of sisterhood and the many ways of showing care.' Good Housekeeping '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 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 ‘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 '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 'A novel of tiny, telling details alongside big ideas... The Alternatives contains multitudes. Its mysteries and complexities reward a second reading... The book's ending is a stunner. And Olwen, Maeve, Nell and Rhona make it unforgettable.' Star Tribune 'Engaging and impressive.' Irish Examiner 'The dense blend of score settling, wise-cracking, ideas and eccentricity is nothing if not attention-grabbing... The question of how to go onward in our troubled times is admirable.' Daily Mail 'An explosion of a novel by a writer of rare brilliance and power... True originality is a rare thing but Caoilinn Hughes has it; she really is like no one else.' New Zealand Herald 'Witty and unexpectedly hopeful.' Image Magazine 'In The Alternatives, Hughes manages to make us both wish we had four flawed, intense sisters, and be grateful we don't. There is much humour, much sharpness, and Hughes' is a unique, honest, powerful voice. The sentences are sizzling, glittering, often taking off in unexpected and delightful directions. It is a novel to love as a reader, but equally as much as a writer: it makes me want to write. Stunning.' Jenny Mustard, author of Okay Days 'Hughes, one of my very favourite Irish writers, is soaringly original and takes us to unusual places and circumstances. Here, her wily observations and caustic humour enliven the invisible currents of family connection.' Sydney SA Weekend '[The sisters'] conversations sparkle with humour and wit... A fantastic whirlwind of a novel, The Alternatives throws down the gauntlet on everything from climate change and deliberative democracy to the fundamentrals of authenticity and integrity. The final scene is as extraordinary as it is unexpected, yet somehow absolutely right.' New Internationalist 'Hughes's writing is not only profoundly intelligent, but also imbued with a sharp wit and humour… Hughes deftly demonstrates the importance of friendship and sisterhood, with a real sense of community and human connection beautifully evoked throughout the book.' NB Magazine 'Hughes’s best novel yet. With its ferocious intelligence and furious wit, the writing is reminiscent of Anne Enright.' Guardian