The Alternatives | Caoilinn Hughes

Hughes’ resonant, beautifully-written story of four sisters in crisis is a masterclass in making sense of the times we live in.  Now in their thirties, each woman has been struggling with her own crises but it is Olwyn’s sudden psychic emergency that brings them together in the Irish countryside for their first meeting in years. Deftly, Hughes manages to showcase the complexities of mental health, food, climate and ecological justice, and Deep Time while keeping the sisters – all seriously bright and ferociously flawed – at the heart of the polycrisis. A deeply engaging and often funny novel by a thought-provoking writer of huge emotional intelligence and flair.  – Liz Jensen