The Alternatives: A Novel BY Caoilinn Hughes

The Alternatives is a bold, beautiful, and complex novel that weaves together themes of sisterhood, intellectual pursuit, and the collective follies of humanity. Praised by the New York Times Book Review and Hernan Diaz for its intelligent and compassionate prose, the novel tells the story of the Flattery sisters, four brilliant Irish women orphaned in childhood. Now in their thirties, each sister—despite their impressive academic achievements—leads a solitary life, grappling with personal and professional challenges in various parts of the world.

The narrative takes a dramatic turn when the oldest sister, a geologist deeply troubled by her knowledge of the earth's precarious future, vanishes without a trace. Her disappearance forces the sisters to reunite in the Irish countryside, a setting that becomes both a physical and emotional landscape for their search. As they take refuge in a derelict bungalow, the sisters delve into their shared past, confronting unresolved traumas and fears about the uncertain future.

Told with warmth, wit, and unexpected hope, The Alternatives captures the essence of familial bonds and the resilience required to face an uncertain world. This novel, heralded by Anthony Doerr as the work of a "massive talent," is a poignant and unforgettable exploration of the human condition, offering a portrait of a family on the edge and a society at a crossroads.