Description

The gorgeous and poignant debut novel for fans of Anne Tyler and Claire Lombardo.

‘Glimmers with fine writing and notes of human insight’ Ann Napolitano

‘A page turner . . . honest, funny and deeply empathic’ Charmaine Wilkerson

‘Deeply moving’ Heat

‘This dramatic tragi-comedy takes us right into the head of each character’ Daily Mail

‘Poignant and thought-provoking’ Culturefly

‘Will make you laugh and moments later choke you up . . . impressively executed’ Glamour

‘Such a fascinating portrayal of secrets, deceit, the complicated nature of family relationships and societal expectations. I will be recommending this book to everybody I know!’ Reader Review *****

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When Morgan and Benji surprise their families with a wedding invitation to Maine, they’re aware their relationship will come as a shock.

Twelve years have passed since the loss of sixteen-year-old Alice Weil, Benji’s sister and Morgan’s best friend.

No one is quite the same. As the headstrong young couple brings the two families together for the first time since the funeral, they wonder: can old wounds truly be mended?

When the guests descend upon the tranquil coastal town for the whirlwind nuptials, it soon becomes clear that these estranged families are not ready to move on.

Rekindled old flames, new lovers and deep resentments abound. Even the bride harbours delicate secrets about her friend’s death that threaten the happiness she has worked so hard for.

Will the fragile peace the wedding offers survive the sunny weekend?

Or are these two families about to find out that the darkest secrets always come to light in the end?

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‘A bouquet of a book: thoughtful, heartfelt, funny, tender, tough and gorgeously written. A tremendous new writer’ Elizabeth McCracken

‘A study of grief, resilience and surprising joy. I know these characters will stay with me’ Mary Beth Keane

‘Intricately structured and elegantly written . . . a family drama that pivots between the sweeping and the intimate in seamless, wildly entertaining prose’ Catherine Lacey

‘Green writes with a poet’s ear and an impressionist’s eye, and the result is a wise, elegiac novel that is impossible to put down even after turning the last gorgeous page’ Bret Anthony Johnston

‘Truly elegant . . . I turned the pages as fast as I could, aching to understand the impossible’ Hanna Halperin

Publisher Review

A lovely debut novel that glimmers with fine writing and notes of human insight. There’s a quiet beauty to Lauren Aliza Green’s work, and I am now a fan — Ann Napolitano, New York Times bestselling author of Dear Edward A ‘sizzling summer read’ * Grazia * A ‘Literary Summer Romance’ Pick * Vogue * A page-turner of a family drama . . . at turns brutally honest, funny, and deeply empathic — Charmaine Wilkerson, New York Times bestselling author of Black Cake A bouquet of a book: thoughtful, heartfelt, funny, tender, tough, and gorgeously written. It is a novel about how love won’t save you, except in the ways that it does, about the pain of family life, and also its transcendent qualities. Green is a tremendous new writer — Elizabeth McCracken, author of The Hero of This Book Intricately structured and elegantly written, The World After Alice is a family drama that pivots between the sweeping and the intimate in seamless, wildly entertaining prose — Catherine Lacey, author of Biography of X In The World After Alice, Lauren Aliza Green lays bare the mysteries of grief, growth, and love in the wake of unthinkable loss. Green writes with a poet’s ear and an impressionist’s eye, and the result is a wise, elegiac novel that is impossible to put down even after turning the last gorgeous page — Bret Anthony Johnston, author of Remember Me Like This A study of grief, resilience, and surprising joy in the face of incomprehensible loss. I know these characters will stay with me — Mary Beth Keane, New York Times bestselling author of Ask Again, Yes In this truly elegant novel, two families come together to celebrate a wedding. But through Lauren Aliza Green’s precise, amusing, and beautiful writing, we get to explore the mysterious ways that joy and grief tangle together. Each character is tenderly drawn yet frighteningly real. I read this book, and the complicated relationships within, turning the pages as fast as I could, aching to understand the impossible — Hanna Halperin, author of I Could Live Here Forever A Maine wedding reunites two families-and resurrects buried griefs and secrets along the way. With a remarkable cast of characters Lauren Aliza Green creates a panoramic, suspenseful, and ultimately very moving exploration of loss and recovery. The World After Alice is a beautiful and accomplished debut — Laura Van Den Berg, author of What The World Will Look Like When All The Water Leaves Us