The Wild Laughter

AN IRISH TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR, 2020

NOMINATED FOR NOVEL AT THE YEAR AT THE IRISH BOOK AWARDS, 2020

'Extraordinary... A book of wicked intelligence and tender heart.' - Max Porter, author of Lanny

It's 2008, and the Celtic Tiger has left devastation in its wake. Brothers Hart and Cormac Black are waking up to a very different Ireland - one that widens the chasm between them and brings their beloved father to his knees. Facing a devastating choice that risks their livelihood, if not their lives, their biggest danger comes when there is nothing to lose.

A sharp snapshot of a family and a nation suddenly unmoored, this epic-in-miniature explores cowardice and sacrifice, faith rewarded and abandoned, the stories we tell ourselves and the ones we resist. Hilarious, poignant and utterly fresh, The Wild Laughter cements Caoilinn Hughes' position as one of Ireland's most audacious, nuanced and insightful young writers.