Hostages
A bomb is born, lives and dies in a rural secondary school; Ireland becomes a dumping ground for corpses; one family s genealogy begins in tragedy in 1574 and ends in something far worse in 2111; a strange tribal matriarchy on the banks of the River Boyne is threatened with extermination. Over the course of these stories, the world breaks down in an endless cycle of hunger, desperation, violence and domination, and we find a humanity left tender, collapsed, and full of a beautiful, primeval innocence.
"Hostages is a book I'll never forget. Think Flann O Brien on
rocket fuel. It s funny, disconcerting, weird, shocking, a
jaw-dropping flashmob of brilliantly written characters dressed as
a full-scale riot."
- Joseph O'Connor, The Irish Times
"It's uproarious, confusing, maddening, and confirms the
25-year-old as the most exciting young writer in the country."
- Irish Examiner
