“ The World After Alice is 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 Hello Beautiful
“ A page-turner of a family drama. The World After Alice is at turns brutally honest, funny, and deeply empathic. ” — Charmaine Wilkerson, New York Times bestselling author of Black Cake
Named One of Forbes’ s 2024 30 Under 30 in Media
For readers of Seating Arrangements and The Most Fun We Ever Had, a gorgeous and gripping story of two families brought together to celebrate an unexpected marriage, twelve years after a devastating tragedy upended their lives
When Morgan and Benji surprise their families with a wedding invitation to Maine, they’ re aware the news of their clandestine relationship will come as a shock. Twelve years have passed since the stunning loss of sixteen-year-old Alice, Benji’ s sister and Morgan’ s best friend, and no one is quite the same. But the young couple decide to plunge headlong into matrimony, marking the first time their fractured families will reunite since Alice’ s funeral.
As the arriving guests descend upon the tranquil coastal town, they bring with them not only skepticism about the impromptu nuptials but also deep-seated secrets and agendas of their own. Peter, Morgan’ s father, may be trying to dissuade his daughter from saying “ I do, ” while Linnie, Benji’ s mother, introduces a boyfriend who bears a tumultuous past of his own. Nick, Benji’ s father, is scheming to secure a new job before his wife— formerly his mistress— discovers he’ s lost his old one. Morgan, too, carries delicate secrets that threaten to jeopardize the happiness for which she has so longed. And as for Benji— well, he’ s just trying to make sure the whole weekend doesn’ t implode.
As the whirlwind weekend unfolds, old passions reignite, deep wounds resurface, and unearthed secrets threaten to shatter the fragile peace the wedding promises. With each new revelation, the to-be-weds and their complicated families are forced to question just how well they know the ones they hold dear.
