What readers think of Nesting, plus links to write your own review.

This is a heartfelt story of a young woman trying to make a better life for her children.
Ciara Fay is dealing with emotional and verbal abuse very day of her life. She has finally had it. Her home is not a safe place for her two young daughters. She grabs the clothes on the outside clothes line and packs a few things and hurriedly gets her children in the car before they are discovered missing. But where will she go she has no plan. She has little money and no one to help her. Her mother and sister live in England.
On the outside her husband Ryan, looks like the perfect husband and doting father., but on the inside he is abusive and controlling. He keeps Ciara in isolation from her family and friends.

Ciara tries to flee to England to visit her mother and sister but is stopped by security as there are blocks on the children’s passports. She cannot bring them out of Ireland.
With no place to go Ciara experiences the broken housing system in Ireland. They sleep in the car until they find an emergency hotel room to go to. Ciara hopes this is temporary and she can get a rental very soon. She is on a list for housing but no one ever calls. Meanwhile Ryan finds her and threatens her if she doesn’t return his children to him.

This is an emotional read to say the least. It was heart pounding. Roisin O’Donnell does a marvelous job portraying the fear and hopelessness of the situation. I was cheering Ciara on the whole time. This is a book you will not be able to put down.
In the author’s acknowledgements she states “to anyone trapped in a place that doesn’t feel like home, and anyone who has asked the question why don’t you just leave. This is the book for you. “

Wonderful book club read

A beautiful read, I loved this book. I was fortunate enough to read it via NetGalley and highly recommend it. Lyrically written, it follows a young family in a time of crisis and unrest. Mother, Ciara is fleeing a controlling marriage which has reduced her to being a person so far from herself and she lives in constant fear. The novel follows her as she and her two young children flee the home and escape the confines of the relationship.

It is set during the Irish housing crisis, which remains to be a very real problem throughout Ireland and the British Isles. The family live in a hotel for many months, face a distressing legal battle, the pressure and harassments of her husband, endure the challenges of starting from scratch, being alone and away from family support (Ciara’s mum and sister live in England) and so much more. Though the book covers upsetting themes, the author does so deftly and delicately, she captures so strongly the emotional battles and struggles Ciara faces. The story has many positives, you are willing Ciara on every step of the way. I loved the everyday moments of family life and interaction, the people they meet, the trips they take to the zoo and beach. It is a wonderful, wonderful read.

The greatest strengths of this book are its writing and characterisation. The characters are so real, so well formed and observed. Via reading you get so close to them, in turn making this an immersive read. There are not too many characters to keep track of, I am aware that, that can often put people off. There is an ease and warmth in O'Donnel's prose. The voice of her characters comes through too, you are able to get a sense of the kind of people they are- their quirks in spoken dialogue and personality for instance.

Due to my enjoyment of Roisin O’Donnell's writing, I was encouraged to seek more by her. Nesting is her debut novel, however she is well known for her award winning short stories. Collections of these exist. I purchased today, via Amazon Wild Quiet (the Kindle version). The first story, Ebenezer’s Memories is a captivating read.