Plus get our latest book recommendations, author news, and competitions right to your inbox.
Table of Contents
About The Book
On a bright spring afternoon in Dublin, Ciara makes a split-second decision that will change everything. Grabbing an armful of clothes from the washing line, Ciara straps her two young daughters into her car and drives away. Head spinning, all she knows for certain is that home is no longer safe.
It was meant to be an escape. But with dwindling savings, no job, and her family across the sea, Ciara finds herself adrift, facing a broken housing system and the voice of her own demons. As summer passes and winter closes in, she must navigate raising her children in a hotel room, searching for a new home and dealing with her husband Ryan’s relentless campaign to get her to come back. Because leaving is one thing, but staying away is another.
What will it take for Ciara to reinvent her life? Can she ever truly break away from Ryan’s control – and what will be the cost?
Tense, beautiful and gut-wrenching, Nesting is an unforgettable story of motherhood, underpinned by love, hope and resilience.
Product Details
- Publisher: Simon & Schuster Australia (January 29, 2025)
- Length: 400 pages
- ISBN13: 9781761423291
Browse Related Books
Raves and Reviews
'Nesting is a powerful novel. Urgent, and hugely satisfying.'
– Roddy Doyle, author of The Women Behind the Door
'A gorgeous, maddening, thrilling and compassionate book. Roisín O’Donnell so expertly captures the dull thud of dread and the frailty of hope. Nesting shows us that the quietest voice in the room can also be the most powerful.'
– Sheila Armstrong, author of Falling Animals
'Such a beautiful and real portrayal of contemporary Dublin.'
– Ana Kinsella, author of Look Here
'Roisín O’Donnell tackles the unsettling cruelties and manipulations of coercive control with insight and emotional complexity. The voice is authentic, vivid and important. The final dedication to ‘anyone trapped in a place that does not feel like home’ says everything. Emotionally charged, psychologically nuanced and full of compassion and possibility, I read with my heart in my mouth.'
– Una Mannion, author of Tell Me What I Am
'Such a moving, heartfilled, urgent book.'
– Jan Carson, author of The Raptures
'A dazzling debut, pin-sharp in its depiction of the insidious hooks of behind-closed-doors coercive control. O’Donnell handles her heroine’s pain and potential power with nuanced, page-turning aplomb. I was gripped to the end.'
– Cristín Leach, author of Negative Space
'Nesting is a perfect portrayal of the insidious nature of intimate partner abuse where the bruises are not physical, but violently emotional. I fell in love with the voice of Ciara as she sets out to create a new life against all odds for herself and her children. A story of bravery, love, and redemption, chock full of emotional suspense – I couldn’t look away. A high-wire act of a debut.'
– Chelsea Bieker, author of Madwoman
Resources and Downloads
High Resolution Images
- Book Cover Image (jpg): Nesting eBook 9781761423291
- Author Photo (jpg): Roisin O'Donnell Photograph @ Barry Cronin(0.1 MB)
Any use of an author photo must include its respective photo credit