Nesting

‘O'Donnell presents as her hero a woman society has chosen not to hear, not to see. Nesting will make your blood boil and your heart soar, sometimes on the same page. This is an important novel.’

– Claire Kilroy, author of Soldier Sailor

‘As if we needed further proof of Ireland’s literary supremacy, along comes this absolutely stunning debut. A masterclass in emotivity and artful detail, O’Donnell steers us back and forth to the brink, as our heroine navigates her devastating and all too common reality. Deeply invested, Ciara’s wins become our wins, her losses ours too. I was on tenterhooks the whole time and enjoyed every second of it.’

– Nadine J. Cohen, author of Everyone and Everything

‘Nesting is a haunting, deeply affecting debut novel by Roisín O’Donnell – a gripping and unflinching exploration of coercive partner control, societal inequality, motherhood and the terrifying reality of a world closing in fast when you have no options left. An incredibly compelling tale of survival, it is as emotionally charged as it is brutally real. The writing is flawless. I was profoundly moved.’

– Elaine Feeney, Booker-longlisted author of How to Build a Boat

‘Paced like a thriller, Nesting is a deep, beautiful, hopeful meditation on trauma, healing and love.’

– Jessica Stanley, author of Consider Yourself Kissed

'Nesting is a triumph in empathy. This novel is achingly beautiful and utterly necessary. O’Donnell’s attentiveness to language shines from every page. A book to open eyes and hearts. O’Donnell imbues her characters’ circumscribed domestic space with a page-turning emotional urgency.’

– Danielle McLaughlin, author of The Art of Falling

'Nesting is a powerful novel. Brand new, 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

'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

'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