Connect with Irish Book Award winner Roisín O'Donnell as she unpacks her breakout debut novel Nesting, a gripping story about one woman's courageous journey to reclaim her life.

On a bright spring afternoon in Dublin, Ciara Fay 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.

This 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?
Drawing on her mastery of the short story, Roisín crafts a powerful narrative that speaks to the heart of contemporary Ireland. Through her urgent observations around the housing crisis and women's struggles for autonomy, she paints an unflinching portrait of survival.

Join us as Roisin reveals how she created a story that mirrors the complex reality many women face when choosing between safety and stability.