In this beautiful, urgent, and ultimately uplifting novel by a rising Irish literary star comes a heart-pounding, life-affirming story about one woman trying to leave her marriage and start over.   On a bright spring afternoon, Ciara Fay makes a split-second decision that will change everything. Grabbing an armful of clothes off the clothesline, she 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—and that this time, when she leaves, she must stay away. On the surface, she has a perfect life: her sometimes kind and attentive husband, Ryan, is a good provider from a nice family, and they have another baby on the way. But he also monitors Ciara's every move, flies into unpredictable rages where he convinces her she can do nothing right, and has isolated her from work, friends, and her beloved family. Was fleeing the right thing to do? With no job and no support, Ciara struggles to provide a sense of normalcy for her little girls. Facing a broken housing system, they move into a hotel room on a floor reserved for women like her, eating takeout, washing their clothes in the bathroom sink, and building a community with the other residents. Ryan, meanwhile, wages a relentless campaign to win her back, and Ciara wavers. He never hit her, after all, and don't the girls need a stable home? Suspenseful and all-consuming, Roisín O'Donnell’s extraordinary debut creates a devastating portrait of gaslighting and emotional abuse. Ultimately, Nesting is a triumphant story about self-determination, family, and resilience. Longlisted for the Women's Prize • An Instant Bestseller in Ireland and the UK   Named a Most Recommended Book of the Season by the New York Times Book Review , Washington Post , Audible, and more. “ Nesting , Roisín O’Donnell’s gripping debut novel, contains all the twists and turns of a classic thriller… tense and propulsive from the very beginning… immersive and emotional… Like every worthy thriller, Nesting keeps the reader guessing until the end. It is rare and refreshing to read a satisfyingly suspenseful novel that exists in such a domestic sphere.”― New York Times Book Review " 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 and Godshot "Nesting  is a haunting, deeply affecting debut novel—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 "What an extraordinary debut! I clutched this book tightly as I read, and rooted for Ciara from page one.  Nesting  is an unputdownable story of love, courage, and survival. I look forward to whatever comes next for Roisín O’Donnell."― Mary Beth Keane, New York Times bestselling author of Ask Again, Yes and The Half Moon “O’Donnell’s thoughtful portrayal of a bad relationship illustrates how difficult it is for women to break free from a cycle of abuse.”― Washington Post, "10 noteworthy books for February" “Though he’s the breadwinner of the family, Ciara’s husband has taken away far more than he’s provided: her financial and physical autonomy, her children’s safety, her ability to trust herself. The novel deftly portrays an insidious aspect of domestic abuse: It’s one thing to decide to leave, and it’s another to maintain the strength to stay away.”― New York Times Book Review, "20 New Books to Read in February" “Richly drawn and multidimensional… Roisín O’Donnell’s  Nesting  is a tense, mesmeric and emotional story.”​― Texas Public Radio / Book Public “ Nesting is one of those rare novels where the plot and writing are so powerful that a reader has to step away every now and then, just to breathe... Piercing in both its description and its insight... the book succeeds brilliantly at showing the manipulation, terror, confusion, and self-doubt of this sort of abuse—long before Ciara understands all of this herself.”― New York Journal of Books "Striking... The mounting tension and suspense as Ciara struggles to stay free and safe make the pages fly. O’Donnell gives us a great character to root for and a portrait of her situation that is both terrifying and ultimately inspiring. An afterword confirms the impression that it’s based on research into real women’s experiences. A propulsive, nuanced, achingly real novel that will appeal to bo