Nesting, by Roisín O’Donnell.
Published by Scribner. €14.99
It is almost two years since Simon & Schuster acquired Nesting by Roisín O’Donnell in a fiercely contested, nine-publisher auction. Such interest is usually a sound foretelling of the quality of the work, especially so when it concerns a debut novel.
However, Roisín is not exactly an unknown when it comes to writing, and she will be very familiar to many readers in Ireland. It is heading on for a decade since she published the collection, The Wild Quiet.
That work was long-listed for the Edge Hill Short Story Prize and was shortlisted for the Kate O’Brien Award, as well as the International Rubery Book Award.
Her short fiction has featured regularly in publications such as The Stinging Fly, The Tangerine, and The Irish Times.
O’Donnell’s debut is a book of our times, running to 400 pages, and it will be no surprise to see it become one of the bestsellers of 2025. Set in Dublin in 2018 during the housing crisis, with soaring rents and homelessness on the rise, and with families being forced into emergency accommodation, we are introduced to Ciara Fay.
Eight weeks pregnant with her third child, Ciara knows she can’t stay in her marriage, and home is not a safe place. Her own family are in England, but she is trapped, as her two daughters can’t leave Ireland without their father Ryan’s permission. This is not the first time Ciara has tried to escape, and with no money or a job, emergency accommodation at the run-down, and misleadingly-named, Hotel Eden is the only option.
Nesting is a powerful portrait of a woman’s fight for freedom for herself and her children, aged just two and four, and reveals the cracks in Ireland’s housing system. If you think that this will be a tough read, think again. O’Donnell balances gravity and humour to devastatingly powerful effect. Rather than feeling you are labouring, you will find that the pace of the book will have you reading it almost as a page-turner.
Ciara’s husband is a clever manipulator, never using physical violence. This makes it more difficult for Ciara to convince the authorities of the depth of her predicament, and even leaves her wondering if she could be in some way overdramatic.
O’Donnell’s flashbacks to the main character’s life as a world traveller, the life she had with Ryan, and how they came to this point are incredibly well written.
This past is in sharp contrast with her present condition, trying to survive in one room, raise her children, take on work to keep some sense of sanity, and interact with others in similar situations. The author’s skill as a short story writer allows her to present the lives of others as truly evocative vignettes. Nesting will grab you from the start and will not let go.
The Book Corner’s trio of treasures...
The classic
The Turn of the Screw, by Henry James. Published by Penguin. €11.60
Though it was written more than 125 years ago, this novella is still capable of scaring readers. The Turn of the Screw is for those who like stories about the supernatural, and is considered by many to be one of the greatest works of its kind.
The plot centres on a young governess who is sent to a large country estate to care for two children. She has strict instructions from their guardian never to write to him, never to ask about the history of the house, and never to abandon the children.
It isn’t long before she starts to see apparitions. When she describes the sightings, they are identified by the housekeeper as the previous governess Miss Jessel, and former valet Peter Quint, who both died not long ago. As the children’s behaviour grows increasingly strange, the governess is convinced that these ghosts have returned to claim Miles and Flora. Are the phantoms real, or is it all in her fevered imagination?
To enjoy
World Of Guinness, by Rory Guinness. Published by Scala. €18.80
How did a stout from Dublin become a global symbol of Ireland? Here’s an inside take on the history of Guinness, which famously was first brewed in Dublin in 1759.
In this illustrated volume, Rory Guinness reveals the rich and endearing legacy of Arthur Guinness, a forebearer, who founded the brewery and his inspiring passion for brewing. We read about the company’s celebrated advertisements, the inside workings of its longstanding home in Dublin, and the stories of its very first workers.
This updated edition features exclusive images from the Guinness Archive and Dublin Storehouse, as well as the official Guinness cake recipe, cherished by a member of the Guinness family. There are two further upcoming books planned on the Guinness family.
Rory Guinness is a brewer by birth and an authority on the history of his family and brewing. His father was the last family chairman of Guinness.
To cherish
The Boy from the Sea, by Garret Carr. Published by Pan Macmillan. €16.99
Garrett Carr’s first novel for adults is a heartwarming story of real people, told well, and will leave you feeling good about Ireland, and especially Donegal and its people. When a baby boy is found in a barrel, close to the shore, there is understandable excitement in Killybegs.
The baby was set adrift by his young mother out of desperation, but thankfully is taken in, and raised, by Ambrose and Christine Bonnar, who are already parents to a baby son, Declan. Fisherman Ambrose and Christine name the foundling Brendan. The book charts the life of Brendan, who is always an outsider, through from when the book starts in 1973 until his adulthood.
Killybegs is populated by many different characters, some more appealing than others, but the main narrative concerns the Bonnar family, and those closest to them. This is an impressive, if not perfect, tale.
Nesting, by Roisín O’Donnell.
Published by Scribner. €14.99
It is almost two years since Simon & Schuster acquired Nesting by Roisín O’Donnell in a fiercely contested, nine-publisher auction. Such interest is usually a sound foretelling of the quality of the work, especially so when it concerns a debut novel.
However, Roisín is not exactly an unknown when it comes to writing, and she will be very familiar to many readers in Ireland. It is heading on for a decade since she published the collection, The Wild Quiet.
That work was long-listed for the Edge Hill Short Story Prize and was shortlisted for the Kate O’Brien Award, as well as the International Rubery Book Award.
Her short fiction has featured regularly in publications such as The Stinging Fly, The Tangerine, and The Irish Times.
O’Donnell’s debut is a book of our times, running to 400 pages, and it will be no surprise to see it become one of the bestsellers of 2025. Set in Dublin in 2018 during the housing crisis, with soaring rents and homelessness on the rise, and with families being forced into emergency accommodation, we are introduced to Ciara Fay.
Eight weeks pregnant with her third child, Ciara knows she can’t stay in her marriage, and home is not a safe place. Her own family are in England, but she is trapped, as her two daughters can’t leave Ireland without their father Ryan’s permission. This is not the first time Ciara has tried to escape, and with no money or a job, emergency accommodation at the run-down, and misleadingly-named, Hotel Eden is the only option.
Nesting is a powerful portrait of a woman’s fight for freedom for herself and her children, aged just two and four, and reveals the cracks in Ireland’s housing system. If you think that this will be a tough read, think again. O’Donnell balances gravity and humour to devastatingly powerful effect. Rather than feeling you are labouring, you will find that the pace of the book will have you reading it almost as a page-turner.
Ciara’s husband is a clever manipulator, never using physical violence. This makes it more difficult for Ciara to convince the authorities of the depth of her predicament, and even leaves her wondering if she could be in some way overdramatic.
O’Donnell’s flashbacks to the main character’s life as a world traveller, the life she had with Ryan, and how they came to this point are incredibly well written.
This past is in sharp contrast with her present condition, trying to survive in one room, raise her children, take on work to keep some sense of sanity, and interact with others in similar situations. The author’s skill as a short story writer allows her to present the lives of others as truly evocative vignettes. Nesting will grab you from the start and will not let go.
The Book Corner’s trio of treasures...
The classic
The Turn of the Screw, by Henry James. Published by Penguin. €11.60
Though it was written more than 125 years ago, this novella is still capable of scaring readers. The Turn of the Screw is for those who like stories about the supernatural, and is considered by many to be one of the greatest works of its kind.
The plot centres on a young governess who is sent to a large country estate to care for two children. She has strict instructions from their guardian never to write to him, never to ask about the history of the house, and never to abandon the children.
It isn’t long before she starts to see apparitions. When she describes the sightings, they are identified by the housekeeper as the previous governess Miss Jessel, and former valet Peter Quint, who both died not long ago. As the children’s behaviour grows increasingly strange, the governess is convinced that these ghosts have returned to claim Miles and Flora. Are the phantoms real, or is it all in her fevered imagination?
To enjoy
World Of Guinness, by Rory Guinness. Published by Scala. €18.80
How did a stout from Dublin become a global symbol of Ireland? Here’s an inside take on the history of Guinness, which famously was first brewed in Dublin in 1759.
In this illustrated volume, Rory Guinness reveals the rich and endearing legacy of Arthur Guinness, a forebearer, who founded the brewery and his inspiring passion for brewing. We read about the company’s celebrated advertisements, the inside workings of its longstanding home in Dublin, and the stories of its very first workers.
This updated edition features exclusive images from the Guinness Archive and Dublin Storehouse, as well as the official Guinness cake recipe, cherished by a member of the Guinness family. There are two further upcoming books planned on the Guinness family.
Rory Guinness is a brewer by birth and an authority on the history of his family and brewing. His father was the last family chairman of Guinness.
To cherish
The Boy from the Sea, by Garret Carr. Published by Pan Macmillan. €16.99
Garrett Carr’s first novel for adults is a heartwarming story of real people, told well, and will leave you feeling good about Ireland, and especially Donegal and its people. When a baby boy is found in a barrel, close to the shore, there is understandable excitement in Killybegs.
The baby was set adrift by his young mother out of desperation, but thankfully is taken in, and raised, by Ambrose and Christine Bonnar, who are already parents to a baby son, Declan. Fisherman Ambrose and Christine name the foundling Brendan. The book charts the life of Brendan, who is always an outsider, through from when the book starts in 1973 until his adulthood.
Killybegs is populated by many different characters, some more appealing than others, but the main narrative concerns the Bonnar family, and those closest to them. This is an impressive, if not perfect, tale.
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