Nesting

One afternoon Ciara Fay grabs some things, holds the small hands of her young daughters and leaves her Dublin home. Her husband Ryan will be furious. When his anger subsides, he will profess his love, beg her to come home and simultaneously belittle her fears and convince Ciara that she is off balance and needs help. This is Ryan’s pattern. This is how he controls Ciara and their little family. After nearly a decade living away from her mother and sister in London and giving up teaching, Ciara has few friends, no money of her own and not a soul she can turn to. But Ciara knows she is not imagining this, and as her girls grow, she cannot bear to let them witness this kind of twisted love and manipulation. As Ciara navigates how to survive on her own, she finds shelter and free legal counsel. None of this is easy. Every step forward is ten steps back, but she is certain of only one thing — it must be done. This story is fast-paced and heartbreaking. To imagine this is reality for so many is simply terrifying. No one wants to live in a home where they do not feel safe. Ciara feels shame, fear and guilt as she asks for help, but it is less important how she got there than figuring out how to escape. Crazy that this is a debut novel. Highly recommend. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐