The Safe Keep

Roisin O'Donnell's debut novel Nesting (2025) is an unflinching look at the supports in place for Irish women fleeing domestic violence.

Ciara lives in Dublin with her husband Ryan and two young daughters, Sophie aged four and Ella aged two. Late one afternoon, Ciara makes an immediate decision. She grabs a bunch of clothes off the line, puts her girls in the car and leaves. Ciara has to break free from the coercive control of her husband and no longer feels safe at home. She has spent two many sleepless nights worrying about his wrath. The problem is, throughout their marriage Ryan has successfully isolated Ciara. She has no job, no friends and lives away from her family. Where will she turn?

Ciara looks for support and finds the system is broken. She is put up in a room at Hotel Eden, a depressing dive with strict requirements and a constant fear of being evicted. While there are other families in the same hotel - a whole floor dedicated to temporarily housing the homeless - and she befriends a neighbour who can assist her when child care is needed, it is not a long term solution. 

Ryan bombards her with text messages - alternating between declarations of love which have her doubting her decision, and belittling threats which make her fearful. Her inner voice has her questioning her decisions and her will to stay the course.  

Meanwhile, Ciara is attempting to rebuild her life and provide stability for her children. She spends countless hours trapped in the bureaucracy, filling in forms, waiting, calling for updates. She engages a lawyer. But each time she takes a step forward, she is forced two steps back. With little money, she does what she can for her children. All she needs is for someone, somewhere, to give her a chance. 

The characters are well crafted. Ryan is a terrible villain, but deftly written to showcase the charm that would have attracted Ciara to him and make outsiders unaware of his abuse. Ciara is an interesting character. We learn her backstory, about her studies, travels and other paths she may have chosen. 

There were a couple of things that didn't resonate for me - like the storyline about Ryan's birds which was an unnecessary distraction. But overall, I found this a compelling story about a woman seeking a safe place to call home.

Nesting is a brilliant indictment of the social care system in Ireland, showcasing how the broken, bureaucratic system fails to support people most in need. I described the plot to someone who said it sounded depressing, but I actually found it hopeful, and surprisingly a gripping powerful read. 

Roisin O'Donnell's Nesting was longlisted for the 2025 Women's Prize for Fiction.