Welcome to . . . Read With Us Discussion Day
Bonny and Carole and I are posting discussion questions today for our latest RWU book . . . Nesting by Roisín O’Donnell. Join the discussion by commenting on our blogs.
To get things rolling, I’m going to ask the same question I always ask . . . Did you read Nesting? And if you did, what did you think?
While I know we’ll have plenty of opportunity for discussing the emotional abuse aspects of this novel on the Zoom and here on our blogs today, I also want to throw these questions out for discussion . . .
What does the title Nesting suggest in the context of the novel? How does it relate to themes of home, safety, and survival?
And . . .
How does the ending leave you feeling? Does it offer hope, realism, or something in between?
I can’t wait to hear your thoughts.
(Be sure to visit Bonny and Carole today for additional questions about Nesting.)
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Don’t forget: We’ll be discussing the book on Zoom tonight – 7:00 pm Eastern Time. There’s still time for you to join us! Just let me know of your interest either with a comment or by sending me an email (see sidebar, above) — and I’ll send a Zoom invitation.
PS – If you are planning to join us on the Zoom, but haven’t received an invitation from me (I sent them Monday afternoon), please let me know so I can get the Zoom link to you today.
I think Nesting is the perfect title for this book. To me, Nesting brings to mind caring for and protecting your babies (no matter how young or old they are), making a home, surrounding all with love. (Just like the wrens and bluebirds that are nesting in our yard.). Although in some respects the ending felt rushed or hurried to me, I was definitely cheering that Ciara had made it despite all the obstacles thrown in her path.
The concept of nesting conjures up images of making a place where one feels secure, comfortable, or in control. Often this place is at home, but Ciara was not safe at home and had to leave with her children to try and provide a safe place for them elsewhere. She did this in the hotel and in her dogged pursuit of a real home of their own. The ending left me feeling hopeful, although I’m not sure that statistics support it as realistic. It takes an average of seven attempts for a woman to permanently leave an abusive relationship, mainly due to lack of economic and other resources.
Yes, I read Nesting and it was a solid 3.5 star read until the ending… oh my. That ending and the epigraph specifically… that tipped the rating scale to a full five stars for me!
I think the title is a bit tricky… I spent some time redefining my idea of what nesting actually is. (It is NOT just the perfect idea I have in my head) Nesting can happen beautifully in a halfway house, in a hotel, in a car… and I think that is what the author was trying to get the reader to see… well played her!
The ending felt so very real to me… genius, in fact! It left me feeling that the journey was continuing… and I liked that very much!
I read Nesting and it was 4 Stars for me. I was frustrated with Ciara at times, just going in my head “leave”, “leave”.
Nesting to me is setting up a place for yourself that fits all your needs and makes you feel settled and safe.
I read it and loved it, and I did do a fair amount of thinking about the title. I’ve always thought of “nesting” in relation to getting a house ready for a baby’s arrival, so I think the author chose it because Ciara’s goal was always to find a safe place for her and her children. A nest is where babies can safely grow, but I think in her case it was also about finding a safe place for her to find herself again.