Read With Us: It's A Wrap-up

It's my turn to do the Read With Us wrap-up and I've been considering what I wanted to say about our discussion of Nesting. I did take some notes during our discussion last Tuesday night along with some less than ideal pictures. Zoom used to show me a thumbnail array of everyone, but now it shows a large image of the person speaking and everyone else is small. I think there were 13 of us discussing the book but you get close-ups of Kat looking pensive while answering a question and Jill who was dedicated enough to join us while she was on vacation. 

Kym opened up the discussion by asking her ice breaker question about what format (real book, digital book on an e-reader, or audiobook) we enjoyed reading the most. Our answers varied widely, with several people preferring real books, some liked audio, and some read mainly on their Kindles. A few of us use different formats for different activities and there are some people that enjoy "dual" reading - listening to the audio version and following along on Kindle or in the real book. It was quite a lively discussion and we talked about it for almost half an hour before we started discussing Nesting.

Carole asked "How does Ciara’s story shed light on systemic failures—particularly in social services, housing, and financial support—that make it nearly impossible for her to break free? What form of social safety net—safe housing, child allowance, legal aid, emotional support networks—might have changed Ciara’s odds? Where does the novel suggest these are absent or inaccessible?" Several people were a little surprised that resources were in such short supply in Ireland and we all agreed that there are not enough resources of any kind for housing, financial assistance, or other support, in Ireland or the United States. Debbie made a point about how limited resources are in rural areas, and even if safe houses exist, there may be a 3-4 month waiting list. We felt that reading about the lack of resources along with the bureaucracy Ciara endured really helped pull the reader into the book.

My questions had to do with the epigraph O'Donnell used, a poem called "Mother Ireland. The final lines are “Now I could tell my story. It was different from the story told about me.” Why do you think O’Donnell chose this poem? How is Nesting different from the story normally told about women like Ciara?" Kat said that she felt it was powerful when Ciara said, "This is my voice" and she realized that she had her own story to tell, and it was not the one her husband had been telling. Vicki made a point that everyone involved has their own story - Ciara's children, her mother and sister, and even all the people she was dealing with in the bureaucracy of housing, but Ciara eventually learned to own her story and tell it. 

Kym wondered "What does the title Nesting suggest in the context of the novel? How does it relate to themes of home, safety, and survival? How does the ending leave you feeling? Does it offer hope, realism, or something in between?" Most participants felt that Nesting was a good title for the book, as it made us think of making a safe and secure home for our family. Ciara had to leave her house to do that for herself and her children, but she was able to do that in the hotel and eventually her own home. Many of us were a little unsure about the crow shown on the cover and what the crow meant in the story, but someone mentioned that since Ryan may have taken it from the nest, it represented power over innocents and was another way to show how cruel he could be. 

We all liked the book, despite the fact that the ending felt like it was a bit too easy. When Kym, Carole, and I are choosing a book, we're often concerned about whether it will be discussable or will everyone just say they liked it so much that there's nothing to talk about. Most likely because of the intense subject matter of abuse, we had plenty to talk about even while we all enjoyed the book. 

I have come to rely on our Read With Us discussions to clarify ideas and participants often bring up points that I have not considered. It's a valuable thing for me, and I think that was especially true for this discussion. Several of you shared your personal experiences with family or friends in the same abuse situation and your willingness to share made this book even more personal and understandable. I'd like to thank all of you for reading, participating, and sharing. 

If you took part in the Zoom and would like to share some of your own discussion highlights in the comments, please feel free to do so. (That might make for a better wrap-up than trying to decipher my fragmented and scribbled notes!) We’ll be announcing our summer selection on June 24th so be sure to check back then. It's something a little bit different with a fun twist this time!