Kathryn's Inbox

  I'm thirty. I'm five years too old to lie to myself and call it honour.  This quote, spoken by The Great Gatsby narrator Nick Carraway to his former love interest Jordan Baker sums up F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic novel of self-delusion perfectly. It is a hot summer in the midst of the roaring twenties when Nick Carraway takes up a residence in a small town just outside of New York. He soon becomes intrigued by his new neighbour, Jay Gatsby whose reputation for hosting the perfect party has stretched far and wide. No one knows exactly how Gatsby got his money, but people flock far and wide to his residence for a good time. A friendship between Gatsby and Nick develops, though it soon becomes increasingly clear that Gatsby wants a friendship with Nick so that he can access Nick's glamorous cousin Daisy, who also just happens to be married to the very wealthy brute Tom Buchanan. What follows is a story of utter self-delusion, selfishness and the perils of trying to rec...

Powerful. Tense. Thought provoking. These are the words that instantly come to mind when I think about Nesting by Roisin O'Donnell. Set in Ireland in 2018, Nesting tells the story of Ciara, who, when she discovers that she is pregnant with her third child knows that she must leave her controlling husband Ryan for good. What follows is a roller coaster ride as Ciara tries to make a new life for herself and her children, whilst battling a husband who uses every form of psychological control to keep his hold over her, inadequate government support and her family are all in the United Kingdom. As the seasons pass, so too do the hardships and the level of control that Ryan has over her, leaving her to wonder if she can ever really break free... If you have ever witnessed someone trapped in an abusive relationship and wondered why don't they just leave, then I strongly suggest reading this book. The hardships Ciara faces while trying to protect herself and her children from a husba...