Nest
Winnie and Thomas Amato have decided to have their first baby together. Although the excitement levels are high, Winnie, especially, is also full of dread. Already prone to being an anxious person, the fluctuating hormones and nauseous waves aggravate her fears. In fact, she calls it “the Fear” because sometimes it becomes so loud that there is nothing else.
After Winnie becomes fed up with her suffering and feelings of madness, she finds that her new desire to nest runs deep into the very marrow of her bones. She cleans and preps and spends countless hours preparing a nursery for their baby. And somewhere within the frantic nesting, Winnie finds moments to breathe and discover peace.
But can these minor moments of noticing and slowing down really stop “the Fear” from reappearing? Can Winnie make it through her pregnancy without losing the baby? Will Thomas and Winnie remain together as man and wife? Nine months turn into eons for a woman who is holding a growing baby inside her body for that long. Every day brings unfamiliar sensations and new ways of exploring the world, as if both soon-to-be-parents were only babies themselves.
Author: Kaitlyn Bankson
Format: Hardcover; Paperback; eBook; Audiobook
Print Length: 264 pages
Language: English
Publisher: Kaitlyn Bankson; Dubuque, Iowa
Printed in: United States
Publication Date: July 6, 2026
Hardcover ASIN & ISBN (IngramSpark): B0H8B3K9WZ; 979-8-9940906-5-7
Paperback ASIN & ISBN (Amazon): B0H7TBJ36R; 979-8-9940906-2-6
eBook ASIN & ISBN (Kindle): B0H7SQS6JF; 979-8-9940906-3-3
Audiobook ASIN & ISBN (Audible; 6 hrs, 6 mins): B0H9654559; 979-8-9940906-4-0
Item Weight: 13.8 ounces
Dimensions: 5 x 0.75 x 8 inches
Library of Congress Catalog & Publication Data: N/A
BISAC Categories: FICTION / Literary; FICTION / Psychological; FICTION / Women
Audience: Trade/General (Adult)
Short Description: A first pregnancy becomes a journey through fear, love, and resilience as one woman struggles to quiet her anxiety and prepare for motherhood in this psychological literary novel.
About the Author: Kaitlyn Bankson is an American novelist who writes psychological literary fiction for the individualist. Influenced by Objectivism and the tradition of Romantic Realism, her novels explore the individual mind under pressure. She is the author of five novels—The Paper Pusher, The Dormant Age, A Man of Silence, A Man of Action, and Nest. She lives in Dubuque, Iowa, with her husband and daughter.
Link to Free Novella, Marginalia from the Snake Pit: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/3a3vpxygh4
Link to Blog: N/A
Featured Articles: The Next Best Book Blog — “Why I Wrote Nest: The Quiet Psychology of Motherhood” (July 23, 2026)
Reedsy Discovery Reviewer, Jennifer Senick — “Must Read - Five Stars” (August 13, 2026)