I’m Nina MacNamara, author of four novels exploring the messier territories of women’s lives—trauma, queerness, and the various ways we survive ourselves. My books include Icarus, A Bitter Spring, This is What You Wanted, and I F*cking Hate You, because apparently I have a thing for titles that make people uncomfortable at book clubs.

I write women’s fiction that doesn’t apologize for being difficult. My protagonists tend to make questionable decisions, ask inconvenient questions, and refuse to be particularly likeable —though they’re usually relatable in their failures. This seems to resonate with readers, or at least the ones who continue reading.

When I’m not writing, I live in East Lansing, Michigan, where I maintain a thriving garden, attend Pilates classes that humble me weekly, and spend entirely too much time building virtual worlds in games where no one expects me to be likeable. I study German and Hebrew, which would have horrified my late grandfather for entirely different reasons. And like a good Jewish girl, I go to Temple semi-weekly. Like a very good Jewish girl, I go to therapy weekly.

I maintain this blog as a repository for thoughts that don’t quite fit into novels—yet.

You can find my books at Gray Cat Books.