Do It Yourself: A Novel

A sharp, funny novel about a single mom who reinvents herself as a DIY influencer, only to find her online life dragging up old ghosts and sparking new chaos.

Katy MacIsaac is in her forties when her husband dumps her for someone younger, fitter and, Katy suspects, smarter. Reeling, she lands in a dingy Ottawa condo with her two daughters and a dead-end job. To counter her loneliness, Katy throws herself into fixing up the condo. She films her projects for social media, punctuating them with no-holds-barred monologues about men, marriage and her ex’s shiny new love (naming no one, of course).

Her helpful yet fiery videos go viral. Soon Katy is juggling sponsors, merch, thousands of followers and a queer polyamorous fling. But Katy’s rants spark online fallout. As the internet drama spirals into real-world consequences, Katy is forced to reckon with her anger, her insecurities and her own choices. Brimming with heart, humour and bite, Do It Yourself is the story of a woman rebuilding not just her condo, but her confidence and her life.