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.

“High octane, high stakes and yet miraculously intimate. If you like your laughs throaty, your heartstrings singing and your nerves absolutely shot, this is the novel for you.”

“What happens when the most unfiltered woman in the room has her heartbroken, becomes a single mom, and begins to try and improve her life? If you loved Alison Bechdel’s Spent you’re going to love Do It Yourself, Emer O’Toole’s sexually voracious romp of a novel.”

“The frank and funny feminist fairytale we’ve been waiting for. Do It Yourself is both hilariously messy and fearlessly sharp.”