Nomads Nest, Population: 12

by Carly Berg

Nomads Nest, 12 is a comment on the isolation of our fractured, mobile modern society. The population of the town consists solely of the ever-changing inhabitants of six apartments, above a truck stop just off the highway in rural Alberta.

It’s not the kind of place folks tend to stay for long. But the people in this novel-in-stories befriend and defriend, fall in love or fall out and sometimes even have imaginary friends, sibling romances or visits from dead relatives, all while they’re just passing through.

Genres: Fiction, Canada, Contemporary

171 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 10, 2025

About the author

MY LIFE AS A DUST DEVIL (2025)
A young girl's hardscrabble with humor coming-of-age story (for grown-ups). Star Garza somehow makes it through, with her loony mother, across the desert and hills of New Mexico.
https://www.amazon.com/My-Life-as-Dus...

NOMADS NEST, POPULATION: 12 (2025)
This novel-in-stories portrays some of the fallout of today's disconnected, mobile lifestyle. The residents of six apartments above a truck stop in rural Alberta, Canada, live, love, fight and run in place with each other, all as they're just passing through.
https://www.amazon.com/Nomads-Nest-Po...

ST. LOUIS SISTERS: A 1970s RETELLING OF LITTLE WOMEN (2024)
These sisters aren't quite as sweet and innocent as in the 1800s original, in this spicy, updated version of Little Women (for grown-ups).
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TALKS WITH DEAD AUNTS: AND OTHER TALES FROM THE ISLA AJAJA (2024)
The linked stories in this over the top collection are loosely modeled on Galveston, Texas.
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COFFEE HOUSE LIES: 100 CUPS OF FLASH FICTION (2014)
The short-short, far-ranging stories in this collection have been put together into a book, after rights to them reverted back from the various litmags they first appeared in.
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HOW TO WRITE A NOVEL WHEN YOU JUST...CAN'T (2025)
For those who just don't seem to ever make it to "The End." This short guide lays out three big boosts that provide that something extra to get you there. It's like training wheels for writers.
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STORY PROMPTS THAT WORK: 52 DETAILED, TESTED STORY STARTERS FOR SHORT STORIES AND FLASH FICTION (FOR ADULTS AND TEENS (2016)
You couldn't really get lost with these, even if you tried...
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WRITING FLASH FICTION: HOW TO WRITE VERY SHORT STORIES AND GET THEM PUBLISHED (2015)
This popular, slim guide shows aspiring writers how get something polished and out on submission within hours or days, rather than only after weeks, months or years.
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Reviews

[Crystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nomads Nest, 12 feels like someone bottled up rural Alberta’s loneliness, shook it like a snow globe, and said, “Okay, now watch these people try to figure their lives out.”

Six apartments. A truck stop. Zero permanence.
It’s giving: “I’m not staying, but I might emotionally unravel here anyway.”

This book is a whole mood—messy, tender, weirdly mesmerizing.
You don’t live in this story; you pass through it, just like everyone else in the building.

Each character brings something unexpected:
💫 imaginary friends who know way too much
💫 ghostly relatives doing surprise pop-ins
💫 “we probably shouldn’t be doing this” sibling dynamics
💫 friendships that last three weeks and feel like three lifetimes

It’s quirky, quiet, and a little unsettling in that “I’ve been in a truck-stop bathroom at 3 A.M. and contemplated my life choices” kind of way.

The structure? Chef’s kiss for vibes, but the emotional punch comes and goes like a guest who forgot to pay rent. Still, the humanity is real, raw, and sometimes hilariously off-kilter.

Final vibe:
A story that wanders in, steals your cigarette, tells you about the ghost in their room, then disappears before sunrise.
And honestly?
I kinda liked the chaos.

[Dee Anthony · Rating 3 out of 5]

A glimpse into a single building town's life and the interpersonal relationships between all of the residents. The multiple POV did get a little bit confusing at a point as some new charaters are introduced later on. It was a fun, short read into the different lives, but I didn't take anything away from this novel.

Thanks Goodreads for the e-copy.

[Deanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Odd snapshots of life between characters. Multiple POV. It’s not overly long either.

[Christine · Rating 2 out of 5]

The premise of this book is that there are 12 people living in rural Alberta, Canada in 6 apartments above a truck stop. The name of the apartment complex is called Nomads Nest and the 12 people in those apartments are the only residents of the area. Each of the 12 people has found themselves there from different places and for different reasons.

The book basically tells stories about the various 12 people - how their lives intertwine, how they got where they are, etc. - over a period of time.

The main reason I couldn't really get into this book, is that it never really developed any of the characters. Each chapter jumps from character to character and is told from their point of view. While the concept for this book isn't bad, I think it could have been executed better if it was told from one person's POV and really developed the story of that person, and then intertwined the others into that one person's life.

Additionally, the characters themselves were very quirky, which isn't a bad thing. But in this case, almost seemed unrealistic and hard to believe.

I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Dan Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this literary novel-in-stories, a glimpse into the lives of the characters coming and going at moments of transition in their lives. It reminded me a little of a modern day Lake Wobegon or The Women of Brewster Place, but with everybody being more mobile, reflecting how things often are these days.
I especially liked how the story people kept showing up in each other’s story chapters, not to mention the migrating tulpa, the brother-sister romantic couple, the dead guy’s return and that whole accidental death and kind-hearted baby-snatching thing. And at the turn of the year, there’s a whole new crop of residents in these six apartments above a truck stop in rural Alberta, Canada. I’ll definitely be reading more from Carly Berg

[Shell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nomads Nest is a group of 6 apartments above a truck stop in nowhere Canada. Needless to say, those who live there aren't your ordinary, run of the mill people. As they come and go, the residents form quite the dysfunctional family.

An interesting read with vibrant characters and a quirky storyline. Great for anyone who has fantasized of living in a remote environment with just a few people. Would you thrive or just survive? #GoodreadsGiveaway

[Tiffani Erickson · Rating 1 out of 5]

[Giveaway Win]

This is just all random stories that only have similarities in characters. Nothing makes sense and there's no plot. No purpose. The summary sounded good, but I think AI rendered that based on a sentence from each chapter.

[Lorretta · Rating 2 out of 5]

This story felt like someone was flipping a remote, watching a few minutes of a life at a time. For a population of 12, there was too much drama in too short of a story. It was difficult to get invested in any of the characters as most of them were unlikeable.