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The Push
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A tense, page-turning psychological drama about the making and breaking of a family–and a woman whose experience of motherhood is nothing at all what she hoped for–and everything she feared. Blythe Connor is determined that she will be the warm, comforting mother to her new baby Violet that she herself never had. But in the thick of motherhood’s exhausting early days, Blythe becomes convinced that something is wrong with her daughter–she doesn’t behave like most children do. Then their son Sam is born–and with him, Blythe has the blissful connection she’d always imagined with her child. Even Violet seems to love her little brother. But when life as they know it is changed in an instant, the devastating fall-out forces Blythe to face the truth. The Push is a tour de force you will read in a sitting, an utterly immersive novel that will challenge everything you think you know about motherhood, about what we owe our children, and what it feels like when women are not believed.
Or is it all in Blythe’s head? Her husband, Fox, says she’s imagining things. The more Fox dismisses her fears, the more Blythe begins to question her own sanity, and the more we begin to question what Blythe is telling us about her life as well.
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The Push is a dark, raw, and emotionally intense read.
Audrain’s debut novel really brings to life some difficult family dynamics that spark the age old question: Is it nature or nurture that defines who we are?
As mothers, we are expected to accomplish so much for our families with little regard for ourselves in the process. This story’s emotional tugs of family tragedies mixed with raw dialogue really allows the reader to experience the complexity (and fragility) of family, life, love, and grief.
It also touches on some sensitive subjects regarding mental illness, child abuse/loss, and suicide. It’s a heavy read that lingered with me long after I finished. Although this book is definitely not for everyone, readers who enjoy the darker side of the thriller genre will appreciate this one.
Favorite Quote:
“You know, there’s a lot about ourselves that we can’t change – it’s just the way we’re born. But some parts of us are shaped by what we see, and how we’re treated by other people. How we’re made to feel.”
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About Ashley Audrain
ASHLEY AUDRAIN previously worked as the publicity director of Penguin Books Canada. Prior to Penguin, she worked in public relations. She is a graduate of the Media, Information & Technoculture program at Western University. She lives in Toronto, where she and her partner are raising their two young children. The Push is her first novel.
