When Cecilia is five, Etta is trying to wash Cecilia’s hair and Cecilia is being difficult. Etta finally forces Cecilia under the water, causing her to choke. She then does it again. Cecilia is scared and shits herself. Instinctively, Cecilia hides the truth of what happened from her father. Visceral, compulsive and astonishing. I could not put this down Raynor Winn, bestselling author of The Salt Path Women who have experienced such trying circumstances, or even just imagined them, will see themselves depicted authentically, without the judgment and hand-wringing that so often accompanies typical genre fare. Just as satisfying was the buildup to the resolution of “The Push” (and the revelation of its evocative title), anticipating the moment when Blythe might finally find her voice. A gripping debut that explores and manipulates the fears and insecurities of mothers everywhere . . . Well thought out, vividly realised and gripping Guardian

Starkly original and compulsively readable, The Push is a deep dive into the darkest nooks and crannies of motherhood.” 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. Blythe has shittiest heritage: a grandmother suffered from mental illness who has been tortured her own daughter for years and ended her life tragically, a mother who was mostly lost in her life, showing no care or attention to her, leaving without a word. Suspenseful with extreme We Need To Talk About Kevin vibes, this is the Book Club Book that'll have everyone talking next year GraziaOne day, Fox’s mother comes over and gives Violet a doll. Things are going well until Blythe needs to bathe Violet. Violet throws a tantrum and ends up biting Blythe on the cheek. Afterwards, Fox’s mother comforts Violet and comforts Blythe, telling her to “hang in there”. When Fox gets home, they both downplay the incident. The Push focuses on three generations of mothers: Etta, Cecilia, and Blythe. Most of the book focuses on Blythe's story where we are introduced to her in the first chapter where she is sitting in her car observing another family. Then, we discover that the girl in the family is her daughter. How did this other family end up with her daughter? What decisions led up to Blythe allowing someone else to raise her daughter? Blythe’s husband, Fox, abruptly dismisses her fears. So, perhaps Violet really isn’t a “bad” child after all, and it’s Blythe who is an unreliable narrator of this story. What will happen if THAT child grows up to be a mother herself and motherhood for her turns out to be nothing at all what she hoped for, and everything she feared? What if she doesn’t bond with her child in the same way that her own mother did not bond with her?

But Violet’s behavior seems “off.” Blythe thinks Violet hates her and may even be malicious. Blythe is in that “new mom” state of confusion, fear, and anxiety, wondering if it’s all in her head. What she’s thinking and feeling is isolating, dark, and raw, and it shines a light on parts of motherhood not often talked about. The book ends a year and a half after that point. Blythe has started therapy to try to move on. Then, in the final lines, she learns from Gemma that something has happened to Jet (with the implication that it was Violet's fault.)What is The Push book by Ashley Audrain about? Essentially, The Push by Ashley Audrain is essentially about whether a couple’s child is inherently good or bad and why. At the heart of the story is a young married couple with two small children, one of which the mother suspects to have a darker side. One very questionable moment involving these children changes everything in their lives forever as this central question is explored. This book was reminiscent of Zoje Stage’s “Baby Teeth” for me-BUT ONLY in the sense that the question is raised about if the mother’s behavior is at all responsible for her daughter’s, so don’t let this one comment dissuade you! Ashley Audrain's The Push is not only a propulsively entertaining, read-in-one-sitting novel, it is also a deeply provocative and fearless look at motherhood written in some of the prettiest prose you'll read all year Aimee Molloy, New York Times bestselling author of The Perfect Mother Stayed up too late finishing [Audrain's] deeply unsettling The Push about the darkest reaches of motherhood . . . Visceral, provocative, compulsive, and with the most graphic and relatable description of childbirth I've read (or written) Sarah Vaughan, bestselling author of Anatomy of a Scandal Does Blythe act biased around her daughter or is she really inherited the madness of her grandmother?

It’s about the art of being a good mother! What defines a good mother? If you haven’t been raised by good role models who haven’t taught you how to care, how to be patient, understanding and reasonable, also passionate parent, this would mean you would be destined to fail at parenthood! This multi-layered family drama is downright chilling, and it will keep you on the edge of your seat until you uncover the most disturbing truths.After the weekend with Violet, Blythe gets a call from Gemma, who is upset. Gemma says that Jet ended up with a blade that must’ve come from her house. Blythe realizes that Violet must’ve gotten the blade (one of Fox’s model-building tools) that was hidden in her dresser. Moreover, Violet claimed that Blythe just left these things lying open in the house. Blythe denies it, but Gemma clearly doesn’t believe her. The Push is written on the edge of a knife. It's a howl in the face of what we think we know - or want to believe - about motherhood. Relentlessly compelling, distressing and beautiful, Ashley Audrain's debut is the next Gone Girl, with shades of We Need to Talk About Kevin. I devoured it whole Marissa Stapley, bestselling author of The Last Resort Below is your guide to The Push, including details about the genre and main characters, a review with a synopsis, the ending explained, the meaning of the theme, and even answers to frequently asked questions. The Push by Ashley Audrain: Book Review (with Summary)

Blythe recalls her earliest memory from childhood (of herself in a stroller), and she wonders what her son Sam would remember. She imagines it would be the tiles from the changing room at the public pool. After the revelation of the betrayal, Blythe finds herself surprisingly numb to the pain given that she is still grieving over Sam. Fox claims he’s not seeing the other woman anymore. When Blythe attributes their marriage falling apart to Sam’s death, Fox tells her that Sam is not the reason, implying that it had more to do with Violet (and presumably he thinks Blythe was deficient as a mother towards her). Fox also makes a comment about Blythe calling his mom about his job resignation, and Blythe knows that Fox’s mother told him about their call. After that, Blythe stops taking his mother’s calls. Later, Violet finds a book Blythe had been reading about how to move a marriage past an affair. The Push is Canadian author Ashley Audrain's first book, but the domestic thriller is already expected to be one of the biggest books of 2021.

Book Excerpt

What did you think of Blythe’s relationship with Fox’s mother? Do you think Fox’s mother handled things well?