The Push by Ashley Audrain is one of the break-out novels of the year. Here, we review the novel and give our verdict on the book. Pick up a copy of the novel here.
Published in January of this year, The Push is a psychological drama about motherhood, its hopes and disappointments. The book centres around a woman named Blythe, who is experiencing motherhood for the first time, but it’s not how she expected. When her first child, Violet, is born, she feels no connection to her and remains convinced that there is something ‘off’ about Violet. Blythe’s husband, Fox is convinced that it is all in her head, and instead is critical of her lack of affection and care for Violet. The novel flits back and forth between Blythe’s childhood and the present – Blythe was abandoned by her unloving mother Cecilia and Cecilia was traumatised by her abusive mother Etta. Audrain seamlessly weaves a tapestry of a family history full of trauma and neglect. Yet Blythe instantly connects with her son when he is born, building on her extant anxieties about Violet’s true nature.
The Push is a thoughtfully crafted, gripping novel. Thematically, the novel is incendiary, delving into the ideas around bonds between mother and child and how these relationships can impact marriages – either strengthening them or wearing them down. Successfully, Audrain erodes the fantastical idea of motherhood as a universally pure and joyful realm. Perenially filled with an anxious energy, the novel is psychologically thrilling and clever and offers a propulsive and compelling narrative all the way through.
The book is already set to become a TV show, with Audrain serving as executive producer on the project and it will be interesting to see how the book is translated to screen.
