If you know, you know…
The Push by Ashley Audrain has joined books like We Need to Talk About Kevin on the list of titles that produce an immediate and emotional reaction in those who have read it. Reviewing The Push is tough. On the one hand, the experience of reading this book without knowing much of anything of the plot was really amazing. There were multiple times that I gasped out loud. On the other hand, since reading, there are very few readers that I have felt confident recommending this book to without first asking them a slew of questions about their own personal experiences and reading preferences.
The Push tells the story of Blythe, a new mother, herself the daughter of an abusive mother. She is nervous about being a mom and as soon as her daughter Violet is born, she begins to worry. Along with all the typical first mom worries, Blythe senses that there is something wrong with Violet. While Violet never bonds with Blythe, Violet develops an immediate and strong attachment with her dad, Fox. As a result of his relationship with his daughter, Fox is slow to believe Blythe which forces Blythe question her own instincts and eventually her own mind.
Over time, Blythe becomes a mom again — this time to a little boy, Sam — and everything is different. She and Sam love each other fiercely which initially gives her faith in her ability to mother but eventually leads to great difficulty.
There really isn’t much more I can write about The Push without either ruining the book or requiring content warnings on this review. If you are at all hesitant or reading hard things is hard for you now or always, definitely do a little more research into the plot and issues discussed in The Push before picking it up. If you do chose to read this title, find a friend and read this book together. I promise there will be many things you will want to discuss.
