BOOK REVIEW: The Push by Ashley Audrain
In much the same way that streaming television has seen an influx of series showcasing the less glamorous side of motherhood (think Apple TV’s Trying and the Netflix hits Workin’ Moms and the The Letdown), fiction for moms has taken a sharp turn towards a dark corner and… You know what? Don’t mind if we do.
Up-and-coming female authors – some in the grips of new motherhood themselves – are finally veering away from Bridgerton-type bodice rippers and homing in on the complex psychology of becoming a mother, getting to grips with some of the more difficult-to-swallow truths that we’ve all been scared to think.
Joining this new genre of ‘mum noir’ is Ashley Audrain’s The Push, which tells the story of Blythe Connor – a mother with a harrowing past of abuse handed down over three generations of mother/daughter units. Aware of the lingering affects of her damaged past, Blythe hopes to be better for her daughter Violet, but soon learns that her idea of new motherhood might be too good to be true.
“I felt like the only mother in the world who wouldn’t survive it. The only mother who couldn’t recover from having her perineum stitched from her anus to her vagina. The only mother who couldn’t fight through the pain of newborn gums cutting like razor blades on her nipples. The only mother who couldn’t pretend to function with her brain in the vise of sleeplessness. The only mother who looked down at her daughter and thought, Please. Go away. Violet cried only when she was with me; it felt like a betrayal. We were supposed to want each other.”
The Push starts out as a brutally honest portrayal of a less-than-perfect mother/daughter unit. But as the story unfolds, the tension heightens and you find yourself in the throes of a gripping ‘whodunnit’ that keeps you guessing until the very end.
The overarching story line is the fast-paced page-turner that pulls you into an alternate reality one chapter at a time, while the finer descriptions of day-to-day living shine a light on the stark reality of new motherhood.
This book touches on epigenetics, generational trauma and maternal anxiety. It unpacks how invisible and unheard moms can feel in the shadow of their brand new babies. It delves into the unrealistic expectations that society puts on new moms – and that new moms put on themselves. It pinpoints how easy it is for partners – once so in love – to drift apart from one another once a child is brought into the fray. It highlights how scared parents are in those early formative years, and it gives a voice to any mother wondering if she’s the right person for the job.
Whether you’re looking for a quick and exciting read or yearning for something meaty, The Push offers a healthy dose of realism while toeing the line of the macabre. It should leave you feeling seen, acknowledged and deeply disturbed.
This book is Girl on the Train meets dark motherhood and it’s small wonder that there are whispers of a movie deal on the horizon.
It’s two thumbs up from us.
A word from the author, courtesy of Penguin Random House South Africa:
Here’s the blurb:
Blythe Connor doesn't want history to repeat itself. Violet is her first child and she will give her daughter all the love she deserves. All the love that her own mother withheld.
But firstborns are never easy. And Violet is demanding and fretful. She never smiles.
Soon Blythe believes she can do no right – that something's very wrong. Either with her daughter, or herself.
Her husband, Fox, says she's imagining it. But Violet's different with him. And he can't understand what Blythe suffered as a child. No one can.
Blythe wants to be a good mother. But what if that's not enough for Violet? Or her marriage? What if she can't see the darkness coming? Mother and daughter. Angel or monster? We don't get to choose our inheritance – or who we are...