Book Review: The Push by Ashley Audrain

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Blythe Connor is determined to be the warm, comforting mother to her new baby, Violet, that she never had. But in the thick of motherhood's exhausting early days, Blythe doesn't find the connection with her daughter she expected. She's convinced something is wrong with Violet - she is distant, rejects affection, and becomes increasingly disruptive at preschool. Or is it all in Blythe's head? Her husband, Fox, says she's imagining things. Fox doesn't see what she sees; he sees a wife who is struggling to cope with the day-to-day challenges of being a mother. 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. Then, their son, Sam, is born - and with him, Blythe has the natural maternal connection she'd always dreamed of. Even Violet seems to love her little brother. But when life as they know it is changed in an instant, the devastating fallout forces Blythe to face the truth. ~~~~ The Push is a rare and extraordinary gift to readers: an utterly immersive novel that will challenge everything you think you know about motherhood. This story about motherhood, 3 generations of mothers who didn't want to be mothers, was very disturbing. The gaslighting Blythe experienced when she accused her devil of a daughter of doing all the things she had done hurt my heart. The child, Violet, and her actions hurt my heart. Blythe's mother and her mother before her, hurt my heart. This was really a sad story, as well as a psychological drama. It was a very real look at motherhood in very difficult situations. The description of childbirth was so very real. It was an easy read with very short chapters. I did have to write down who was who to keep track of the mothers (generations), but eventually I did not have to refer to that note. I felt very sorry for the narrator, Blythe. If this story were a movie I wouldn't be able to watch it. Unfortunately there are people out there that are just like the characters in this book. This story is not necessarily considered a thriller. The events, the gaslighting, the inhumanity... it is definitely filled with tension and heartache and suspense. But given the topic of motherhood, especially mothers of newborns, this may not be a good read. I wouldn't want this book to kick a new mother into postpartum depression. Consider yourself warned.