Content warning: While I LOVED The Push and VERY highly recommend it, new or expecting moms should be warned before picking it up. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. Etta is also said to have suffered from nerves and occasionally needed sedatives. Most of the story is narrated by the protagonist, Blythe Connor, a mother who suspects that her young daughter may be a coldblooded killer responsible for the deaths of two young boys, including Blythe's other child. Blythe neglects to tell Fox the full truth about her distant relationship with her father. Violet asks why she doesnt seek out her real mother, and Blythe responds that she is afraid of what has become of her. 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. Fox has a son, Jet, with his new wife, Gemma. When Violet tries to run off, Blythe grabs her, but it hurts Violets arm and Violet looks satisfied. As Blythe grieves, Blythe and Fox's marriage disintegrates, ending with Fox's infidelity. One day, Foxs mother comes over and gives Violet a doll. It was an interesting read. How so and why do you think things turned out differently for her? Laughed out loud at how on a site dedicated to helping people assess whether they want to read a book someone would take a question about a book, make, Laughed out loud at how on a site dedicated to helping people assess whether they want to read a book someone would take a question about a book, make assumptions,and feel the need to provide acondenscending respond . Blythe and Violet both survive, and Blythe learns to be a better mother: A third possible interpretation of the ending is that Blythe and Violet both survive, and Blythe learns to be a better mother. Were your initial assumptions correct or not? As Violet gets older, Violet continues to be antagonistic and even violent towards Blythe. One day Cecilia is looking for the doll, but Etta has placed it in the back of the cellar. Like, not every comment from a child needs to have a 24-hour reaction time. Cecilia wears the dress at the next dance and then never again. The Push is a book that will stay with you long after you turn the final page. The fact that "smells" were so important to her was very interesting in the story. For example, when Blythe grabs her arm, she narrates that Violet looks satisfied? Whether you loved the book or found it disturbing, the ending is sure to leave an impression and provoke further reflection. Blythe was such a likeable character--proof that just because your own parents [emailprotected], doesn't mean you will too. Book review and synopsis for The Push by Ashley Audrain, a tense domestic drama slash thriller about motherhood and a woman who is struggling under the pressure to be a "good mother". I may change my mind about reading this. At night, when Blythe falls asleep on the couch, she hears Violet digging around her dresser, but its not clear why. This The Push book review gives you all the details you need to know about this haunting thriller with social commentary about motherhood from the Good Morning America book club. After Blythe and Fox divorce, he gets custody of Violet and moves in with his girlfriend, Gemma, with whom he has a son named Jet. I enjoyed the book, but yes, kids die so it can be upsetting. Violet has trouble getting along with other kids and there's incidences of violence towards them, too. When Violet is 5, there is a funeral for a boy named Elijah. 11. The next morning, Blythe sees Noah who is clearly afraid of Violet. As someone without children, motherhood is not something I spend a lot of time thinking about, and to be totally honest, I generally avoid books that are focused on things like that because they dont tend to grab my attention. I also ran a charitable campaign that collected 1,500 book donations for Philadelphia schools. Why do you think he is reluctant to send Violet to day care initially? Throughout the book, it's not clear if Violet is innately bad, if Blythe is a bad mother (Blythe comes from a line of bad mothers) or if it's all in Blythe's head. Still, Blythe thinks about the things Seb never did to stop Cecilia from going out at night or how he never took away the pills she was using. Its not the most unpredictable ending, but whats so haunting about it is the chilling truth that Violet is the culmination of generations of parental trauma. In it, Blythe is a new mother. Meanwhile, Violet seems less happy and worse behaved than other toddlers. March 12, 2023. To think he let Krissy suffer like that for so long. Outside, snow is falling. Moreover, the fact that Blythe survived the incident with Violet suggests that she may have a chance to make things right. Talia is secretly dating Colin (Jasper Newman), Sloan Petersen's (Jessica Serfaty) vengeful brother.. With her, the woman has a stack of papers, a manuscript explaining her side of the story. Then, for some reason Violet stops sleeping through the night. This realization may be a turning point for Blythe, suggesting that she may be able to heal from her own trauma and build a healthier relationship with her daughter. Soon, they have their first child, a girl named Violet. Afterwards, Blythe tells the police this, but Fox insists it was an accident. Some mothers think its their own fault, while others do not. Plus, some of the scenes and language are not kid-friendly. I felt for her for the entire book. Violet never goes to see her. I'm also surprised that this is Audrain's debut novel, because the pacing, structure and voice of the book . See all 11 answers. Finally, at one point Blythe grabs Violet arm hard enough to hurt her, and Fox cuts off visitation. If you are expecting constant plot twists and a hundred miles per hour plot pacing, you might want to shift those expectations before getting into this book. When her mother doesnt know, he insists that Blythe find it, and Blythe senses that theyve pushed Cecilia too far. When Blythe and Fox have their second child, a boy named Sam, Blythe's connection with him is immediate, and she adores him. Blythe ends up looking for photos online to find ones of a four-year-old that can serve as a stand-in for Sam. Sapphire continued the story with a 2011 sequel called The Kid, which focuses on Abdul, Precious's son. Blythe's kind neighbor Mrs. Ellington instead acts as a maternal figure to her. When Blythe insists it was Violet, Fox shushes Blythe, even when Blythe insists the stroller wouldnt roll over the sidewalk groove even if let go. However, Blythe is an unreliable narrator, and the . Finally, at one point Blythe grabs Violet arm hard enough to hurt her, and Fox cuts off visitation. Instead, it is Gemma. When Blythe leaves the kids with a sitter to get a pedicure with a friend, she worries Violet will hurt Sam. Blythe recalls how growing up, the Ellingtons, a black family, lived three doors down. ), When the phone rings, Blythe is hopeful that it is Violet on the line. Blythe has started therapy to try to move on. But when their second child, Sam, is later born, Blythe connects deeply with him and they share a beautiful love, until another questionable moment with Violet changes everything in their lives forever. They talked frequently. I actually only read it because one of my book clubs put it on the docket, and I wanted to be able to participate. Blythe recalls her parents arguing when she was 8. Its a story about the most life-changing and literal push that is childbirth, and the more figurative push that society places on women to have children. Blythe never sees her mother again. I honestly could not figure out who was the deranged person in this book until the end. Angel. I think the book shows how easily we raise evil people and how parents cannot see bad in their kids. Later in the book, Blythe has a conversation with her own mother, during which she begins to understand the ways in which her mothers own trauma affected her parenting: I dont know if I can forgive you, I said But I understand now that you did the best you could with what you hadYou were just a kid, too, trying to survive. (Chapter 27). . What shes thinking and feeling is isolating, dark, and raw, and it shines a light on parts of motherhood not often talked about. She wonders if Violet goes in to watch him sleep. Over the years, Cecilia continues to notice Ettas nerves acting up, and Etta would occasionally lock Cecilia out of the house. She is surprised, but curious. The book raises important issues about the expectations placed on mothers, the impact of childhood trauma, and the need for support and understanding in our society. Publisher: Penguin Books. Blythe readily agrees. Blythe thinks Violet is violent and lacks empathy, but Fox thinks Blythe's insufficient love for Violet is the problem. This passage suggests that Blythe recognizes the impact of her own trauma on her parenting and is struggling to break the cycle of abuse. In the final chapters, Blythe has a moment of clarity and realizes that Violet has been trying to communicate with her in her own way: I think shes been trying to tell me something all alongI just didnt know how to listen. (Chapter 28). For example, when she looks in the mirror, she sees a stranger looking back at her: I didnt recognize the woman in the mirrorI had seen her before, but she was a stranger to me now. 2023 The Literary Lifestyle. After a particularly grueling day of kicking and screaming, Fox agrees to three days of day care a week. After the divorce, Fox has custody, but Blythe has visitation rights. She was determined that when she had . Also, maybe how mothers birth babies. Sounds a bit dark for me. Blythe is hopeful that motherhood will come naturally to her, like it seems to for most women. Violet throws a tantrum and ends up biting Blythe on the cheek. She finds Violets bracelet on the ground. 2 years ago. The book is also a bit of a downer, and I would go so far as to say it occasionally toes the line into feeling like misery lit (or misery pn, for a less proper term), wrapped up in a thriller-esque package. Do you think he was a good husband and/or a good father? That night, Blythe finds the painting of Mother and Child on Blythes doorstep with a note. Spoiler warning: these summaries contains spoilers. After the revelation of the betrayal, Blythe finds herself surprisingly numb to the pain given that she is still grieving over Sam. I was actually relieved. Moreover, Violet claimed that Blythe just left these things lying open in the house. The strongest part of this book is the perspective of new motherhood, and just how awful the dichotomy of it can be. Violet looks disappointed to see her and continues to sleep. Blythe recalls her earliest memory from childhood (of herself in a stroller), and she wonders what her son Sam would remember. Later, Blythe purchases a wig and attends another meeting for the moms group, going by the name Anne. On Foxs birthday, Blythe purposely skips out on his breakfast plans. When they talk, Blythe pretends to still have a son named Sam and gets to pretend for a while that he is still alive. Some readers may interpret this as a suggestion that Blythe will jump or fall from the rooftop, potentially ending her own life. The Push manages the difficult feat of being genuinely satisfying in terms of substance and telling a compelling (and multi-generational) story, all while maintaining a "thriller"-type atmosphere without feeling like genre fiction. As Blythe grieves, Blythe and Fox's marriage disintegrates, ending with Fox's infidelity. How The Book Ended. When the police make their standard inquiries, she denies seeing anything. A tense, page-turning psychological drama about the making and breaking of a family--and a woman whose experience of motherhood is nothing at all what she hoped for--and everything she feared. I hope you enjoy it if you end up reading it :). document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Good call above on the "Push" title. Reader Q&A, [Violet is at it again. She attends, but refuses therapy. How reliable of a narrator do you think Blythe was? Two years after Blythes meeting with Cecilia and Richard, Seb tells Blythe that hes going to drop her off for lunch with Cecilia, who Blythe has not seen in the interim. Help spread the word. I'm always impressed when an author can keep me on edge until the last sentence of the book. Would you feel differently about this book or these characters if there was no epilogue (the a year and a half later part)? In The Push, Blythe Connor is a woman who is trying desperately to be the perfect mother that everyone else seems to be, but she's struggling. The trip changes the way Blythe sees Violet, as a sad, powerless girl. The stroller collides with a car and Sam is killed. But I think it's clear at the end. She senses Violet prefers Fox, but Fox insists it's all in her head. How did information about the generations of women preceding Blythe affect your perception of her? Blythe senses that Gemma is upset with her later. Violet has trouble getting along with other kids and there's incidences of violence towards them, too. Blythe instinctively calls out the name Sam, and when Violet catches her fathers attention, she stops what shes doing. Blythe even purchases items from secondhand stores to give to Gemma (pretending they are Sams old things), and Gemma gives her a kids gift they didnt need in return. Blythe starts thinking that perhaps its time for her to let it go. It is a book that demands to be discussed and debated, and one that has the power to inspire change. The Push is a tour de force you will read in a sitting, an utterly immersive novel that will challenge everything you think you know about motherhood, about what we owe our children, and what it feels like when women are not believed. Instead, Fox suggests that Blythe leave for a while to a wellness center. At 25, he proposes, and they are married. There, Blythe meets a woman named Iris, who she likes immediately. Soon, Blythe is pregnant again, this time with a boy. I can relate to this, but I try not to find out. When the Connors go on a beach vacation, Violet buries another kid in the sand. She gets home to find that everything is fine. Your email address will not be published. The Push by Ashley Audrain began on Christmas Eve as Blythe watched Fox and Violet's new family from the street outside their house. The Push: A Novel. Etta suffered from moods and needed sedatives to calm her down. He inquires about a type of flowers, and she catches him looking at a picture of himself, as if thinking about how attractive he might be to other people. However, once her daughter is born, she sees this as a lot less wonderful than what she had hoped for. like. She imagines it would be the tiles from the changing room at the public pool. It turns out Curtis will deliver a warning to someone and ultimately sneak off to find Trina Robinson (Tabyana Ali), who'll apparently be separated from Spencer Cassadine (Nicholas Chavez) after another incident on the ship. Read it and you will not be disappointed. Yes but still kind of right or left, so great to get a validation :). Blythe loves the night nurse. I dont want to give any spoilers by going into detail on specifics, but suffice to say that theres a lot of unfortunate events throughout the book. If Im being realistic, I imagine the readership will be largely women and especially women with children. After Fox moves out, he is careful not to let Blythe meet Gemma even though Blythe is curious. Her grandmother Etta's first husband died in a horrified farming accident. When Mrs. Smith dies, Cecilia takes the money, $680, that the old woman had stored in a tin. As the date nears, Blythe becomes more unsure what whats to come. She later cheats on him and wants to leave him, but then they find out she is pregnant. Push is narrated by Precious, a Black teenager whose school expels her at . Blythe struggles with Violet from the beginning, Blythe is exhausted, and motherhood proves far tougher than she anticipated. Blythe has started therapy to try to move on. I cried all night. After Blythe is born, she thinks of how she looks like her doll from childhood. Blythe goes to a museum exhibit about children who have been perpetrators of gun violence. Blythes mental health deteriorates, and she ends up harming or killing herself: Throughout the book, Blythe struggles with her mental health, and she experiences several episodes of dissociation and depression. Blythe is convinced she saw Violet push the stroller. This passage suggests that Blythe is beginning to understand that her own failures as a mother have contributed to the distance between her and Violet. Blythe is concerned, noting that she has been cruel to other kids, while Fox brushes it off as a developmental phase where she is testing boundaries. Read my Disclaimer to learn more. Seb tells Blythe that Cecilia has had a procedure, and Blythe finds blood in the bathroom. Im also surprised that this is Audrains debut novel, because the pacing, structure and voice of the book feel so confident and intentional. It made sense with all the signs left throughout the book. The arrival of a child also alters the relationship you have with your partner forever . Fox has a son, Jet, with his new wife, Gemma. Blythe is in that new mom state of confusion, fear, and anxiety, wondering if its all in her head. It wasnt a book I was expecting to like, much less one that Id be eager to recommend to others. I can't read books right now where kids die. Moreover, Blythe didnt realize till now that it bothered Violet. Blythe and Fox Connor are a couple who meet in college and get married at 25. One random day, Violet asks Blythe to stay with her one weekend. Blythe recalls one night after her mother had left for good. He tells Blythe that hed actually caught Violet cutting them up. Julie Clark | The Lies I Tell. When Blythe finally saw Cecilia/Annie and Richard together, she wished her mother had died rather than become someone she no longer could recognize. Some readers may interpret this as a turning point for Blythe, suggesting that she may be able to heal from her own trauma and build a healthier relationship with her daughter. She tells Violet that shes happy that Violet has someone to talk to that she trusts, even if it isnt her. The ending of The Push confuses me. And how big of an impact do you think Mrs. Ellington had on Blythes life? Monster? I definitely think theres enough substance and more complex aspects of the novel that elevate it above what is typically considered misery lit, but sometimes as I was reading the vibe felt similar. I came here wondering if I can read this book. When Blythe is 27, Fox is eager to have kids. The Book: The Lies I Tell by Julie ClarkPublished June 21, 2022 by Sourcebooks LandmarkDate read: February 28, 2023 The Characters: MegKat [] Greer Hendricks / Sarah Pekkanen / Speedy Spoilers. Be advised that there are spoilers ahead, obviously, so be entirely sure you want to continue reading. Watch for it's arrival in 6-10 weeks, June, 2022. Blythe wants to send Violet to day care, but Fox is against the idea because his own mother had never needed to do so. A man keeps calling for Cecilia, but Seb says shes not home. [Can someone please tell me the ending? After college, they move in together, and Fox is the breadwinner while Blythe pursues her fledgling writing career. The ending might be sad, or shocking, or some delicious blend of sad and shocking, but either way the end of the book has utterly ruined you and you are now a small pile of rubble lying in the . They talk about kids in their future. After being caught by Fox, Blythe decides to stops writing and focus on Violet. Fox also makes a comment about Blythe calling his mom about his job resignation, and Blythe knows that Foxs mother told him about their call. The next time Blythe has Violet she takes her to see Mrs. Ellington, who now has some memory problems, but is loving as ever towards Blythe. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Follow along on Goodreads, or keep in touch via the newsletter. When Fox gets home, they both downplay the incident. She begins to see a therapist and takes medication, but she also feels disconnected from her own thoughts and feelings. Blythe thinks Violet is violent and lacks empathy, but Fox thinks Blythe's insufficient love for Violet is the problem. Fox doesnt want a funeral, so there isnt one. Etta eventually hangs herself. How did your perceptions of Blythe change as the book progressed or did it stay the same? Fox claims hes not seeing the other woman anymore. Foxs mother hires them a night nurse, and for that time things are better. Required fields are marked *. By recognizing Violets attempts at communication, Blythe may be able to repair their relationship and become a better parent. Morgan Hedglin Yes! She keeps screaming at Cecilia until Henry comes in. By now, Violet is around 13 years old. This passage suggests that Blythe is beginning to empathize with her mothers own difficult circumstances and is starting to understand that her mother did the best she could under the circumstances. Blythe Connor is determined that she will be the warm, comforting mother to her new baby Violet that she herself never had. When Violet walks in on her parents having sex, she demands an explanation. When their infant son Sam is killed, Blythe blames Violet. Their marriage falls apart. Seb had been playing poker with some friends when he referred to another man as a cheater. In addition to being a book about being a mother, Audrains novel also looks at the ways behaviors and the effects of those various behaviors get passed down through the generations. After all, Blythes own mother often told her this about her family history: the women in their family are different. Hi Anna, thank you for sharing your comment. What follows is a longer driving sequence that hits . The one-paragraph summary of this book: Blythe and Fox have a daughter, Violet. Pamela Dorman Books/Viking, 2021. Caroline wrote: "That ending devastated me. Yeah the internet has gotten really weird. Throughout the book, Blythe struggles to connect with Violet and to understand her daughters behavior. It occurs to Blythe that Fox left her for a woman that he thought would be a better mother, the kind of woman you always wanted. Throughout the book, it's not clear if Violet is innately bad, if Blythe is a bad mother (Blythe comes from a line of bad mothers) or if it's all in Blythe's head. Then their son Sam is bornand with him, Blythe has the blissful connection she'd always imagined with her child. Throughout the book, Blythe grapples with the legacy of her own difficult childhood and the impact it has on her relationship with Violet. Driven by curiosity, Blythe stalks their apartment to catch a glimpse of the unknown woman, and she ends up following her to a moms group meetup. by Ashley Audrain. Shortly before Foxs 39ths birthday, Blythe suspects Fox is having an affair. Fox has a son, Jet, with his new wife, Gemma. Blythe struggles with Violet from the beginning, Blythe is exhausted, and motherhood proves far tougher than she anticipated.
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