Cecilia continues to hide these things from Henry, and Etta brightens up when Henry is around. 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. But some parts of us are shaped by what we see. What do you think the book overall is trying to say about nature vs. nurture? Blythes own mother, Cecilia, left when she was 11, and she has only seen her twice since then. What a bizarre way of approaching literature. If Fox had done things different? One day Fox comes home early to the sound of Violets cries, and he is furious. The note is from Gemma and it says that Fox had the painting up in Violets room, but Gemma thinks Blythe should have it since it clearly means so much to her. (Much later, Blythe continues to feel guilt over her actions when she recalls what happened and remembers the shame over being found out.). In terms of the thriller aspects of it, be forewarned that The Push is not genre fiction, if thats what youre looking for. Back at home, Fox leaves on a trip, leaving Blythe and Violet alone. When she goes to tell Fox, he has a gift for her and she doesnt say anything to avoid upsetting him. She wonders if he could have done more to stop her from leaving. These actions demonstrate a willingness to change and to take responsibility for her own actions. What follows is a longer driving sequence that hits . Afterwards, she talks to another parent who insists her child just make a mistake. Caroline wrote: "That ending devastated me. Instead, it is Gemma. 20 Best Book Club Books for 2022 (New & Anticipated), Best Mystery & Thriller Books for 2022 (New & Anticipated), 20 Best Books with Asian American Protagonists (for Adults), Persephone by Madeline Miller: What We Know, Books to Movies & TV in 2022: 25+ Adaptations Coming Soon, Your email address will not be published. When Cecilia (Blythe's mother) is born, Etta marries her second husband Henry, but Etta struggles with motherhood and is often intentionally cruel to Cecilia. Blythe and Gemma become close, but eventually Fox finds out Blythe has been pretending to be someone else to get close to Gemma. The man had, in turn, responded that Sebs wife was is the cheater, and he said Seb was weak, which is why she left him. When Fox gets home, they both downplay the incident. As they are there, Violet tells Blythe that she wants Blythe to leave, so it will just be her and her father alone. A month later, Violet returns to Blythes place, but things are cold between them again. Your email address will not be published. When a boy falls off a playset and dies, Blythe suspects Violet tripped him on purpose. 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. 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). Soon, she begins to wonder if there's something genuinely wrong with her daughter, Violet, though her husband insists it isn't true. Blythe remembers her father telling Cecilia that Youll end up just like Etta before finally giving her a drink to calm her down. Soon, they have their first child, a girl named Violet. 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. like. The book ends with Gemma hysterical, calling Blythe to say something has happened to her son Jet. Do you think the portrayal is accurate, and do you think the way other mothers act toward each other has changed over the years? As Blythe grieves, Blythe and Fox's marriage disintegrates, ending with Fox's infidelity. 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. It was clear Cecilia preferred to stay in the city and not here in this house half an hour away. Her father, Seb West, had found something in Cecilias pocket and was upset over someone named Lenny. What do you think of Violets reactions to things? Blythes grandmother, Etta, was born the day WWII began. Violet never goes to see her. Blythe is hopeful that motherhood will come naturally to her, like it seems to for most women. Seb insists they have the baby (Blythe). Her husband, Fox, says she's imagining things. When Mrs. Smith dies, Cecilia takes the money, $680, that the old woman had stored in a tin. thats awesome to hear! After the run-in, Blythe doesnt hear from Gemma at first, and Blythe doesnt attend anymore meetups. Presumably Violet has killed, or attempted to kill him too. 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. Blythe goes to a museum exhibit about children who have been perpetrators of gun violence. Inspire others by sharing your book on this blog. Fox chalks it up to the baby sensing her anxiety. by Ashley Audrain. Without another word, Gemma rushes off. She and Lenny continue on and she considers leaving Seb for Lenny, but then Cecilia learns she is pregnant. Blythe enters, but quickly leaves. What did you think of Seb as a husband and a father? This multi-layered family drama is downright chilling, and it will keep you on the edge of your seat until you uncover the most disturbing truths. Could you please provide more details or insights? Blythe struggles with Violet, who cries all the time and doesnt latch well, and Blythe thinks the baby hates her. When Cecilia is 15, Etta seems to be slipping away. Blythe neglects to tell Fox the full truth about her distant relationship with her father. Blythe notices the other things that are now missing from her relationship now that Violet is getting Foxs time and attention, like how they no longer do crosswords together. Blythe suspects something is wrong with Violet, but Fox clearly thinks Blythe is the problem. Violet didnt care much for Sam, but Sam adores Violet. Content warning: While I LOVED The Push and VERY highly recommend it, new or expecting moms should be warned before picking it up. I cried all night. I enjoyed the book, but yes, kids die so it can be upsetting. This sort of hand-wringing, at its most extreme, is at the center of Ashley Audrain's taut, chilling debut novel, "The Push.". It was okay in the sense that I couldn't put it down. 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. Why do you think he is reluctant to send Violet to day care initially? I didn't think it was her. When Cecilia gets her period, she wakes Etta from her nap to tell her, but Etta merely gives her two pills and goes back to sleep. Throughout the book, Blythe struggles to connect with Violet and to understand her daughters behavior. The last conversation that Blythe has with her ex-friend and Fox's wife is bone-chilling and made my mouth drop. 2. Fox is the only one who is unhappy, making comments about how Blythe makes more of an effort with Sam than she did wit Violet. So just what happened at the end of The Push? Join our community of book lovers and receive the best book recommendations straight to your inbox . . The Push kept me guessing. My new novel, historical fiction, has some darkness, too, but only at the end as the mystery arrives at a strange twist. On one hand, you love this little person more than anything in the world, but on the other hand, he/she is ruining your life as you know it. At the next moms meet-up, Gemma brings Fox. Blythe is tempted to talk to Foxs mother about Violet, but can see that Sams death has been weighing on her, too. Seb tells Blythe that Cecilia has had a procedure, and Blythe finds blood in the bathroom. When Blythe stops paying attention, Violet goes missing. After yelling, he storms off and when stopped, he pushes her. Two weeks before she is to leave, the grounds people find Blythe in the stream, talking about wanting to take Sam home. Blythe denies it, but Gemma clearly doesnt believe her. 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. WARNING: THIS SECTION CONTAINS BOOK SPOILERS! Fox wants his parents to come help out, but Blythe says shes in no condition to have Foxs perfect mother there, since shes still bleeding, she hasnt showered and shes too sore to wear a shirt. When Henry finally gets home, he staying home the next day to care for Cecilia and removes the door to the cellar completely. And why do you think he brushes off Blythes suggestion to send Violet to a child psychologist? He tells Blythe that hed actually caught Violet cutting them up. The only demographic I probably wouldnt recommend this to is adolescents, since I do think it probably takes a higher level of maturity to understand and appreciate a lot of the concerns or issues that this book deals with. Before the book ends, Blythe has a moment of clarity and realizes that Violet has been trying to communicate with her in her own way. When she tells Blythe, Fox has already seen them together. She falls down the stairs with that push. Outside, snow is falling. Something happened to Jet. After dinner, she turns on the porch light in case her daughter decides its time to see her. Soon, they are a couple, he introduces her to his friends and he supports her financially. Blythe thinks Violet is violent and lacks empathy, but Fox thinks Blythe's insufficient love for Violet is the problem. Moreover, the fact that Blythe survived the incident with Violet suggests that she may have a chance to make things right. Her grandmother Etta's first husband died in a horrified farming accident. Do you think Gemma was always being truthful with Blythe about her feelings for Violet? When Blythe goes home, her father doesnt ask any questions, but Blythe tells him that it wasnt him who had made Cecilia unhappy (since its clear Cecilia is bored/unhappy with Richard as well). Thanks for the answers Mary and NicoleW! Required fields are marked *. If Im being realistic, I imagine the readership will be largely women and especially women with children. And just because our children may give us reason to hate them, doesn't mean we will. Blythe learns they had another son, Jet. In it, Blythe is a new mother. But when life as they know it is changed in an instant, the devastating fall-out forces Blythe to face the truth. When the police make their standard inquiries, she denies seeing anything. 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. Posted on Last updated: February 15, 2023, Home Books Ashley Audrains The Push Book Review. She gets home to find that everything is fine. I have 18 old months twins and suffer from postnatal depression. Blythe wants another baby, another chance at motherhood. When a boy falls off a playset and dies, Blythe suspects Violet tripped him on purpose. However, Blythe is an unreliable narrator, and the . The stroller collides with a car and Sam is killed. 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. As Blythe grieves, Blythe and Fox's marriage disintegrates, ending with Fox's infidelity. Its now been over a year since the death of Sam. Afterwards, Blythe settles into a routine, but she still struggles to find other moms who are willing to admit that motherhood is difficult. When she finally goes into labor, Blythe tells Fox she doesnt want the baby, but when Violet is born, she is filled with wonder by the baby. Blythe recalls how Cecilia was uncomfortable in small spaces. Your email address will not be published. The next day, Cecilia leaves for good. The next day, the doctor attributes her action to normal parental anxiety.
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