The Push

A GMA Book Club Pick (A Novel)

By: Ashley Audrain

Narrated by: Marin Ireland

A Good Morning America Book Club Pick | A New York Times bestseller!

“Utterly addictive.” —Paula Hawkins, author of The Girl on the Train

“Hooks you from the very first page and will have you racing to get to the end.”—Good Morning America

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

Ashley Audrain's second novel, The Whispers, is on sale now

Blythe Connor is determined that she will be the warm, comforting mother to her new baby Violet that she herself never had.

But in the thick of motherhood's exhausting early days, Blythe becomes convinced that something is wrong with her daughter—she doesn't behave like most children do.

Or is it all in Blythe's head? Her husband, Fox, says she's imagining things. 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 blissful connection she'd always imagined with her child. Even Violet seems to love her little brother. But when life as they know it is changed in an instant, the devastating fall-out forces Blythe to face the truth.

For fans of Verity and We Need to talk about Kevin, The 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.

Critic reviews

"Starkly original and compulsively readable, Ashley Audrain's THE PUSH is a deep dive into the darkest nooks and crannies of motherhood. Raw, visceral, and often disturbing, this is an intense psychological drama that will be embraced by serious book clubs and fans of Lionel Shriver's We Need to Talk about Kevin."
– Kristin Hannah, #1 New York Times bestselling author

"THE PUSH was a poetic, propulsive read that set my nerves jangling in both horror and recognition. I read it in one sitting and it stayed with me for days afterwards. Not to be missed."
– Lisa Jewell, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Then She Was Gone

“With its riveting prose and deep convictions, Ashley Audrain’s THE PUSH had me in its clutches from the first page. Audrain’s astute portrayal of motherhood was unsettling in its insights, yet highly entertaining on the page. Complex, nuanced, and unflinching, I inhaled this debut in one sitting."
– Karma Brown, bestselling author of Recipe for a Perfect Wife

“Intensely absorbing, gripping until the final page, The Push excavates the myths of motherhood, deftly exploring the shape-shifting landscape of parenting, the powerful impact of the past on the present, and the deep unease of our inability to ever fully know even those we hold the closest.”
– Kim Edwards, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Memory Keeper’s Daughter

“The Push is written on the edge of a knife. It’s a howl in the face of what we think we know — or want to believe — about motherhood. Relentlessly compelling, distressing and beautiful, Ashley Audrain’s debut is the next Gone Girl, with shades of We Need to Talk About Kevin. I devoured it whole.”
— Marissa Stapley, bestselling author of The Last Resort

"Stayed up too late finishing [Audrain’s] deeply unsettling The Push about the darkest reaches of motherhood (and profound maternal ambivalence). Visceral, provocative, compulsive, and with the most graphic and relatable description of childbirth I've read (or written)."
– Sarah Vaughan, bestselling author of Anatomy of a Scandal

"Compelling, beautifully written and wickedly entertaining.... A tremendously thought-provoking read."
— Liz Nugent, author of Little Cruelties and Lying in Wait

Sad

I love a good thriller, but it’s not really a thriller because you know what’s going to happen and then you just have to endure listening to a sad story. Probably would not recommend.

It surprised me

The Push really surprised me. As the book started, I was sure it would be a modern take on The Bad Seed. And it is kind of. But it's also about mothers, generational dysfunction, how history can repeat itself, and how vicious circles continue. Anyway, it surprised me in the best way. Marin Ireland always provides a master class in narration. It's not a simple story, and I like that. The ending was perfect.

Creepy......

Finally a good thriller! I couldn't stop listening and a very chilling ending. I will have to check out more from this author. Enjoy!

All I can say is...yikes

While this was an excellent book, it was definitely hard to listen to. I can't imagine living a life like this woman lived. Narration was great, but it was at times hard to know which character was talking. I couldn't stop listening even though the content was cringe worthy and difficult. Definitely recommended.

a great read

the beginning of this story was hard to follow. it took me several chapters to figure it out. Once I did, wow!!!! is all I can say!