Blythe planned to give Fox a manuscript that shared her "side of the story . The following version of this book was used to create the guide: Audrain, Ashley. By Angie Barry. Or is it all in Blythe's head? Do you think Violet could have turned out differently at all? My new novel, historical fiction, has some darkness, too, but only at the end as the mystery arrives at a strange twist. Blythe calls his mother, but she doesnt know anything about it (Blythe asks her not to say anything to Fox about their call). After Cecilia is born, Etta is remarried to Henry, a nice man who manages a candy factory. At 25, he proposes, and they are married. Here are a few possible explanations: 1. Days of Our Lives (DOOL) spoilers tease that Talia Hunter (Aketra Sevillian) will become increasingly torn about the mess she's gotten herself stuck in. Did this story make you reflect on your personal experiences, and if so how? Back in her childhood, Blythe recalls Cecilia upset and being unable to get out of bed for a while. Blythe remembers her father telling Cecilia that Youll end up just like Etta before finally giving her a drink to calm her down. She finds Violets bracelet on the ground. Three months after the accident, the Connors move to a new house, and Blythe hopes a change will be good for them. What makes this book such a compelling read is its ability to provoke strong emotions and spark meaningful conversations. What do you think of the portrayals of the men and fathers in this novel in general? She later cheats on him and wants to leave him, but then they find out she is pregnant. As Blythes relationship with Violet becomes increasingly strained, she begins to question her own sanity and fears that she may be repeating the cycle of abuse. Fox has a son, Jet, with his new wife, Gemma. The Push by Ashley Audrain review - the dark side of motherhood Genres: Fiction, Psychological Suspense, Psychological Thriller, Suspense, Thriller, Women's Fiction. 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. Finally they will have to believe Blythe. The Push. Violet throws a tantrum and ends up biting Blythe on the cheek. Cecilia is determined to make some money and leave town after graduation. This isnt the way the book ends. The divorce has happened, and Fox has custody of Violet. . Blythes relationship with Violet remains strained and eventually, Blythe loses visitation rights. Shortly before Foxs 39ths birthday, Blythe suspects Fox is having an affair. Instead, Fox suggests that Blythe leave for a while to a wellness center. 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 ends up watching their house to catch glimpses of her. Thoughts on the 'The Push' by Ashley Audrain : r/books - Reddit 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. The ending is sad and scary to me. I came here wondering if I can read this book. Blythe wants Fox to go away with her, just the two of them, but Fox doesnt want to leave Violet. She later cheats on him and wants to leave him, but then they find out she is pregnant. Blythe and Fox Connor meet as students in college. Read it and you will not be disappointed. Violet didnt care much for Sam, but Sam adores Violet. I hope you enjoyed this ending explanation for The Push by Ashley Audrain! By the end, the reader will feel wrung out in the way only the best of books leaves you. The fact that "smells" were so important to her was very interesting in the story. Im interested to hear more about your interpretation and what you believe the actual ending is. Then, she asks Gemma whether shes ever wondered if her son was safe with Violet? If you would like me to review your book, feel free to reach out to me! Push Summary and Study Guide | SuperSummary She imagines it would be the tiles from the changing room at the public pool. WARNING: THIS SECTION CONTAINS BOOK SPOILERS! Fox doesnt want a funeral, so there isnt one. 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 and Gemma become close, but eventually Fox finds out Blythe has been pretending to be someone else to get close to Gemma. Published on February 6, 2021. Blythe's relationship with Violet remains strained and eventually, Blythe loses visitation rights. Spoiler warning: these summaries contains spoilers. Publication Date: January 4, 2022. Refresh and try again. Do you think Gemma was always being truthful with Blythe about her feelings for Violet? When Blythe and Fox have their second child, a boy named Sam, Blythe's connection with him is immediate, and she adores him. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Yes but still kind of right or left, so great to get a validation :). Join our community of book lovers and receive the best book recommendations straight to your inbox . Allie (Halle Bush) is a South Carolina girl who runs away to a convent after she kills her abusive foster father. Violet hints to Blythe that theres a reason Fox has prevented this meeting from happening. In the final chapters, its suggested that Blythes mental state has worsened, and she may be at risk of harming herself. Ashley Audrains startling debut novel The Push is a provocative book that really made an impact on me, and I have been thinking about it for quite a few months now. 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. Afterwards, she talks to another parent who insists her child just make a mistake. It was an interesting read. The ending is sad and scary to me. I love to read and I enjoy exploring a range of genres including contemporary and historical fiction, mysteries, thrillers, nonfiction, and memoirs. Some readers may interpret this as a suggestion that Blythe will jump or fall from the rooftop, potentially ending her own life. When Cecilia is five, Etta is trying to wash Cecilias hair and Cecilia is being difficult. Fox is out of town, and Gemma wonders whether she should take him to the hospital and if so whether to wake Violet (who is 11 now) in the middle of the night or just leave her there alone. Why do you think Cecilia dislikes Mrs. Ellington? Book Summary. 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. If this summary was useful to you, please consider supporting this site by leaving a tip ($2, $3, or $5) or joining the Patreon! Cecilia knows she is not meant for motherhood, but during her pregnancy wonders if her feelings are changing. by Ashley Audrain. Anansi Boys: Gods are still made of stories. Talia is secretly dating Colin (Jasper Newman), Sloan Petersen's (Jessica Serfaty) vengeful brother.. Do you think the portrayal is fair and/or plausible? The Push is published by Michael Joseph (RRP 12.99 . On the other hand, the book has a resolution (kind off) to the internal conflict that the protagonist is having regarding the nature of her own mental health. Their wedding bands previously belonged to Foxs great-grandmother, Violet. He had used Blythes presence to lure Cecilia home. Blythe goes to a museum exhibit about children who have been perpetrators of gun violence. 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. After that weekend, Blythe gets the idea to drive over to Foxs house to watch them at night. Her father, Seb West, had found something in Cecilias pocket and was upset over someone named Lenny. Cecilia continues to hide these things from Henry, and Etta brightens up when Henry is around. Blythe is tempted to talk to Foxs mother about Violet, but can see that Sams death has been weighing on her, too. When she tells Blythe, Fox has already seen them together. She and Lenny continue on and she considers leaving Seb for Lenny, but then Cecilia learns she is pregnant. And how big of an impact do you think Mrs. Ellington had on Blythes life? January 6, 2021. She admits it in the end but only to Blythe. 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). 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 . How The Book Ended. Summary and Review: The Push by Ashley Audrain - The Bibliofile When Cecilia left for good, Mrs. Ellington stepped up to provide Blythe with some stability in her life. There, Blythe meets a woman named Iris, who she likes immediately. She and her husband, Fox, were happy newlyweds, and she was so excited about becoming a mother. Eventually, Cecilia discovers she also likes the wildness of fooling around with and feeling wanted by Sebs friend Lenny. Plus, some of the scenes and language are not kid-friendly. I have 18 old months twins and suffer from postnatal depression. When Fox inquires about whether Blythe has napped when Violet napped, Blythe sees it as him monitoring her alertness and him treating her as a service provider. Im passionate about inspiring busy women to read more and live better. If this summary was useful to you, please consider supporting this site by leaving a tip ($2, $3, or $5) or joining the Patreon! Soon, Fox says hes resigning from his job. How reliable of a narrator do you think Blythe was? But for the big things, I think Audrain does a good job with aspects of the book that really matter like the plotting of it or the substance in digging deep into the difficulties and uncertainties of motherhood. Cecilia runs off and by that night Etta has awkwardly sewn panels into the side. As Blythe grieves, Blythe and Fox's marriage disintegrates, ending with Fox's infidelity. After a particularly grueling day of kicking and screaming, Fox agrees to three days of day care a week. 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. (It sounds like shes hoping Violet will come and be curious about her the way she was curious about their family. I so hope, whoever makes the movie or series, will focus on the "smells" that the protagonist talks about all the time. She keeps screaming at Cecilia until Henry comes in. Its beautiful, but the dress doesnt fit and Cecilia cant get it on. The way the book is left open leaving questions about just what happened. The Push by Ashley Audrain began on Christmas Eve as Blythe watched Fox and Violet's new family from the street outside their house. When Violet is 5, there is a funeral for a boy named Elijah. Discover new authors, explore different genres, and join us on a literary journey through book reviews, discussion guides, and author interviews. 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. The next day, she tells Fox that she hates her mother and only want to live with him. For financial reasons, Cecilia and Seb move out of the city and into his parents house in the suburbs. Colleen Hoover's It Ends with Us: ending, explained - OkayBliss But men with children would probably benefit a lot from reading this, and I have no kids but thought it was gripping and very worth my time. The Push: Recap & Book Summary - The Bibliofile Later, Violet finds a book Blythe had been reading about how to move a marriage past an affair. The Push by Ashley Audrain is a gripping and thought-provoking novel that explores the complexities of motherhood and the lasting impact of childhood trauma. The next day, Henry drops her off at the train station. Book Review: 'The Push,' by Ashley Audrain - New York Times In the last lines of the book Blythe seems to have made peace and was moving on with her life. I'm a reader of 100+ books per year, I studied English literature, and I've been on The Today Show's Read with Jenna Book Club, Oprah's Book Club, Reese's Book Club, and media outlets including Buzzfeed, The Atlantic, and Esquire. Then their son Sam is bornand with him, Blythe has the blissful connection she'd always imagined with her child. 10 Shocking Book Endings That Will Totally Ruin Your Life - Bustle It was such a cliffhanger to end the novel on and I think that Audrain really made a brave choice to end the book with such an unfinished ending. One of the messages she urgently conveys is, after all, that this reproduction business does not end simply, or easily - or, indeed, ever. Meanwhile, Violet makes constant remarks reminding her mother that her father is with the other woman now. Review: Does Ashley Audrain's debut 'The Push' live up - The Star The one-paragraph summary of this book: Blythe and Fox have a daughter, Violet. The ending of The Push confuses me : r/books - Reddit Fox, meanwhile, comes from a loving and stable family. The Push Movie: What We Know Another possible interpretation of the ending is that Blythe confronts her own trauma and finds a way to move forward. A series based on this book will be HUGE success! Louis intends to go into medicine as well, but Ettas father insists that Louis help with farming so that Louis can later take over the hundreds of acres the family owns. 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. Cecilia later explains that its because her mother once did something very cruel to her because there was something wrong with Etta. When their infant son Sam is killed, Blythe blames Violet. When Violet asks about the poison sign on the bottle of bleach (and whether it could kill someone), Blythe calls Gemma to let her know. Just when it seems Blythe has caused the downfall of the family, Gemma calls Blythe and informs her that something happened to Jet, implying that Violet has caused him harm. Violet lies to make Blythe look bad, and she runs away while Blythe is watching her. 2 years ago. At the next moms meet-up, Gemma brings Fox. Their marriage falls apart. Do you think things could have turned out differently if Blythe had done things differently? One day, she asks Violet about Gemma, but Violet just says shes fine. like. As we have seen, the ending is open to interpretation and can be understood in various ways, depending on our own perspectives and experiences. She goes to see a doctor too, but the doctor encourages her to do something for herself like writing. When Henry finally gets home, he staying home the next day to care for Cecilia and removes the door to the cellar completely. What do you think of their expectations of their wives in terms of the types of mothers they expected them to be? Or anything. ', Your email address will not be published. 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. The Push by Ashley Audrain is a debut novel and 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 but everything she feared. After the run-in, Blythe doesnt hear from Gemma at first, and Blythe doesnt attend anymore meetups. Then, in the final lines, she learns from Gemma that something has happened to Jet (with the implication that it was Violet's fault.). (The Detailed Plot Summary is also available, below). Inspire others by sharing your book on this blog. Soon, Louis dies in a farming accident when Etta is pregnant. She was someone else entirely, someone who felt like she was fading away into nothingness. (Chapter 22). They take a family holiday photo. Also, maybe how mothers birth babies. After dinner, she turns on the porch light in case her daughter decides its time to see her. When Violet tries to run off, Blythe grabs her, but it hurts Violets arm and Violet looks satisfied. Blythe and Fox Connor are a couple who meet in college and get married at 25. document.getElementById( "ak_js_9" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Hello, and welcome to Wrote a Book! Later, Violet mentions that shes going to hurt a boy she dislikes, Noah. Bookends - How did that book end? Book spoilers to jog your memory. You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with By the time Violet is six months old, Blythe still has hemorrhoids, and she talks to her doctor about she and Fox have not had sex in a long time. Blythe neglects to tell Fox the full truth about her distant relationship with her father. But that didn't bother me. I can relate to this, but I try not to find out. Meanwhile, Blythe throws herself into activities for Sam. Blythe denies it, but Gemma clearly doesnt believe her. Blythe thinks about how Violet is growing up and will leave her behind. He suggests joint custody over Violet, and Blythe agrees. Things improve with Fox. Moreover, Violet claimed that Blythe just left these things lying open in the house. Seb insists they have the baby (Blythe). As Violet gets older, Violet continues to be antagonistic and even violent towards Blythe. After the divorce, Fox has custody, but Blythe has visitation rights. Meanwhile, the narration is interspersed with information about the women in Blythe's family and her childhood. As the days pass, Blythe sees that Violets emptiness is back. Be advised that there are spoilers ahead, obviously, so be entirely sure you want to continue reading. Blythe loves the night nurse. Would you feel differently about this book or these characters if there was no epilogue (the a year and a half later part)? When Violet is three, Blythe comes back to home after a weekend away and checks on Violet. What do you think of Violets reactions to things? College sweethearts Blythe and Fox Connor have a charmed life and romance. I thought, Im not really interested in this, but its relatively short so whatever. Can someone please tell me the ending? I The Push Q&A So glad this book ended with our protaganist mom being sane and living life fairly happily alone without needing anyone--men or children in this case. Mrs. Leda Ellington was kind and caring towards Blythe, but Cecilia disliked her. The girl leaves cookies and carrots for Santa and his reindeer. This sort of hand-wringing, at its most extreme, is at the center of Ashley Audrain's taut, chilling debut novel, "The Push.". Yeah the internet has gotten really weird. After Fox leaves, Blythe secretly uses a fake name to befriend Fox's girlfriend, Gemma, to learn about their life. Violet looks disappointed to see her and continues to sleep. Do you think he was a good husband and/or a good father? I felt for her for the entire book. Yes, only on the internet and to answer where the internet would be without people asking question about books, the obvious answer is without Goodreads :-). At the end of the day, The Push is a compelling novel that pushes us as a society to talk more about the darkest sides of motherhood and to be open to more interpretations to how women are supposed to feel about motherhood. Cecilia dislikes being a mother, and she leaves permanently when Blythe is 12. The last conversation that Blythe has with her ex-friend and Fox's wife is bone-chilling and made my mouth drop. The next day, Blythe starts apologizing profusely (about acting like a psycho), but Gemma simply expresses her condolences about Blythe losing Sam. See the archives. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); I keep going back and forth about whether I want to read this one because it has such mixed reviews, but after this, I think I will give it a try. The Push by Ashley Audrain - Book Journey Blythe continues to look for acknowledgement from others that there is something wrong with Violet, until she finally starts to doubt herself. This post may also contain other affiliate links by which I earn commissions at no extra cost to you. Its a good day, but that night Violet says that she doesnt want Sammy anymore. Later, they have sex for the first time in a long while, no stopping even when Violet starts crying. When the baby is born, Blythe feels euphoric. When Blythe finally saw Cecilia/Annie and Richard together, she wished her mother had died rather than become someone she no longer could recognize. Blythe realizes that Violet mustve gotten the blade (one of Foxs model-building tools) that was hidden in her dresser. Finally, Gemma asks to meet up. The ending of The Push confuses me. When Violet is four, Blythe and Fox meet with her teacher, who says she is bright, but has exhibited hurtful, aggressive behaviors toward other kids. One day, when Blythe goes to feed Sam at 3AM in the morning, she finds Violet in there, who has taken Sams bunny, Benny. The next day, the doctor attributes her action to normal parental anxiety. Blythe realizes that the baby must have been conceived the same month that Fox was fired from his job. When they talk, Blythe pretends to still have a son named Sam and gets to pretend for a while that he is still alive. Why do you think he is reluctant to send Violet to day care initially? When Fox goes in, Violet perks up and asks him to stay. A man keeps calling for Cecilia, but Seb says shes not home. Blythe sees that its actually Fox who dropped it off and thanks him for it, but he also says that Blythe needs to move on with her life and not call Gemma anymore. Cecilia is scared and shits herself. When a boy falls off a playset and dies, Blythe suspects Violet tripped him on purpose. The Push by Ashley Audrain. Great review! There is a lot of back and forth between Blythe, her past with her mother Cecelia, and then Cecelia's past with her mother Etta. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Follow along on Goodreads, or keep in touch via the newsletter. Push is narrated by Precious, a Black teenager whose school expels her at . Like, not every comment from a child needs to have a 24-hour reaction time. Help spread the word. 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. Be advised that there are spoilers ahead, obviously, so be entirely sure you want to continue reading. 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. Im also surprised that this is Audrains debut novel, because the pacing, structure and voice of the book feel so confident and intentional. I honestly could not figure out who was the deranged person in this book until the end. Violet says to Blythe pointedly that the mother saves her son every time. Try audio books or writing classes for free for 30 days.. Questions that even those in the book may not have gotten answers to. See all 11 answers. . But when life as they know it is changed in an instant, the devastating fall-out forces Blythe to face the truth. 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. Even when Cecilia is seven, she still clings to her doll, Beth-Anne. 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. Etta insists that Cecilia wear the dress anyway. For example, when Blythe grabs her arm, she narrates that Violet looks satisfied? 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 . (Much later, Blythe continues to feel guilt over her actions when she recalls what happened and remembers the shame over being found out.). After that, Blythe stops taking his mothers calls. Blythe falls hard for him, and they are inseparable. Your email address will not be published. It wasnt a book I was expecting to like, much less one that Id be eager to recommend to others. Mrs. Ellington admits that she is sad and that it was a little girl. As the story unfolds in this gripping and suspenseful domestic drama, Audrain explores motherhood, the limits of unconditional love, and how the consequences of our actions can travel across generations. Whether you found the ending satisfying or frustrating, one thing is clear: The Push is a book that will stay with you long after you turn the final page. There, Blythe figures out that the invitation had come from Richard, not Cecilia.
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