A review by fynnoffypie
The Push by Ashley Audrain

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

This book held me from the very start to the last sentence. It was the book I chose to read during Burning Man this year, in which I was taking the time to go through some personal growth and reflection on my relationship with my mother. Let me tell you, this brought me to tears, and I will never see my mother the same way. It tells a gripping story of motherhood, feminism, and mental health. As a midwife who left the field, this book provides a jarringly accurate portrayal of the feelings women often go through after traumatic pregnancies/births and the effect this has on their ability to bond with their babies. Not only that, but the author tells a tale of the shame, self-doubt, and isolation that comes with regretting motherhood, or even disliking your own child. These are stories women have been trying to tell for years, and this is the first book I've encountered that I feel truly encapsulates that. Despite being fiction, this book is wrapped in a very lonely and painful truth for mothers, and I thank the author for putting this onto the world. 
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