A review by maggieaduol
The Push by Ashley Audrain

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

They say history repeats itself, right? Does nature or nurture play a larger role in childhood development? The Push captures the complexity of mother- daughter relationships  with sociopathic tendencies thrown in, generational trauma and loss. 

Well thought out, carefully crafted, vividly realised and gripping, this is a clever concept novel that manipulates exploits the fears and insecurities almost every mother has, however happy her own childhood. It shows how the memories of childhood, forgotten or buried, return at the moment of one's own maternal crisis.

What makes this novel outstanding is Audrain's nuanced understanding of how women's voices are discounted , how a thousand little slights can cuddle a solid marriage and - in defiance of maternal taboos- how mothers really feel sometimes towards difficult children.

The Push in the sum of its parts speaks to the burdens we all carry, whether we are mothers or simply children of women who did the best they could.

A very sad story that is hard to read and not uplifting at all but one that will stick with me for a long time.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5