In it, Blythe is a new mother. Blythe falls hard for him, and they are inseparable. What do you think of their expectations of their wives in terms of the types of mothers they expected them to be? Blythe ends up looking for photos online to find ones of a four-year-old that can serve as a stand-in for Sam. 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. The strongest part of this book is the perspective of new motherhood, and just how awful the dichotomy of it can be. 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. Blythe recalls one day while her mother was brushing her hair, Blythe asked Cecilia if she wishes she werent a mother. How did you think things were going to play out with Violet as the book went along? Seb insists they have the baby (Blythe). 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. After Fox moves out, he is careful not to let Blythe meet Gemma even though Blythe is curious. Im open to discussing and exploring different viewpoints. Thus, it appears Violet really may be a psychopath and Blythe, vindicated. Violet says to Blythe pointedly that the mother saves her son every time. 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. 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. When Fox goes in, Violet perks up and asks him to stay. Morgan Hedglin Yes! For example, when Blythe grabs her arm, she narrates that Violet looks satisfied? After Cecilia is born, Etta is remarried to Henry, a nice man who manages a candy factory. She later cheats on him and wants to leave him, but then they find out she is pregnant. 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. Cecilia knows she is beautiful and heads to the city and meets Seb, who is a doorman at a fancy hotel. Would you feel differently about this book or these characters if there was no epilogue (the a year and a half later part)? So just what happened at the end of The Push? Whether you loved the book or found it disturbing, the ending is sure to leave an impression and provoke further reflection. For example, when she looks in the mirror, she sees a stranger looking back at her: I didnt recognize the woman in the mirrorI had seen her before, but she was a stranger to me now. What did you think of Blythes relationship with Foxs mother? When Blythe stops paying attention, Violet goes missing. As Blythe thinks about it, shes sure something is wrong and rushes out part-way through. The stroller collides with a car and Sam is killed. Anansi Boys: Gods are still made of stories. She tells Cecilia where to find it, then shuts Cecilia in the tiny space and then Etta gets distracted. Most of the story is narrated by the protagonist, Blythe Connor, a mother who suspects that her young daughter may be a coldblooded killer responsible for the deaths of two young boys, including Blythe's other child. Blythe is a good baby who rarely cries, and each day Seb comments on how lucky they are. I love to read and I enjoy exploring a range of genres including contemporary and historical fiction, mysteries, thrillers, nonfiction, and memoirs. Before he leaves, Fox also admits to something from a long time ago. Instead, Fox suggests that Blythe leave for a while to a wellness center. The one-paragraph summary of this book: Blythe and Fox have a daughter, Violet. Shortly before Foxs 39ths birthday, Blythe suspects Fox is having an affair. One night, Gemma is worried that Jeb is sick. We will examine the different theories that have emerged and analyze key quotes and scenes from the book to shed light on the authors intentions. 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. Fox claims hes not seeing the other woman anymore. There wasnt anything about it that stood out to me as being particularly good or particularly bad, but if you are interested in this book anyway, the audiobook presents a solid option. Join 750,000+ monthly readers in this virtual reading corner! On the trip, Blythe notices how Violet is an outcast. The divorce has happened, and Fox has custody of Violet. What follows is a longer driving sequence that hits . When Blythe insists it was Violet, Fox shushes Blythe, even when Blythe insists the stroller wouldnt roll over the sidewalk groove even if let go. In conclusion, The Push is a haunting and powerful exploration of the complexities of motherhood, trauma, and mental health. She senses Violet prefers Fox, but Fox insists it's all in her head. I may change my mind about reading this. When Blythe was in the third grade, Cecilia showed up to a class event, a Mothers Day tea party, to her surprise. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Good call above on the "Push" title. Blythes relationship with Violet remains strained and eventually, Blythe loses visitation rights. After that, Blythe stops taking his mothers calls. Violet hints to Blythe that theres a reason Fox has prevented this meeting from happening. Afterwards, Foxs mother comforts Violet and comforts Blythe, telling her to hang in there. And how big of an impact do you think Mrs. Ellington had on Blythes life? 3. Their son, Thomas Ellington Jr., was Blythes best friend. I can't read books right now where kids die. She was determined that when she had . 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. The one-paragraph summary of this book: Blythe and Fox have a daughter, Violet. They talk about kids in their future. The Push is a book that will stay with you long after you turn the final page. 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. The trip changes the way Blythe sees Violet, as a sad, powerless girl. I actually only read it because one of my book clubs put it on the docket, and I wanted to be able to participate. Then there's Tunde (Toheeb Jimoh), a Nigerian man who begins to document the . . Gemma says that Jet ended up with a blade that mustve come from her house. My essay was published in the bookBut I'm a Gilmore! 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. Blythe thinks to herself about how she and Cecilia broke his heart (by leaving him behind). As they are there, Violet tells Blythe that she wants Blythe to leave, so it will just be her and her father alone. The book ends with the line: Blythe, she finally whispers. If Fox had done things different? However, once her daughter is born, she sees this as a lot less wonderful than what she had hoped for. In The Push, Blythe Connor is a woman who is trying desperately to be the perfect mother that everyone else seems to be, but she's struggling. ~Sheila. Its a good day, but that night Violet says that she doesnt want Sammy anymore. Their marriage falls apart. . College sweethearts Blythe and Fox Connor have a charmed life and romance. Things are going well until Blythe needs to bathe Violet. Finally, at one point Blythe grabs Violet arm hard enough to hurt her, and Fox cuts off visitation. 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. However, Talia has also gotten to know Chanel Dupree (Raven Bowens) and Paulina Price (Jacke Harry) on a personal level since she came . Sorry for that. When Violet is 5, there is a funeral for a boy named Elijah. When her mother doesnt know, he insists that Blythe find it, and Blythe senses that theyve pushed Cecilia too far. When their infant son Sam is killed, Blythe blames Violet. She writes poetry, but takes a job as a caregiver for an elderly woman, Mrs. Smith. Blythe and Gemma become close, but eventually Fox finds out Blythe has been pretending to be someone else to get close to Gemma. At Penguin, she worked with bestselling authors including Khaled Hosseini, Elizabeth Gilbert, and Meg Wolitzer. When Violet is three, Blythe comes back to home after a weekend away and checks on Violet. I honestly could not figure out who was the deranged person in this book until the end. Fox has a son, Jet, with his new wife, Gemma. 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. The books ending is open to interpretation, and there are several possible ways to read it. The next day, Cecilia leaves for good. When Cecilia is five, Etta is trying to wash Cecilias hair and Cecilia is being difficult. When Blythe is ten, she goes over to the Ellingtons one day after Mrs. Ellington has recently miscarried. But this book disconcerted me so much I had to stop at one-third of it and give up (at least for now). Fox is less attentive this time around, but Blythe wants only her baby. Do you think the portrayal is accurate, and do you think the way other mothers act toward each other has changed over the years? Angel. Did this story make you reflect on your personal experiences, and if so how? Blythe Connor is a woman who had an abusive and uncaring mother, so shes determined to be the best mother for her own daughter, Violet. But one fateful night Ryle finds Atlas's number and goes in a rage. I wasn't sure what to believe which was frustrating and fascinating all at the same time. 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. 2 years ago. Great exploration of nature vs nurture. Here are a few possible explanations: 1. When Blythe is 27, Fox is eager to have kids. All the women from her prenatal class merely talk about how rewarding motherhood is. Etta suffered from moods and needed sedatives to calm her down. Cecilia is determined to make some money and leave town after graduation. Blythe's kind neighbor Mrs. Ellington instead acts as a maternal figure to her. Then he tells Blythe that even so, Violet deserved more from Blythe, but that Blythe had deserved more from him as well. A woman observes a house where a family of four lives. Paperback: 336 pages. Its just really raw about that time in life, and I note most other reviews I have seen have said the same. Blythe wants another baby, another chance at motherhood. Cecilia dislikes being a mother, and she leaves permanently when Blythe is 12. Things improve with Fox. 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). Violets teacher asks Blythe to help chaperone a school trip, and Blythe reluctantly agrees. Blythe instinctively calls out the name Sam, and when Violet catches her fathers attention, she stops what shes doing. Before the ending, Blythe has a conversation with her own mother, during which she begins to understand the ways in which her mothers own trauma affected her parenting. Cecilia wears the dress at the next dance and then never again. Do you think the portrayal is fair and/or plausible? Also, maybe how mothers birth babies. Her husband, Fox, says she's imagining things. Required fields are marked *. Blythe recalls her earliest memory from childhood (of herself in a stroller), and she wonders what her son Sam would remember. The day after the meeting with Mrs. Ellington, Blythe overhears Violet on the phone with Gemma. The way the book is left open leaving questions about just what happened. Pamela Dorman Books/Viking, 2021. Blythe struggles with Violet from the beginning, Blythe is exhausted, and motherhood proves far tougher than she anticipated. When Blythe and Fox have their second child, a boy named Sam, Blythe's connection with him is immediate, and she adores him. When confronted, Violet denies doing anything bad. She is haunted by memories of her mothers abusive behavior and struggles to connect with Violet because she fears repeating the same patterns of abuse: I couldnt shake the feeling that I was repeating the same patternsthat I was becoming the monster that I had always fearedI didnt know how to love Violet the way that she needed to be loved. (Chapter 13). Despite knowing it is bad advice, Blythe strongly advises Gemma to go to the hospital immediately and leave Violet. Caroline wrote: "That ending devastated me. He inquires about a type of flowers, and she catches him looking at a picture of himself, as if thinking about how attractive he might be to other people. When Violet turns 1, Blythe and Fox throw a party, and they take a family picture. With her, the woman has a stack of papers, a manuscript explaining her side of the story. And just because our children may give us reason to hate them, doesn't mean we will. She goes to see a doctor too, but the doctor encourages her to do something for herself like writing. Blythe discards any writing from before Sams death and starts anew. Blythe and Fox Connor are a couple who meet in college and get married at 25. After yelling, he storms off and when stopped, he pushes her. What if motherhood is not what a woman anticipated it to be? Blythe is convinced she saw Violet push the stroller. She and her husband, Fox, were happy newlyweds, and she was so excited about becoming a mother. After the weekend with Violet, Blythe gets a call from Gemma, who is upset. What did you think of the end of the book? Im also surprised that this is Audrains debut novel, because the pacing, structure and voice of the book feel so confident and intentional. As we have seen, the ending is open to interpretation and can be understood in various ways, depending on our own perspectives and experiences. Blythe Connor is reluctant to become a parent . Is there a clear conclusion that can even be drawn? Even though they are not married, Gemma refers to Fox as her husband. So, perhaps Violet really isnt a bad child after all, and its Blythe who is an unreliable narrator of this story. Blythe ends up watching their house to catch glimpses of her. Its now been over a year since the death of Sam. She and Lenny continue on and she considers leaving Seb for Lenny, but then Cecilia learns she is pregnant. Blythe enters, but quickly leaves. Join our community of book lovers and receive the best book recommendations straight to your inbox . For financial reasons, Cecilia and Seb move out of the city and into his parents house in the suburbs. Read it and you will not be disappointed. 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. She attends, but refuses therapy. She thinks Violet is saying I pushed him but she cant hear through the glass. Her father, Seb West, had found something in Cecilias pocket and was upset over someone named Lenny. Fox doesnt want a funeral, so there isnt one. Afterwards, Blythe recalls how Violet had inquired about how streetlights work the weekend before. Author: Ashley Audrain. Required fields are marked *. After Fox leaves, Blythe secretly uses a fake name to befriend Fox's girlfriend, Gemma, to learn about their life. When Mrs. Ellington later tell her that you made him very happy to comfort her, Blythe thinks about how it is a kind lie. Why do you think Audrain shifts POVs (from first person to third person) for the epilogue? She wonders if Violet goes in to watch him sleep. The woman in the car thinks about her daughter (the girl) is beginning to look like her. Ask the Author. Fox has a son, Jet, with his new wife, Gemma. I definitely think theres enough substance and more complex aspects of the novel that elevate it above what is typically considered misery lit, but sometimes as I was reading the vibe felt similar. Soon, they are a couple, he introduces her to his friends and he supports her financially. What a bizarre way of approaching literature. Scary because I think that the antagonist persists and may never be held responsible for the mistakes that it did. Ashley Audrain began writing her first novel, The Push, after leaving her job as publicity director at Penguin Books Canada to raise her two young children. See the archives. The Push is published by Michael Joseph (RRP 12.99 . Finally, at one point Blythe grabs Violet arm hard enough to hurt her, and Fox cuts off visitation. Blythe learns they had another son, Jet. General Hospital (GH) spoilers for Tuesday, May 2, tease that Curtis Ashford (Donnell Turner) will make some bold moves on The Haunted Star. Blythe is convinced she saw Violet push the stroller. Overall I did enjoy this and would definitely check out more from Audrain in . One day, when Blythe goes to feed Sam at 3AM in the morning, she finds Violet in there, who has taken Sams bunny, Benny. Questions that even those in the book may not have gotten answers to. Rebecca Hall's Passing ends on a devastating yet ambiguous note here is what Passing's ending means, particularly the impact of Clare's death. by Ashley Audrain. At night, when Blythe falls asleep on the couch, she hears Violet digging around her dresser, but its not clear why. One day Cecilia is looking for the doll, but Etta has placed it in the back of the cellar. How did your perceptions of Blythe change as the book progressed or did it stay the same? With Ettas death, Henry is too heartbroken to parent Cecilia properly. Blythe is worried that the old, detached Violet was now back. It has been a year and a half since shed spoken to Fox. After a particularly grueling day of kicking and screaming, Fox agrees to three days of day care a week. Cecilia is scared and shits herself. 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. In love with books? She begins to see a therapist and takes medication, but she also feels disconnected from her own thoughts and feelings.
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