Read our book of the month

motherhood. obsession. our deepest fears. here’s why we recommend ashley audrain’s debut, ‘the push’

‘THE PUSH is about a woman called Blythe Connor, who comes from a long history of women who have really struggled with their experiences of motherhood, and she’s determined she will be different,’ says the author of one of the most anticipated novels of this year, Ashley Audrain (above). ‘At the beginning, Blythe has those typical early motherhood days of sleepless nights, but very quickly realises there’s something different about her daughter… something goes tragically wrong and they’re forced in one moment to face who their daughter is; the family unravels from there.’

But as Ashley acknowledges, while the plot centres on Blythe’s relationship with her daughter Violet and the horrifying journey they go on together, it’s about so much more, including motherhood, obsession and our deepest fears.

And while motherhood is a central theme, much of what happens will feel familiar to so many women, as it explores what happens when we don’t feel heard or believed. ‘So often as a society we tend to ignore people’s truths because they’re just not convenient to us – women experience that in many different forms,’ says Ashley.

Although the book wanders into the realm of thrillers, the goosebumps come from knowing how close to life much of what is on the page is. ‘I knew my mind was wandering into terrible, dark places, but I also hoped there would be much to relate to for women,’ said Ashley. ‘It brings me joy to hear that people are relating to it.’

It’s no surprise to anyone who’s read the novel that the film and TV rights have already been bought up by the production company responsible for Marriage Story

– and Ashley is already finishing her follow-up about ‘female friendship as mothers and how that can be complicated by things like envy and comparison’.

So, if you’ve vowed to read more this year, The Push (£12.99, Penguin Michael Joseph) is a great place to start – fast-paced, it has the ability to distract you from anything. Exactly what we need right now.