The Push: A GMA Book Club Pick (A Novel)

Ashley Audrain

Jan 2021 · Penguin Random House Audio · Narrated by Marin Ireland

About this audiobook

A Good Morning America Book Club Pick | A New York Times bestseller!

“Utterly addictive.” —Paula Hawkins, author of The Girl on the Train

“Hooks you from the very first page and will have you racing to get to the end.”—Good Morning America

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

Ashley Audrain's second novel, The Whispers, is on sale now

Blythe Connor is determined that she will be the warm, comforting mother to her new baby Violet that she herself never had.

But in the thick of motherhood's exhausting early days, Blythe becomes convinced that something is wrong with her daughter—she doesn't behave like most children do.

Or is it all in Blythe's head? Her husband, Fox, says she's imagining things. The more Fox dismisses her fears, the more Blythe begins to question her own sanity, and the more we begin to question what Blythe is telling us about her life as well.

Then their son Sam is born—and with him, Blythe has the blissful connection she'd always imagined with her child. Even Violet seems to love her little brother. But when life as they know it is changed in an instant, the devastating fall-out forces Blythe to face the truth.

For fans of Verity and We Need to talk about Kevin, The 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.

Ratings and reviews

It was a bit of a slow burn, but when it picked up it had my full attention. It was intense, it was intriguing, and I was even genuinely afraid during some moments. My favorite thing about it was the use of an unreliable narrator, I remember multiple times saying out loud "that can't be true" or "that definitely didn't go down that way" it keeps the whole thing fun and thought provoking. The ending had a really good payoff as well. I would highly recommend it to fans of horror. It would've been 5 stars, but there are some parts that I find just plain boring, although I recognize the moments served the story ultimately.

Started off slowly and I was confused about the characters and the pov. Once it got going, I was hooked. Definitely a great listen. Just be sure to remember all the names or be confused as I was lol

I usually get bored with any book at least some point during the time i read it, but i never got bored with this one. It was an amazing book that made me feel so many emotions, some in which i didnt like. I recommend it!

About the author

Ashley Audrain’s debut novel, The Push, was a New York Times, Sunday Times (London), and number-one international bestseller, and a Good Morning America Book Club pick. It has sold in more than forty territories, and a limited television series is currently in development. Audrain previously worked as the publicity director of Penguin Books Canada, and prior to that she worked in public relations. She lives in Toronto, where she and her partner are raising their two young children. Her second novel, The Whispers, is forthcoming.