The de Grummond Book Group reads and discusses everything from books for the very youngest children who need books read to them to young adults who are delving into quite adult topics. If that sounds appealing, Google us or check us out on Facebook and join in. That said, sometimes the conversation digresses since we do read adult books as well. Last month, another member continued a conversation with me via email after the meeting, recommending that I read The Push by Asley Audrain. She forewarned me that it was not a light read but brought real-life issues into a compelling story line.
Questions abound. The central premise in the book lies with the narrator Blythe’s decision to have a child and then whether and how she can bond with her daughter Violet. Not only does Blythe come with baggage of never having a caring mother herself, she can reach back and see that pattern in the women of previous generations. Does this mean an inherited inability to be lovingly maternal? Violet bonds with her father in an exaggerated “Daddy’s Girl” fashion that leaves Blythe with a two against one feeling. Did this occur naturally or is Violet bent on malice? Episodes that Blythe reports show Violet doing slyly vicious things, leaving the reader wondering if she is an unreliable narrator or if Violet needs to be taken in for psychological help. Blythe’s husband Fox dismisses or excuses her concerns. Sam’s birth and Blythe’s bonding with him gives credence to her motherly ability but will eventually lead to a pivotal crisis.
Characterized as a psychological drama, The Push keeps the reader on the edge of the seat, sometimes wanting to cry out to Blythe, vacillating between wanting her to trust herself and wanting her to take another look and find reality. I recommend having an afternoon laid out to ignore the world for this compelling read that will have you lingering with the characters and issues long after the last page is turned.