The next day, Henry drops her off at the train station. Their marriage falls apart. I'm always impressed when an author can keep me on edge until the last sentence of the book. Do you think Blythe is like the women who came before her? Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. When a boy falls off a playset and dies, Blythe suspects Violet tripped him on purpose. I have 18 old months twins and suffer from postnatal depression. The book ends a year and a half after that point. By Angie Barry. Then their son Sam is bornand with him, Blythe has the blissful connection she'd always imagined with her child. But some parts of us are shaped by what we see. What do you think the book overall is trying to say about nature vs. nurture? When the Connors go on a beach vacation, Violet buries another kid in the sand. Blythe still tells Gemma her suspicions about Violet anyway. Back at home, Fox leaves on a trip, leaving Blythe and Violet alone. 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. The Push is a book that will stay with you long after you turn the final page. After dinner, she turns on the porch light in case her daughter decides its time to see her. 10 Shocking Book Endings That Will Totally Ruin Your Life - Bustle She often feels overwhelmed and frustrated by Violets defiance and resistance. American Gods: Gods are made of stories. When Mrs. Smith dies, Cecilia takes the money, $680, that the old woman had stored in a tin. Its a good day, but that night Violet says that she doesnt want Sammy anymore. Anansi Boys: Gods are still made of stories. See Everything We Know About the 'The Push' Adaptation. Is there a clear conclusion that can even be drawn? Her husband, Fox, says she's imagining things. Also, maybe how mothers birth babies. The Push. From Foxs perspective, how do you think he perceives the events of the book? The books ambiguous ending invites readers to grapple with difficult questions and to consider how our past experiences can shape our present actions. Violet looks disappointed to see her and continues to sleep. Finally, at one point Blythe grabs Violet arm hard enough to hurt her, and Fox cuts off visitation. Soon, Fox tells Blythe they need to rethink their visitation schedule. Ishmeet Singh It is an ending that may leave you feeling anxious, to put it plainly. She and Lenny continue on and she considers leaving Seb for Lenny, but then Cecilia learns she is pregnant. After Fox moves out, he is careful not to let Blythe meet Gemma even though Blythe is curious. After Fox leaves, Blythe secretly uses a fake name to befriend Fox's girlfriend, Gemma, to learn about their life. Blythe and Violet's relationship is still fraught. Then, Gemma asks about what happened with Sam, saying that Fox doesnt like to talk about it. Your email address will not be published. The only demographic I probably wouldnt recommend this to is adolescents, since I do think it probably takes a higher level of maturity to understand and appreciate a lot of the concerns or issues that this book deals with. Soon, she begins to wonder if there's something genuinely wrong with her daughter, Violet, though her husband insists it isn't true. As someone without children, motherhood is not something I spend a lot of time thinking about, and to be totally honest, I generally avoid books that are focused on things like that because they dont tend to grab my attention. Fox is less attentive this time around, but Blythe wants only her baby. She thinks Violet is saying I pushed him but she cant hear through the glass. Hear a sample of The Push on Audiobook on Libro.fm. I appreciate someone being straightforward. Blythe planned to give Fox a manuscript that shared her "side of the story . Blythe and Fox Connor are a couple who meet in college and get married at 25. Blythe is concerned, noting that she has been cruel to other kids, while Fox brushes it off as a developmental phase where she is testing boundaries. Bookends - How did that book end? Book spoilers to jog your memory. When Fox gets home, they both downplay the incident. What follows is a longer driving sequence that hits . As the days pass, Blythe sees that Violets emptiness is back. Plus Jace's loss of basically his whole family. Im open to discussing and exploring different viewpoints. What do you make of that statement? The Push by Ashley Audrain is a gripping and thought-provoking novel that explores the complexities of motherhood and the lasting impact of childhood trauma. 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. Soon, she starts to resents Fox for seeing her solely as Violet's caregiver, and Fox thinks Blythe is deficient as a mother. This The Push book review gives you all the details you need to know about this haunting thriller with social commentary about motherhood from the Good Morning America book club. For all of these reasons, it also makes a great book for book clubs that want a really provocative discussion. But The Push was consistently engrossing nonetheless and made me reconsider in some ways my own relationship with my mother, who Ive not always had the smoothest relationship with (and who, in turn, had very difficult relationships with her own parents). Blythe instinctively calls out the name Sam, and when Violet catches her fathers attention, she stops what shes doing. And as always, I wish you happy reading! The ending is sad and scary to me. All rights reserved. She pushed her real brother Sam's stroller killing him and now she has done something to her half-brother Jet. The next day, Blythe tells Fox, who brushes it off. Blythe is in that new mom state of confusion, fear, and anxiety, wondering if its all in her head. Your email address will not be published. When Violet is 5, there is a funeral for a boy named Elijah. Blythe Conner grew up in a home where she was unnurtured and uncertain what her own mothers feelings were for her. The ending might be sad, or shocking, or some delicious blend of sad and shocking, but either way the end of the book has utterly ruined you and you are now a small pile of rubble lying in the . Afterwards, she talks to another parent who insists her child just make a mistake. It seems like you have a different understanding of the books ending. document.getElementById( "ak_js_8" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); In this blog post, we will dive deep into the ending of The Push and explore some of the possible meanings and implications. The stroller collides with a car and Sam is killed. Push is narrated by Precious, a Black teenager whose school expels her at . Its a story about the most life-changing and literal push that is childbirth, and the more figurative push that society places on women to have children. Blythe loves the night nurse. Cecilia wears the dress at the next dance and then never again. Scary because I think that the antagonist persists and may never be held responsible for the mistakes that it did. 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. Published on February 6, 2021. Fox claims hes not seeing the other woman anymore. I didn't think it was her. The one-paragraph summary of this book: Blythe and Fox have a daughter, Violet. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. She writes poetry, but takes a job as a caregiver for an elderly woman, Mrs. Smith. Spoilers For Every Book Ever | Tor.com Afterwards, Blythe tells the police this, but Fox insists it was an accident. The trip changes the way Blythe sees Violet, as a sad, powerless girl. or ask your favorite author a question with "The Push" Book Ending Explained. Discover new authors, explore different genres, and join us on a literary journey through book reviews, discussion guides, and author interviews. Throughout the book, Blythe struggles to connect with Violet and to understand her daughters behavior. Blythe thinks about how Violet is growing up and will leave her behind. Thomass younger brother, Daniel, adored her. 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. The book ends with Blythe standing on a rooftop, looking down at the street below, and its unclear what her next move will be. Blythe realizes that Violet mustve gotten the blade (one of Foxs model-building tools) that was hidden in her dresser. Blythe struggles with Violet, who cries all the time and doesnt latch well, and Blythe thinks the baby hates her. Instead, she has been working on a short story. Content warning: While I LOVED The Push and VERY highly recommend it, new or expecting moms should be warned before picking it up. Join 750,000+ monthly readers in this virtual reading corner! Soon, Fox says hes resigning from his job. (It sounds like shes hoping Violet will come and be curious about her the way she was curious about their family. If you would like me to review your book, feel free to reach out to me! What do you think of their expectations of their wives in terms of the types of mothers they expected them to be? I felt like this book was about refuting the idea that motherhood is this inherently blissful joyride and that women should find it endlessly fulfilling, that they should want to abandon their careers to solely mother their kids, that there's a special bond between mothers and their children that transcends . She finally goes back to the intersection where it happened and sees Joe, who owns the coffee shop at that corner. [Can someone please tell me the ending? The Push Summary and Study Guide | SuperSummary Finally, at one point Blythe grabs Violet arm hard enough to hurt her, and Fox cuts off visitation. This passage suggests that Blythe is struggling to maintain a sense of identity and that she feels like shes losing herself. Blythe recalls how growing up, the Ellingtons, a black family, lived three doors down. The day after the meeting with Mrs. Ellington, Blythe overhears Violet on the phone with Gemma. Fox doesnt want a funeral, so there isnt one. Blythe continues to pursue a friendship with Gemma to get information about the goings-on in her household, and in turn Gemma often would turn to Blythe for advice on things. The Push WILL make you feel uncomfortable in exploring that question, in a very necessary kind of way. The Push is published by Michael Joseph (RRP 12.99 . Its now been seven months since Sams death. When Violet tries to run off, Blythe grabs her, but it hurts Violets arm and Violet looks satisfied. [I don't feel like there was a good answer, so I'll throw in my 2 cents. The author captured it beautifully and so accurately in the beginning. The book ends by implying that Gemma suspects Violet has now harmed Jet. Later, Violet mentions that shes going to hurt a boy she dislikes, Noah. . Hi Anna, thank you for sharing your comment. Yes but still kind of right or left, so great to get a validation :). Questions that even those in the book may not have gotten answers to. The first time Violet smiles is with Fox, who continues to insist she just needs to relax with the baby. You're awesome for doing it. As we have seen, the ending is open to interpretation and can be understood in various ways, depending on our own perspectives and experiences. For example, when Blythe grabs her arm, she narrates that Violet looks satisfied? The book's ending is both shocking and ambiguous, leaving readers with many questions and different interpretations. Cecilia knows she is beautiful and heads to the city and meets Seb, who is a doorman at a fancy hotel. She wonders if Violet goes in to watch him sleep. Blythe and Fox Connor are a couple who meet in college and get married at 25. She is hysterical. Then, in the final lines, she learns from Gemma that something has happened to Jet (with the implication that it was Violet's fault.).