Buzz Books. ÎNDOIALA.

Blythe Connor wants to give her daughter the care she lacked. But life as a new mother puts her under strain. She feels distant from her daughter, Violet. As Violet grows, Blythe fears something is wrong with her. Her husband, Fox, dismisses her fears. Blythe starts to doubt her own mind.

Years later, her son Sam brings the closeness she had hoped for. Violet, too, seems fond of her little brother. Then a sudden crisis changes their lives. It forces Blythe to face the truth.

Ashley Audrain’s first novel is a psychological thriller and family drama. It suits readers who like tense home lives and strained bonds. Blythe tells the story of a family forming, then falling apart. The book asks what we expect mothers to be. It explores the mixed feelings a mother can have. It also shows how the past shapes the present. At its heart lies a fear about those closest to us. We may never quite know them. The novel has a graphic account of birth.

This edition forms part of the Buzz Books series. Its original title is The Push. Audrain left her role as publicity director at Penguin Books Canada. She left to care for her two children, then wrote this book. She had lived in Los Angeles. She later settled in Toronto with her family.