Book Review: The Push & Reading Recommendations for Black History Month
Ashley Audrain, Author - The Push. Image from The Toronto Star
One of the buzziest books this year is from Toronto debut author, Ashely Audrain. The thriller is about a new mother, Blythe, whose intergenerational trauma makes her question herself as a mother. The story is told from Blythe’s perspective and we learn from the first chapter that she is not living with her husband and their daughter. The book takes us on Blythe’s motherhood journey and unravels the mystery about why she is no longer part of the family she started. From Blythe’s perspective, there is something off about her daughter from infancy. There are chilling scenes that make Blythe not only question her maternal instincts but even her sanity. The reader is left to wonder if they can trust the narrator’s point of view.
The book is a page-turner not just because you want to figure out what’s going on but because of the format itself – some chapters are only a couple pages and the tension builds from each chapter.
If you are a fan of psychological thrillers you may love this book. But, be forewarned, this is not your typical thriller as it delves into deep themes that may be triggering for some readers. It explores issues of child abuse and neglect, depression, infidelity, child death, suicide, anxiety, gas lighting and alcoholism.
Although I couldn’t put the book down, I cannot honestly say that I enjoyed reading it. There were times where I was holding my breath and had to put the book down to collect my thoughts. I’m not sure what message the author wants the reader to receive from this story. For me, the central question in the book is how much of a person’s personality and behaviour can be attributed to nature versus nurture. This book is perfect for book clubs as it sparks many emotions, thoughts and topics for debate.
Image from @thoughtsonplots
BLACK HISTORY MONTH
Black voices and stories should be uplifted, amplified and celebrated all year long. But if you are looking to read books in honour of Black history month, here is a diverse list of books written by Black authors. The books below are varied creative expressions of the Black experience.
Fiction
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
The Book of Negroes by Lawrence Hill
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
The Color Purple by Alice Walker
The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
Beloved by Toni Morrison
Kindred by Octavia E. Butler
An American Marriage by Tayari Jones
Such A Fun Age by Kiley Reid
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward
Lot by Bryan Washington
The Prophets by Robert Jones Jr.
The Girl With the Louding Voice by Abi Dare
Party of Two by Jasmine Guillory
Get A Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert
Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender
Non-Fiction
The Hill We Climb by Amanda Gorman
Born A Crime by Trevor Noah
The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Alex Haley
Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes
Hunger, A Memoir of (My) Body by Roxanne Gay
Caste by Isabel Wilkerson
I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
The Skin We’re In by Desmond Cole
Becoming by Michelle Obama
Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson
The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin
How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi
I’m Still Here by Austin Channing Brown
Between The World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
Hood Feminism by Mikki Kendall
Four Hundred Souls edited by Ibram X. Kendi and Keisha N. Blain
Have you read any of these books or do you have any to add to the list. Let me know in the comments.
Shonna is a Toronto area lawyer and avid lover of books and pop culture.
