I’ve been on the lookout for contemporary gothic novels by women for research I’m doing on my next novel, and Ashley Audrain’s new book The Push came to me at exactly the right moment. I was blown away by its intricate structure and creepy, claustrophobic content. I loved the way Audrain used the gothic form to craft a story about motherhood, and saw her as working within a maternal gothic tradition that goes all the way back to Mary Shelley in Frankenstein. Audrain’s book has so much to say about white, upper middle class motherhood and I felt myself reflected in much of what she wrote–the insistent pressure to talk about how “it’s all worth it!”, the lack of social and familial connections, the taboos around asking for help were all familiar.
As I was reading, I was also struck by similarities to Toni Morrison’s Beloved, which I wrote my Master’s thesis on. I started taking craft notes on the points of connection, and eventually found that I was sitting on an essay idea that I was excited about. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to work with Ellen and Carly at Ploughshares. They were both such smart, kind editors who helped me get this piece into good shape. If you’re interested you can read the essay here.
Elaine van der Geld 