A Book that Starts like an Introspective Stroll, but Gathers Momentum like a Tsunami

The Whispers by Ashley Audrain, similar to another of her books, The Push, touches on the tipping balance of power in a relationship, and within the parents themselves, when a child comes into their lives. Up until that point a woman always has the freedom and options a husband does, presuming employment is equally remunerative. 

The books also involve the societal shift towards a couple becoming parents, the tribal expectations and responsibilities placed on male and female in this life passage, that impacts mothers more heavily, often in ways never anticipated, and frequently out of sync with the hard won equality in the workplace and widely evolving global community of the last century. 

Audrain’s narrative is further concerned with the internal dialogue women have with themselves as they are abruptly redefined by the outside world upon becoming mothers, and grappling with the enormity of this seismic psychological shift at the very moment they feel overwhelming responsibility for the well being of a completely vulnerable human, who by virtue of their being alone together, has the unceasing expectation this mother should satisfy every need they have or ever will have, as they simultaneously struggle simply to acquire the skill set and understanding to accomplish the immense task. 

Author Ashley Audrain is particularly adept at articulating feelings, emotions, a sense that things aren’t as they should be, an uneasiness in the present circumstances, a sense of psychological and social injustice, a foreshadowing of shifting realities, into words that fit like a glove, giving indelible images of things many of us might never have found the words or voice to make clear. Her books start like an introspective stroll, but gather momentum and force in a powerful, unforgettable manner, like a wave that lifts you from the sand, transporting you to destinations as yet undisclosed. 

The two books Audrain has written also have taut lines of suspense running through them. There are enough unanswered questions as the plot progresses, to keep readers turning the pages seeking answers. There are plot twists to keep ending guessers puzzling. Their endings fit the narrative and don’t disappoint. I will definitely be reading future books this author writes.