Ashley Audrain

Ashley Audrain
Born1982 (age 41–42)
Newmarket, Ontario, Canada
Occupationwriter

Ashley Audrain (born 1982) is a Canadian writer.[1][2] She is known for two novels, The Push (2021) and The Whispers (2023), which were each published as part of a high-profile contract.

Career

[edit]

Prior to turning her hand to writing, Audrain was publicity director for Penguin Canada, which is now an imprint of the Canadian division of Penguin Random House.[1][2] In 2015 a health crisis with her youngest child caused her to retire.[citation needed] She found writing was an occupation she could undertake at home.[citation needed]

The Bookseller reported that her UK book deal with Michael Joseph Limited, an imprint of the UK division of Penguin Random House, was worth approximately £1,000,000, while her US book deal was in "the high seven figures".[3] The first book of the two-book deal, The Push, was released for sale in US and Canada on January 5, 2021.[4]

During a July 2019 interview with the Toronto Star Audrain had described The Push as a "psychological drama told through the lens of motherhood." The story is about a woman who is unsure whether or not there is something wrong with her daughter, Violet. This causes strain in her marriage to a man named Fox Connor. The novel was a critical success and well received by audiences. On Book Marks, a review aggregator, the novel holds a total "Rave" consensus, based on 14 independent mainstream critic appraisals: 12 "Rave", 1 "Positive", and 1 more neutral.[5] This included discussions on The Guardian,[6] the Los Angeles Times,[7] and The New York Times Book Review.[8] Kirkus Reviews called it "finely wrought psychological study of motherhood and inherited trauma", and concluded that it is "written for and about mothers but not for the faint of heart; it offers no easy answers." Publishers Weekly gave it a starred review for the "twisty, harrowing ride to the dark side of motherhood Audrain pilots so skillfully... a sterling addition to the burgeoning canon of bad seed suspense."[9] It was nominated for the Goodreads Choice Award for Debut and Mystery & Thriller. Selected as a Richard & Judy Book Club in Spring 2022. It won the Arthur Ellis Award for First Novel, presented annually by the Crime Writers of Canada.[10]

The second book, The Whispers, was published June 6, 2023. According to Book Marks, the novel holds a total "Positive" consensus, based on 4 independent mainstream critic appraisals.[11]

Works

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  • The Push (2021)
  • The Whispers (2023)

References

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  1. ^ a b Raju Mudhar (2019-07-10). "Meet Ashley Audrain, the Toronto author who has the publishing world buzzing". Toronto Star. Archived from the original on 2019-07-11. Retrieved 2019-07-11. Viking U.S. also quickly bought the book. This is almost unheard of in the industry, as it's an unpublished debut novel, it was sold outside of a book fair and the summer is generally considered a quiet time in the publishing world.
  2. ^ a b Ryan Porter (2019-07-11). "Former Penguin publicist lands record-breaking deal for debut novel". Quill & Quire. Archived from the original on 2019-07-11. Retrieved 2019-07-11. Penguin Canada, which bought the Canadian rights as part of a two-book deal, didn't have to look far for Audrain – the 37-year-old worked as the publisher's in-house publicity director until 2015.
  3. ^ Heloise Wood (2019-07-10). "Audrain's debut thriller nets £1m in UK deal". The Bookseller. Archived from the original on 2019-07-11. Retrieved 2019-07-11. The Bookseller understands the UK deal is worth £1m ($1.2m) while the subsequent deal with Pamela Dorman Books/Viking in the US is a higher seven-figure deal. Milburn did not disclose the figures. The Bookseller sourced the figures from third parties.
  4. ^ "The Push Written by Ashley Audrain". PenguinRandomHouse.ca. Penguin Random House. Retrieved 6 January 2021.
  5. ^ "Book Marks reviews of The Push by Ashley Audrain". Book Marks. Retrieved 2024-07-08.
  6. ^ Kent, Christobel (2021-01-02). "The Push by Ashley Audrain review – the dark side of motherhood". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-07-08.
  7. ^ Woods, Paula L. (2021-01-14). "Review: In a debut thriller, a 'bad mother' story you can actually believe". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2024-07-08.
  8. ^ Martin, Claire (2021-01-05). "When the Hand That Rocks the Cradle Is Suspicious of the Baby Inside". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-07-08.
  9. ^ "The Push by Ashley Audrain". www.publishersweekly.com. Retrieved 2024-07-08.
  10. ^ "Toronto author Ashley Audrain among the winners of 2022 Crime Writers of Canada Awards". CBC Books. May 26, 2022. Retrieved March 3, 2023.
  11. ^ "Book Marks reviews of The Whispers by Ashley Audrain". Book Marks. Retrieved 2024-07-08.
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