‘Blythe,’ she finally whispers. ‘Something happened to Jet.’
Acknowledgments
To Madeleine Milburn, thank you for being an exceptional agent and human being, and for your passion, vision, warmth, and thoughtfulness. You are a life changer.
To the very special team at the Madeleine Milburn Literary, TV & Film Agency, especially Anna Hogarty, Georgia McVeigh, Giles Milburn, Sophie Pélissier, Georgina Simmonds, Liane-Louise Smith, Hayley Steed, and Rachel Yeoh, thank you for all that you do.
To Pamela Dorman, thank you for believing in this novel and in me. Learning from you has been an honor and a pleasure, and I feel incredibly fortunate to be one of your authors. Thank you to Brian Tart and the team at Viking Penguin, whose hands I’m so lucky to have this novel in: Bel Banta, Jane Cavolina, Tricia Conley, Andy Dudley, Tess Espinoza, Matt Giarratano, Rebecca Marsh, Randee Marullo, Nick Michal, Marie Michels, Lauren Monaco, Jeramie Orton, Lindsay Prevette, Jason Ramirez, Andrea Schulz, Roseanne Serra, Kate Stark, Mary Stone, and Claire Vaccaro.
To Maxine Hitchcock, fellow Oscar-mum, thank you for your certitude, for your thoughtful hand in making this novel better, and for being such a delight in this process. Thank you to Louise Moore and the wonderful group at Michael Joseph for your support from the beginning: Clare Bowren, Claire Bush, Zana Chaka, Anna Curvis, Christina Ellicott, Rebecca Hilsdon, Rebecca Jones, Nick Lowndes, Laura Nicol, Clare Parker, Vicky Photiou, Elizabeth Smith, and Lauren Wakefield.
To Nicole Winstanley, thank you for the pivotal guidance you’ve given me, as a publisher and as a mother, and for your generous confidence in me along the way. Your belief in this book means the world to me. To Kristin Cochrane and the fantastic team at Penguin Canada and Penguin Random House Canada, thank you for championing this book so strongly and for making this former publicist’s dreams come true, especially: Beth Cockeram, Anthony de Ridder, Dan French, Charidy Johnston, Bonnie Maitland, Meredith Pal, and David Ross.
To Beth Lockley, whose brilliance is matchless and whose friendship I have cherished dearly for over a decade, thank you for encouraging this book since it was a seed of an idea, and for the kind of genuine support I wish every woman could have in her life.
To the international publishers who came on board with such keenness, thank you.
To Linda Preussen, thank you for helping me learn how to write a better story, and to Amy Jones, thank you for the meaningful vote of confidence.
To Dr Kristine Laderoute, thank you for so willingly lending your psychological expertise.
To Ashley Bennion, the treasured other half of our writing group of two, thank you for reading countless drafts, for the hundreds of email exchanges, and for your years of support on and off the page.
I’m lucky to have wonderful friendships with some truly remarkable women. Thank you to each of you for your support, and for always asking, ‘How’s the writing going?’ even though the answer is usually avoidant! In particular, thank you to Jenny (Gleed) Leroux, Jenny Emery, and Ashley Thomson. And to Jessica Berry, for your insightful help with this story, and for your incredible enthusiasm that has made this whole journey even better – thank you.
To the Fizzell family, thank you for your love and support.
To Jackelyne Napilan, thank you for your loyal and loving care.
To Sara Audrain and Samantha Audrain, thank you for being so thrilled, and for making slow summer days with a book our status quo. To Cathy Audrain, who ensured we were a family of voracious readers, thank you for your incomparable love and devotion. To Mark Audrain, thank you for the writer’s gene, for your unwavering belief in me, and for being so very proud, always. It is a gift to have been raised by parents like mine, and I am grateful for them every day.
I started this novel when my son was six months old. Motherhood and a writing life mark the same new beginning for me, and both have been a joy and a privilege. Oscar and Waverly – you inspire me endlessly, and this is for you. And finally, thank you to my partner, Michael Fizzell, for making everything possible, and everything better.
If you loved
THE PUSH
look out for
THE
WHISPERS …
Available for pre-order now
THIS IS JUST
THE BEGINNING
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Penguin Books is part of the Penguin Random House group of companies whose addresses can be found at global.penguinrandomhouse.com.
First published in the United States of America by Viking in 2021
First published in Great Britain by Michael Joseph 2021
Copyright © Ashley Audrain, 2021
The moral right of the author has been asserted
Designed by Amanda Dewey
Jacket imagery © Ella Rothenstein and © Shutterstock
ISBN: 978-1-405-94505-9
This ebook is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorized distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author’s and publisher’s rights and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.
