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Alumna's debut novel breaks records - and silence - around myths of motherhood

From Western News, March 2, 2021
By Keri Ferguson

A publishing house executive leaves her job to raise her young family and pens a debut bestseller, attracting a $3-million two-book deal.

This may read like the synopsis of a story too good to be true, but it’s a chapter from Western alumna Ashley Audrain’s life.

Audrain’s debut novel The Push has been flying off shelves since its release in January, continuing a whirlwind response that started in early June, 2019, when a top literary agent responded to her query within 10 minutes. By July, Penguin had acquired English-language rights as part of a two-book deal in the U.K., U.S., and Canada, with another 23 translation rights deals signed in fewer than two weeks, setting an industry record. A nine-way bidding war for TV/film rights followed (continue reading).