I think most people have heard of the 2009 film ‘Precious’, even if they haven’t seen it. It’s notorious, one of the most upsetting films of all time. I saw ‘Precious’ two years ago, when I was sixteen and about to start therapy for my own post-traumatic stress. The film hit me hard and incredibly close to home, and I was completely floored. Since then, I have thought of it often. Now nineteen, out of therapy and off medication, I decided to read ‘Push’ – the novel that inspired the film.
Though the subject matter is beyond difficult, I found I couldn’t put the book down. I absolutely devoured ‘Push’ in two sittings, broken up only by my need to sleep, and have spent the rest of the day in reflection. One thing that made me fall completely in love with the novel is the way its written, the way the words are laid out on the page. At the beginning of our story, Precious is illiterate. As she finally gets support, and the education she deserves, we literally see her improvement in the words on the page. Phonetic spellings and similar-but-incorrect letters slowly peter out from page to page as we see Precious gain the ability to put her thoughts and experiences on paper, giving the reader hope in spite of the hopeless events we are reading about.
Another highlight of this novel is Precious’ inner monologue. Sapphire conveys her character’s thoughts and opinions in a way that is so honest it hurts. Precious is not ‘the perfect victim’. At the beginning of the book, Precious is reluctantly accepting of her horrific circumstances. It is with the support of the community she builds that Precious manages to arm herself with the tools to escape, to save herself and her children. She learns about how much she has suffered, she learns about communities she had held in contempt, she grows, and she decides she is important. Precious becomes so determined to live, and to be happy. Sapphire crafts this growth masterfully, and the gradual incline in Precious’ life is beautiful to read.
I’d recommend ‘Push’ to anyone. It is a fantastic read, as long as it is something you can handle. It is not easy – it’s a story about a life filled with child abuse, incest, and illness. But it is also a story about hope, community, discovery, and freedom. ‘Push’ says anybody can make it, freedom is in reach, there is a way out, you are worth it.