The Things You'll Never Know

A Novel

By: Ashley Audrain

“Nobody delves as deep into the guts of motherhood as Ashley Audrain; she really is in a league of her own.” —Lisa Jewell

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Push, a bold, unputdownable story of motherhood, desire, betrayal, and loss told by a mother after her own death.

“All those moments in life that mark a before, and an after. Before the death of me, and after. Before they knew the truth of what happened, and after.”

Fiona stares up at the faces of her husband, Adam, and their children. They’ve found her on the hallway floor. The double doors slam on the ambulance, and Fiona watches it take her body away—but how can that be, if she’s still here in her home, with her family? That’s when she realizes her worst fear has come true: Fiona is dead.

In the days that follow, Fiona moves quietly among them, as they become increasingly suspicious about her death. Everyone seems to be hiding something—her depressive husband, her devoted best friend, her estranged younger sister, her precocious six-year-old son, and most of all, Fiona herself. That is, until her teenage daughter discovers Fiona’s diary—and the stunning betrayal she had been hiding.

Exploring the performative identities of womanhood, the cost of being good, and what we owe ourselves and each other in the face of desire, Ashley Audrain's daring, thought-provoking novel asks: will you find who you really are, before you die?

Critic reviews

Advance praise for The Things You'll Never Know:

“A daring, fiery novel about motherhood, womanhood, and desire. Audrain has an uncanny ability to render the female experience with aching precision. Filled with jaw-dropping twists and peopled with characters so real they could be blood relatives or neighbors, this electrifying novel will haunt you in the very best ways.”
—Nita Prose, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Maid series

“Ashley Audrain is an astonishingly rare talent. The Things You'll Never Know had me torn between ripping through the pages to find out what happened and soaking up every poignant observation about the beauty and burden of being a wife and mother. Audrain treats her characters with deep empathy while cutting straight to the bone. I felt the book in my body. I cried, my heart raced, and sometimes I was so overcome, I had to set it down. I loved it!”
—Carley Fortune, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Our Perfect Storm

“Ashley Audrain's ingenious third novel will hold you tightly in its arms until the very last word, and then haunt you when it ends. With her singular touch—spare, loaded, deliciously astute, elegant, and unflinching—Audrain explores a mother’s love and devotion, but also her secret desires and murky inner world. As coiled and complex as its protagonist, The Things You’ll Never Know made my head spin and split my heart open.”
—Emma Knight, New York Times bestselling author of The Life Cycle of the Common Octopus