The Ascent

A Novel

De: Allison Buccola

Narrado por: Carlotta Brentan

What would you do if the past showed up on your doorstep?

A woman who grew up in a cult must decide if she can trust the stranger claiming to have answers to the dark mysteries of her childhood in “a standout thriller with something deeper on its mind: how the past doesn’t just haunt you, it reshapes you” (The Seattle Times).

“I tore through this book and was genuinely shocked by its ending!”—Ana Reyes, New York Times bestselling author of The House in the Pines

For decades, the whereabouts of The Fifteen has been an unsolved mystery. All the members of this reclusive commune outside Philadelphia vanished twenty years ago, except for one: a twelve-year-old girl found wandering alone on the side of the road.

In the years since that morning, Lee Burton has tried to put the pain of her past behind her, building a new identity for herself with a doting husband and seven-month-old daughter, Lucy. But motherhood is proving a bigger challenge than she anticipated. She doesn’t want to let Lucy out of her sight even for a moment. She can’t return to work. She’s not sleeping, and she has started spiraling into paranoia.

Then a stranger shows up on her doorstep, offering answers to all of Lee’s questions about her past—if Lee could only trust that this woman is who she says she is. Can Lee keep her safe, stable life? Or will new revelations about “the cult that went missing” shatter everything? In The Ascent, Allison Buccola has crafted a nerve-rattling thriller about motherhood, identity, and the truths we think we know about our families.©2025 Allison Buccola (P)2025 Random House Audio

Reseñas de la Crítica

“Unsettling . . . People have long been fascinated with cults, and this twisty thriller will absolutely appeal.”—Library Journal

“The mystery at the heart of this novel is irresistible: How could fifteen people, all part of a doomsday cult, simply vanish one morning without a trace? The Ascent follows the only member left behind as she struggles to protect herself and her child from the trauma of her past and the dangers of her present. I tore through this book and was genuinely shocked by its ending!”—Ana Reyes, New York Times bestselling author of The House in the Pines

"I read this enthralling psychological thriller in one fell swoop. Every time I thought I would put it down, it sucked me back in and I lost an entire night of sleep. The Ascent is an intense examination of motherhood, trauma, marriage, and our fascination with cults. . . . I loved it.”—Jo Piazza, internationally bestselling author of Everyone Is Lying to You

The novel was raw and an honest look at motherhood as well as the mystery of a cult. Twists and turns throughout

This was one of the best novels I’ve listened to in a while! When I finished it, I was sad that there wasn’t more to read, it was so good! The writing is masterful and lays out the story of a mother struggling to be a good mother who was raised in a cult beautifully. There are twists and turns throughout the novel which made me not want to put it down! Instead I listened to it straight through only pausing to sleep; it was so great. I suggest this novel to anyone looking for a suspenseful, thriller to read! I just loved the whole story and will be looking forward to more books by this brilliant new author!

What an emotional listening rollercoaster ride, with so many twist and turns. A hook, line and a major catch!

I love a story that pulls and tugs at my thoughts and heart causing me to imagine and grapple with so many different outcomes, and then just when I have that ah ha moment, thinking I have it figured out, it takes me somewhere I never even saw coming.

The goosebumps I experienced at the end of this book will stay with me for quite some time.