Genre Fiction
![Miriam Toews - [object Object] author](https://res.cloudinary.com/readsomnia/image/upload/authors/a_a_miriam_toews.jpg)
Fight Night
"Move over, Scout Finch! There's a new contender for feistiest girl in fiction, and her name is Swiv." -USA Today, "Best Books of the Year"
"Toews is a master of dialogue." -New York Times Book Review, Editors' Choice
"A revelation." -Richard Russo
NPR Best Books of the Year * Shortlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize * Writers' Trust Fiction Prize Finalist * Indie Next Pick * Amazon Editors' Pick * Apple Book of the Month
From the bestselling author of Women Talking and All My Puny Sorrows, a compassionate, darkly humorous, and deeply wise novel about three generations of women.
"You're a small thing," Grandma writes, "and you must learn to fight." Swiv's Grandma, Elvira, has been fighting all her life. From her upbringing in a strict religious community, she has fought those who wanted to take away her joy, her independence, and her spirit. She has fought to make peace with her loved ones when they have chosen to leave her. And now, even as her health fails, Grandma is fighting for her family: for her daughter, partnerless and in the third term of a pregnancy; and for her granddaughter Swiv, a spirited nine-year-old who has been suspended from school. Cramped together in their Toronto home, on the precipice of extraordinary change, Grandma and Swiv undertake a vital new project, setting out to explain their lives in letters they will never send.
Alternating between the exuberant, precocious voice of young Swiv and her irrepressible, tenacious Grandma, Fight Night is a love letter to mothers and grandmothers, and to all the women who are still fighting-painfully, ferociously- for a way to live on their own terms.
"Toews is a master of dialogue." -New York Times Book Review, Editors' Choice
"A revelation." -Richard Russo
NPR Best Books of the Year * Shortlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize * Writers' Trust Fiction Prize Finalist * Indie Next Pick * Amazon Editors' Pick * Apple Book of the Month
From the bestselling author of Women Talking and All My Puny Sorrows, a compassionate, darkly humorous, and deeply wise novel about three generations of women.
"You're a small thing," Grandma writes, "and you must learn to fight." Swiv's Grandma, Elvira, has been fighting all her life. From her upbringing in a strict religious community, she has fought those who wanted to take away her joy, her independence, and her spirit. She has fought to make peace with her loved ones when they have chosen to leave her. And now, even as her health fails, Grandma is fighting for her family: for her daughter, partnerless and in the third term of a pregnancy; and for her granddaughter Swiv, a spirited nine-year-old who has been suspended from school. Cramped together in their Toronto home, on the precipice of extraordinary change, Grandma and Swiv undertake a vital new project, setting out to explain their lives in letters they will never send.
Alternating between the exuberant, precocious voice of young Swiv and her irrepressible, tenacious Grandma, Fight Night is a love letter to mothers and grandmothers, and to all the women who are still fighting-painfully, ferociously- for a way to live on their own terms.
Editorial Reviews
"Toews is a master of dialogue, swirling the adults' perspectives through Swiv's imperfect ventriloquism as if she were mixing paints." ―New York Times Book Review, Editors' Choice
"Ardent, hilarious, and moving." ―NPR.org
"If the book's overwhelming tenderness makes the reader cry, they'll be, as Swiv's mother teaches her, 'tears of happiness.'" ―Nadja Spiegelman, New York Times
"A touching tribute to the matrilineal bond among three women of different generations." ―Los Angeles Times
"Toews will make you cheer and sob for all concerned." ―Boston Globe
"Go Grandma Elvira!" ―Margaret Atwood via Twitter
"The last book that made me cry. It took only a line or two to be reminded of why I read fiction and why I write it. Toews doesn't simply narrate a story; she fashions a world." ―Joshua Ferris, The Guardian
"A big-hearted, briskly paced family saga about the extraordinary love that binds three generations of free-spirited women together, and the tools and techniques that they've had to develop to survive." ―USA Today, "Best Books of the Year"
"You wouldn't think it's possible to write a book about a family grappling with the legacy of mental illness that's also hilarious. But Miriam is such a beautiful and funny writer. She really locates the comedy in difficult life situations. I recommend it [Fight Night] so highly." ―Rumaan Alam on NBC-TV TODAY, "What to Read"
"I laughed and cried reading this book; I can't think of a higher endorsement." ―BuzzFeed, "Best Books of the Year"
"Toews can always see the light through the darkness, and with grace and tenderness and humor, tells how to live with it, really live." ―Literary Hub, "Favorite Books of the Year"
"A love letter to our brave and brilliant matriarchs." ―Glamour
"A novel as moving as it is full of humor . . . As Susan Cole, in Now Magazine, says, 'Few authors mix humor and deep emotion with Toews's skill.'" ―The Millions, "Most Anticipated"
"Miriam Toews [is] a master of the novel. Every book of hers is magic. This one's magic is terrify...
"Ardent, hilarious, and moving." ―NPR.org
"If the book's overwhelming tenderness makes the reader cry, they'll be, as Swiv's mother teaches her, 'tears of happiness.'" ―Nadja Spiegelman, New York Times
"A touching tribute to the matrilineal bond among three women of different generations." ―Los Angeles Times
"Toews will make you cheer and sob for all concerned." ―Boston Globe
"Go Grandma Elvira!" ―Margaret Atwood via Twitter
"The last book that made me cry. It took only a line or two to be reminded of why I read fiction and why I write it. Toews doesn't simply narrate a story; she fashions a world." ―Joshua Ferris, The Guardian
"A big-hearted, briskly paced family saga about the extraordinary love that binds three generations of free-spirited women together, and the tools and techniques that they've had to develop to survive." ―USA Today, "Best Books of the Year"
"You wouldn't think it's possible to write a book about a family grappling with the legacy of mental illness that's also hilarious. But Miriam is such a beautiful and funny writer. She really locates the comedy in difficult life situations. I recommend it [Fight Night] so highly." ―Rumaan Alam on NBC-TV TODAY, "What to Read"
"I laughed and cried reading this book; I can't think of a higher endorsement." ―BuzzFeed, "Best Books of the Year"
"Toews can always see the light through the darkness, and with grace and tenderness and humor, tells how to live with it, really live." ―Literary Hub, "Favorite Books of the Year"
"A love letter to our brave and brilliant matriarchs." ―Glamour
"A novel as moving as it is full of humor . . . As Susan Cole, in Now Magazine, says, 'Few authors mix humor and deep emotion with Toews's skill.'" ―The Millions, "Most Anticipated"
"Miriam Toews [is] a master of the novel. Every book of hers is magic. This one's magic is terrify...
Readers Top Reviews
D. PaigeSelinasparkl
This book made me laugh, and laugh, and laugh. And cry a bit, too. Swiv is an observant, empathetic, hysterical narrator whose voice and personality shine with authenticity. She and Grandma Elvira make quite a memorable team. Brilliant writing.
Yvonne AdamLaura J.
I stick with a book for a long time and I am usually glad I did. Sometimes, there is just an author's quirk that you eventually get used to or overlook. This is the first book in years that I abandoned early on. The writing style is scattered. Just a run on stream of consciousness. Other writers have done this with style and class, such as Faulkner's 'The Sound and the Fury'. This is anything but, just disjointed and annoying. I feel cheated, because no doubt the characters were interesting, from what other reviewers have posted. But I have better things to do then to slog through this.
Ely Lanza
I think Miriam Toews is a very versatile author and excels in nearly everything she attempts. This book was a little difficult to get into during the first ~20 pages, but I really got attached to the characters and I found it to be comical and heartbreaking in the same. This is the only book that has made me laugh out loud in a long, long time. It’s simple, and it’s strange, but I wholeheartedly recommend it. You’ll find yourself laughing, and possibly even crying by the end.
Kindle
I laughed and I cried in this beautifully written novel about what it takes to be a family. The imperfections, love and laughter were wonderfully portrayed in all the characters.
E. Severance
The grandmother is super funny and endearing. She kept making me laugh out loud. I wish the book had a different ending, but still highly recommend it--especially to anyone who enjoys eccentrics or needs a dose of joie de vivre.
