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Fight Night

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Fight Night

Written by: Miriam Toews
Narrated by: Georgia Toews, Miriam Toews
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About this listen

NATIONAL BESTSELLER

SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2021 SCOTIABANK GILLER PRIZE

FINALIST FOR THE 2021 ATWOOD GIBSON WRITERS’ TRUST FICTION PRIZE

Named a Best Book of the Year by The Globe and Mail ● CBC ● USA Today ● NPR

A New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice

An Amazon Editors’ Pick

An Indie Next Pick

An Apple Book of the Month

One of Indigo’s “Top 10 Best Canadian Fiction Books of 2021”

The beloved author of bestsellers Women Talking, All My Puny Sorrows, and A Complicated Kindness returns with a funny, smart, headlong rush of a novel full of wit, flawless writing, and a tribute to perseverance and love in an unusual family.

Fight Night is told in the unforgettable voice of Swiv, a nine-year-old living in Toronto with her pregnant mother, who is raising Swiv while caring for her own elderly, frail, yet extraordinarily lively mother. When Swiv is expelled from school, Grandma takes on the role of teacher and gives her the task of writing to Swiv's absent father about life in the household during the last trimester of the pregnancy. In turn, Swiv gives Grandma an assignment: to write a letter to "Gord," her unborn grandchild (and Swiv's soon-to-be brother or sister). "You’re a small thing," Grandma writes to Gord, "and you must learn to fight."

As Swiv records her thoughts and observations, Fight Night unspools the pain, love, laughter, and above all, will to live a good life across three generations of women in a close-knit family. But it is Swiv’s exasperating, wise and irrepressible Grandma who is at the heart of this novel: someone who knows intimately what it costs to survive in this world, yet has found a way—painfully, joyously, ferociously—to love and fight to the end, on her own terms.

©2021 Miriam Toews (P)2021 Knopf Canada
Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Literature & Fiction Women's Fiction Funny Witty Heartfelt Pregnancy
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What the critics say

NATIONAL BESTSELLER

SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2021 SCOTIABANK GILLER PRIZE
FINALIST FOR THE 2021 ATWOOD GIBSON WRITERS' TRUST FICTION PRIZE

One of Indigo’s “Top 10 Best Canadian Fiction Books of 2021”

“Toews is a master of voice, and Swiv's . . . is one that I could read forever. . . . [A]s Elvira says, ‘To be alive means full body contact with the absurd. Still, we can be happy.’ This is an apt mission statement for Toews's body of work. Fight Night makes an ardent, hilarious, and moving addition.” —NPR

“[A] joyful, powerful, philosophical book. . . . It’s a profound affirmation of storytelling as a life force. . . . While life can be and is hard . . . what becomes obvious in Fight Night is that love wins out over everything.” —Deborah Dundas, Toronto Star

“[Fight Night] is a touching tribute to the matrilineal bond among three women of different generations. . . . Toews’ greatest talent lies in creating messy and lovable characters—the kind of people you’d want on your team (or coaching your team) if you were in a fight. Not because they are the strongest, but because somewhere inside themselves they’ve found the energy to keep moving forward.” Los Angeles Times

Giller 2021 Shortlist Author Spotlight: Miriam Toews

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What listeners say about Fight Night

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Excellent

This is one of those books that you can’t put down but you don’t want to ever end. I loved the characters, the quirky humour, the setting - well, everything! I’m so glad that I listened to the audible version with the author and her relative reading! I feel I know Swiv and her family and that Mariam Toews somehow knows mine!
Loved it!

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A beautiful story

Love this author and this book. Just a wonderfully written account of family and relationships between mothers and daughters and granddaughters. I found it easy to connect with emotionally as it reminded me of myself and my own connection to my grandmother.

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lighthearted with substance

the story made me chuckle, and cry. it was a nice change after something heavy. i liked the characters, and the voice was perfect for the main character.

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Good story

Heartfelt and genuine. I love the perspective of the 10 year Swiv. I really enjoyed listening to it in the office voice in her daughters voice too. I did wonder how much it was from their actual lives?

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Moving, funny, touching!

The narration was brilliant - one of the best books I’ve listened to. I didn’t want this book to end. So many life lessons; wishing I had this “Grandma” in my life. So wonderful to revisit a teenager’s thoughts and feelings. Brilliant!!

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AMAZING!!

Book was fantastic!

I would listen to ANY book read by Georgia Toews!! She was incredible!

5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ all around!!!

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Absolutely loved.

As moving, heartbreaking, and laugh-out-loud as novels come. Fight Night characters were hilarious in their irreverence and moving in their humanity. Thank you for a fabulous novel.

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Fantastic!

My first Miriam Toews book and what an absolute joy. Such rich and wonderful characters, and so well written.

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Fight Night - Wonderful

OMG, I loved every word of this novel. So delightful to listen to and identify with so many characters! Another wonderful Canadian writer!

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Tears and laughter

At times moved to tears and in the next line laughing out loud, this was a most satisfying read.

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