Book Blurb:
Fight Night by Miriam Toews 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.
My Review: 4 stars
Fight Night by Miriam Toews is a wonderfully heartwarming story filled with sarcasm and humor on every page. This book is told by the oh so precocious nine-year-old Swiv, who will steal your heart from the start. She lives with her geriatric pregnant mother and hilarious grandmother, who just steals the show with her insight and commentary. They are the perfect trio!
The writing is sharp, witty and meaningful. It’s a character driven book and these are characters that will stay with you long after you finish. The three converse as if they are all adults and for those that think Swiv is unrealistic for her age, it’s because of the openness and frank dialogue that she overhears and often participates in. For some, this could be bothersome, but I found it completely refreshing.
The overall theme revolves around the love of family, who to fight for and who to support.
Quotes I liked:
You can only die once so don’t die a thousand times worrying about it.”
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