CLICK HERE FOR AN AUDIOBOOK COPY
BOOK SYNOPSIS
A stunning, fierce collection from a master of the short story and one of the most important writers of our time...
Read alone, each story in Lauren Groff’s electric collection is an individual triumph, bold, agile, and packed with power. Read together, they hum in exhilarating resonance. Ranging from the 1950s to the present day and moving across age, class, and region - from New England to Florida to California - these nine stories reflect and expand upon a shared theme: the ceaseless battle between humans’ dark and light angels.
“In every human there is both an animal and a god wrestling unto death,“ one character tells us. Among those we see caught in this match are a young woman suddenly responsible for her disabled sibling, a hot-tempered high school swimmer in need of an adult, a mother blinded by the loss of her family, and a banking scion endowed with a different kind of inheritance. Motivated by love, impeded by the double edges of other peoples’ good intentions, they try to do the right thing for as long as they can.
Precise, surprising, and provocative, anchored by profound insight into human nature, Brawler reveals the repeated, sometimes heartbreaking turning points between love and fear, compassion and violence, reason and instinct, altruism and what it takes to survive.
RECOMMENDED FOR: Grown-Ups
OUR BOOKS ARE LISTED BY AGE GROUP to indicate that the content is engaging and appropriate for those selected ages. PLEASE NOTE: They may not be the appropriate reading level for every individual at those ages or may extend beyond the brackets.
ADDITIONAL DETAILS:
Publisher: Riverhead Books
Publish Date: February 24, 2026
Pages: 288
Dimensions: 8.3 X 5.4 X 1.0 inches | 0.7 pounds
Language: English
Type: Hardcover
Condition: NEW
--------------------------------------------------------
PLEASE NOTE: Not everything that is available in our online collections is in-stock at our Booktique! If you order a book or product that is not readily available at either of our locations, we will notify you immediately via email, confirm your custom order approval, and order your item(s) right away (orders typically arrive within one week) OR we will suggest an in-stock substitution if your order is time-sensitive. We'll also suggest an alternative option if your requested book format is no longer available from our supplier. Please send us a message or email us at newbookjoy@gmail.com if you’d like to check availability before ordering!
We also have a TON of books and products in our Booktique that we’re working on uploading to our website as we speak… If you’re looking for something that’s not on our online store, please reach out!