The Fighter

Canadian edition

Coming soon from Soho Press

Coming soon from Picador UK

Summary: Paul Harris leads a sheltered existence. The son of a Niagara winery owner, his suits and cars are paid for, his career in the family business assured. He is insulated from the rough realities of life—until a vicious barroom beating sets him down a new path. Rob Tully also feels that his life is on a set course. A born boxer with natural talent, Rob trains with his father, Reuben, and his uncle Tommy, both of whom believe that a gift like his can change their lives. Rob and Paul's fathers want so much more for their sons than they ever had themselves, but both sons are determined to find their own way. While Paul descends into the world of hardcore bodybuilders and boxing gyms, Rob struggles under the expectations set upon his young shoulders. Their disparate paths lead to The Barn, an underground fight venue where vicious and hopeless men brawl for cold hard cash. No rules, no limits, no brakes. And when two fighters step into a ring where anything goes, sometimes only one walks out. Set in the violent world of illegal bare-knuckle boxing, The Fighter unflinchingly captures that world's colourful denizens, its bleakness, its bracing and bloody violence. Written with the power and originality of Craig Davidson's debut fiction, Rust and Bone, The Fighter secures his reputation as a talent to watch with this reflection on fathers and sons and on the ultimate question of how a modern man makes his way in today's society. Blurbs: Irvine Welsh, author of Trainspotting and Filth "This is more than a stunning debut. It reminds me how vacuous, banal and insipid most highly-touted fiction is. Craig Davidson asks—and answers—some big, uncomfortable questions about the nature of our humanity. The Fighter is an essential novel, destined for cult status at the very least." Reviews: From Quill & Quire