Brawler: Stories

by Lauren Groff

One of our best American writers, Lauren Groff returns with a fierce new story collection, her first since the award-winning and bestselling Florida .

Each story in Lauren Groff’s electric collection is an individual triumph, bold, agile, and packed with power. 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 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. It is a timeless, stunning achievement from one of the very best short story writers working today.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, Literary Fiction, Literature

288 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication February 24, 2026

About the author

Lauren Groff was born in Cooperstown, N.Y. and grew up one block from the Baseball Hall of Fame. She graduated from Amherst College and has an MFA in fiction from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Her short stories have appeared or are forthcoming in a number of journals, including The Atlantic Monthly, Ploughshares, Glimmer Train, Hobart, and Five Points as well as in the anthologies Best American Short Stories 2007, Pushcart Prize XXXII, and Best New American Voices 2008.

She was awarded the Axton Fellowship in Fiction at the University of Louisville, and has had residencies and fellowships at Yaddo and the Vermont Studio Center.

She lives in Gainesville, Florida, with her husband, Clay, and her dog, Cooper.

Reviews

[Liz Hein · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nobody needs me to tell them Lauren Groff is good with words, but…y’all, Brawler is SO GOOD. I hadn’t read these stories before, and they’re all singularly wonderful. Together, they feel like we got removed from where we are and placed under Groff’s skin as she swims as a means to write. One of the greatest gifts of this book comes at the very end: Groff gives us what she was feeling or thinking about while writing each story. Not what they’re about, but what lives in her that necessitated that story being written.

Short story collections can be difficult to talk about as a whole, but if I had to boil this down, I would say these stories are about crossroads. Very Large or deceptively small moments in lives where everything changes for one reason or another. My favorites were The Wind, Between the Shadow and the Soul, To Sunland, Brawler, and Annunciation. I dare you to read this and not have to choose over half the stories as favorites 🤣

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I genuinely don't know how Lauren Groff does it--how each of her books are so different from each other, yet she still never misses.

The age-old advice is to write what you know, and, looking at Groff's notes at the end of Brawler, it appears many of the stories in this collection originated from one small idea taken from her life. She takes those tidbits and fashions a whole world around them in a few short paragraphs. Yes, that's what writers do, but I've read so many authors who repeat themselves in their work. Every protagonist is a writer or every story takes place in the same small town or every conflict is caused by a crotchety old man who is set in his ways. Every story of Groff's, however, is wholly original.

A throughline in this collection seems to be violence against women--specifically violence perpetrated by a man, often in domestic situations. We see a mother taking her children and fleeing from an abusive husband, another mother living with her daughter in a van so they can always stay one step ahead of the man that almost killed her, and a man who stalks his ex-lover in increasingly intrusive and violent ways.

Following that pattern, you'd expect the titular Brawler to be male, but she's female--a teen diver who is essentially raising herself and her hypochondriac mother. In passing, it's mentioned that she abandons swimming for diving after too many instances of brushing the crotches of her male teammates in the pool. "Most of the boys hadn't complained, some had even slowed down as they passed, but it took only one whiner, and then she was forced to switch to diving," Groff writes.

I found it interesting that the one story without an abusive male figure in fact contains a sexually abusive *female* figure, and Groff names the book after her. I look forward to when the book comes out to see what reviewers make of this and if Groff is asked about it in any interviews. That's the disadvantage of reading a book before its release--you want to talk about it but you're forced to remain patient.

[Natalie Duke · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. Gorgeous as always. Lauren Groff cannot write things I don’t love. Half of the stories were 5 stars for me: beautiful from start to finish. I lingered on lines that pummeled me. Two of the stories made me weep. The other half were also great but didn’t hit me as hard - probably because they didn’t relate as closely to my own personal troubles. My least favorite story was the one in the middle that was 80 pages. It was great but too long to be considered a short story, in my opinion. To sum up: Love her. Will always love her. Shower me in Lauren Groff’s words for eternity. Too much? 😂

[Troy]

Another amazing collection from one of our greatest living writers. The brilliance and complexity of these characters and stories unfurl with complete radiance. Groff is an exceptional short story writer and really gets you to think about the characters, their predicaments, their lives. Everything she writes feels real and true to life. She covers a lot of ground in this collection, moving through different historical periods to our modern era, but always manages to convey her protagonists at the apex of something profound happening in their lives, a moment of no return. Groff is a wonder.

Advanced digital galley provided by Riverhead/Netgalley, exp. pub date: Feb 24, 2026

[Tony · Rating 5 out of 5]

what’s the time, mr wolf? is an all-timer, very bee sting vibes

[Celine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I remain amazed by Groff's talent. As someone who has only recently gotten into short story collections (as in, over the last few years), I find that the right collection can resonate just as deeply as a full length novel.

The title story in here was my favorite. It was an absolute knockout - completely gutting. Everything else was hit or miss.

I'd still recommend picking this up, especially if you're hoping for something you can read a little of, here and there.

[Cindy (leavemetomybooks) · Rating 5 out of 5]

* thanks to Riverhead for the NetGalley review copy (pub date: February 24, 2026)

Loved this - review TK

[Meredith Abbott · Rating 5 out of 5]

I felt every emotion imaginable reading these short stories, and I loved every second of it. It was full of so many aspects of the human experience. Hunger. Rage. Trepidation. Depression. Vengeance. Unrequited love. Jealousy. Each story holds a special place in my heart as Groff’s writing reached inside myself and spoke to me through each character.

I don’t share many life experiences with them, but each of them were somehow relatable. I know nothing of marriage like in Between the Shadow and the Soul, but Eliza’s representation of disappointment after attempting to build yourself from the ground up was, personally, palpable. Chip, in What’s the Time, Mr. Wolf?, also especially told a story close to me with his tactile insecurity and indecisiveness.

I’m not writing this to pour my heart out but rather talk about Groff’s weaving of little bits of darkness within each work. Little bits of darkness that everyone can see within themselves. This book is for people exploring moments of, frankly, crappy times in their lives that are worth reminiscing about to gain perspective and grow.

Or maybe not. Don’t take my word for it; maybe I’m just cynical. Please read this collection so you can see for yourself. You won’t regret it (I think).

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 - I didn't enjoy the stories in the latter half of this collection quite as much, but the first half stunned me over and over again. I've been deeply distracted lately but I could pick up any one of the first five stories from where I'd left off and instantly fall right back in love with Groff's clear-eyed prose and the stunning insights of her characters. There's a lot about...maybe not parenting, but caretaking in these stories - who gets to be made caretaker in which strange and difficult situations, and how does the balance of power get knocked off kilter by all the tragic or mundane or mundanely tragic events and situations that humans find themselves in. Oh, our strange and terrible and lovely lives, and the all the fraught connections we make, and how they break us.

Thanks to Netgalley for the advance reading copy.

[Patricia Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

do not usually like short stories, however, this book of short stories is one to pick up and read. each story makes you think about humanity. the story about the dropping off of a mentally handicapped brother at a residence for him before the sister walks away to start her life was a heart breaking story. how sad for the both of them to be homeless. then there is the beginning story of spousal abuse and again homelessness. that seems to be a repeated theme in ways. the rich boy returning to his family home to recover from his alcoholism and the high school swimmer trying to maintain a residence with an mother with "health" issues. good book to pick up.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lauren Groff is one of the most talented and versatile writers out there. Her new collection of short stories is so beautifully written and so powerful. Containing nine stories, set across different locations and time periods, each story really evoked an emotional response. While it was a fast read for me, I was left thinking about the stories for days to come, especially the aftermath in “Under the Wave” and the ending of “Birdie.” Highly recommend! Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an advanced reader copy.

[this_eel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection is a perfect case of exquisite writing matched with forcefully unpleasant content. Every story is a premise hurled in the direction of the question, "What is the worst thing that can happen in this scenario?" Unsettling, precisely observed, beautifully written, fairly horrible. While I probably won't know for a while if I like this book, per se, or if I even am glad I read it, the experience was invigorating--for better or worse, Groff has the technical skill that could spawn careers. Picking apart nearly any one of these stories could make someone a substantially better writer.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fans of Groff’s writing (particularly “Florida”) will not be disappointed with this story collection — I certainly wasn’t. From the first page, it’s like snuggling under a warm but slightly itchy blanket: beautiful writing and generally unsettling stories that challenge you. Each story sank its hooks into me, and I’d recommend taking time to pause and reflect after each one, because the next one will be a new wild ride to contend with. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

[Kris · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection of stories is Lauren Groff at her finest. It's a terrific work of literature to give to any friend who loves fantastic writing. Some of the stories dig deep into the bonds of families and others are focused on individuals coming into their own. I enjoyed every story and especially appreciated Groff's postscript where she briefly mentions her inspiration or motivation for writing each one.

[Kim McGee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gritty stories of good and evil offer insight in average lives. They cover many decades as well as various parts of the country but the common thread is women just trying to navigate life fighting real and imagined demons. I don't usually enjoy short stories but these melded from one into the other seamlessly. I also enjoyed the author's notes on each which gave some background. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection was exemplary and Groff once again proves she’s a master with the short story format.
As done with Florida, she somehow packs so much emotion and atmosphere into a few sparse lines and delivers a much larger story than what the page count would make you think.
So impressive and so enjoyable!

[Meg · Rating 5 out of 5]

I generally don't love short stories but Lauren Groff's are exceptional. It was hard to finish each one and tear myself away from each world, but then the next one would grab equally as hard. The first two (The Wind, Between the Shadow and the Soul) and What's the Time, Mr Wolf? were especially gripping. I wished for some connection--like in Florida--but each were stand-alone excellent. I went back and reread a few after reading her notes at the end.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Groff's latest story collection is masterful. The final story is (for me) the best of an assortment of first-rate narratives, but maybe because I had to go back and read it again--not just because I thought it was great, but because I wasn't ready to be finished with this superb set of stories.

[Miranda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dayum

That was good

[Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

All hits no skips, Lauren Groff does it again

[Irmak]

So excitedddd

[Angela HS · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lauren Groff knows her way around a short story.

I like short stories to offer a snapshot into someone else’s life, keep me on my toes, and offer me something unexpected. For me, Brawler was a five-star read.

Usually in collections, some stand out while others were just meh. I thought all of these were excellent in their own way.

If you’re looking for a cozy, feel-good read, though, I wouldn’t recommend this for you.

Grateful to Goodreads for the advance readers copy! Brawler is scheduled to publish Feb. 24.