In em Dark Sparring/em, Selina Tusitala Marsh combats family loss with all the techniques of poetry, ritual & Thai kickboxing at her disposal. The book & accompanying CD brim with fluid, humming list poems, literary shoutouts & personal elegies, as Marsh takes us through her mother`s diagnosis with cancer & the long journey out the other side of her illness. Along the way, she shows us other parts of her world: scenes from Matiatia to ?rapiu to Apia; classroom politics; the importance of leadership; & the reasons New Zealand is a `lucky` country. Dark Sparring has an appealing voice, a strong right hook & an affecting, rhythmic heart.