We read this for January 2026 book club. Join us for weekly content on books.

While Nora Loreto’s book is specifically focused on feminism in Canada, the principles of activism in Take Back the Fight apply broadly to all activism in today’s digital world.

Both feminism¹ and freedom (see next months book At a Loss For Words) have typically been defined as freedom for white affluent classes, with progress enhancing their standing. People of colour have even made backward strides while white women, and affluent white men, have claimed strides in freedom and the rights of women. The rise of neoliberalism has convinced us that the solitary figure will enhance the freedom and rights of all and that an overarching organization helping direct action is not to be trusted². This solitary figure harms the quest for societal equity and feminists as they watch the solitary liberal figure fail in the face of an organized far right³.

Where it’s easy to think that online discourse has widened the horizons of many as it casts debate and ideas further afield, it also allows bad faith actors to jump into debates⁴. They can hijack a debate, then when you tell them they’re no longer welcome complain that you’re not inclusive if an idea challenges your thinking. The far right does this on purpose, trying to say they’re just asking questions, but doing so to create outrage and paint any liberal voice as intolerant.

Just as politicians wrap themselves in feminist words to appear to support women, they wrap themselves in the trappings of freedom to gain more power for themselves on the backs of citizens. Loreto cited the former Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, who used lots of nice feminist language in his talks⁵. His Liberal government made few structural changes that changed the dynamics women live under. In fact when a female cabinet minister stood up to him and would not close down an investigation into a company his family had ties to, she was ousted.

We see the same trappings of language taken on by Donald Trump right now, who says he’s fighting for freedom, while getting ICE to take as much freedom away from US Citizens. He wants them to incite violence so he has justification to quell it.

Yes Loreto focuses on Canadian feminism, but her book is broadly applicable to resistance, and is a good read if you want to take your activism from social media posts that mean little⁶ to the hard work that changes society, this is a good book to read.

• Purchase Take Back the Fight

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