A Coming -of- Age love story where ‘Love Conquers All’ may not be true this time.
With Your Bad Self: A Novella
by Kerika Fields
Brooklyn, 1939.Marie Young is nineteen years old, fiercely independent, and determined to build a life beyond the limits others have set for her. Working in a hospital kitchen by day and dreaming of something more by night, she struggles to balance family obligations, first love, and her own restless ambition.When a devastating heartbreak collides with the uncertainty of a world at war, Marie is forced to confront difficult truths about race, class, family loyalty, and the sacrifices women are expected to make. What follows is a journey of self-discovery that will change her forever.Warm, witty, and deeply human, With Your Bad Self captures a vibrant Black Brooklyn rarely seen in fiction while introducing a heroine readers will not soon forget
Praise for With Your Bad Self
“A vivid and immersive story that speaks to the centre of human desire.”
— Jendella Benson, author of Hope & Glory
“If you are a fan of larger known writers like James Baldwin, or lesser-known heavyweights like Ann Petry, you will become enraptured with Fields' prose, which floats from page to page like cigarette smoke.”
— Mateo Askaripour, author of Black Buck and This Great Hemisphere
“With a tone reminiscent of Nella Larsen's Quicksand, With Your Bad Self leaves everything on the page; hope, regret, and commitment to the choices we make, good or bad. A witty, heartfelt, and sometimes gut-wrenching read from Fields—definitely a writer to watch.”
— Maame Blue, author of Bad Love