With Your Bad Self

Can a love story survive in an economically challenged Brooklyn on the verge of World War II?

Marie and Benjamin are in love, but World War II is approaching and so is the military draft for Benjamin. But one adversity after the other forces them to separate.

Heartbroken, Marie can only keep surviving while hoping that Benjamin comes back to her. But while he's away, another man comes knocking on her heart. Pushed to marry him by everyone around her, Marie needs to make a tough decision-waiting for Benjamin and following her dreams to see the world or move on with her life with another man?

A vivid and immersive story that speaks to the centre of human desire. -- Jendella Benson author of Hope & Glory
Harkening back to literary greats like Ann Petry and Kristin Hunter, Kerika Fields' WITH YOUR BAD SELF is an emotional knockout. In Marie, we meet a woman whose desires were curtailed, but never killed, allowing us to interrogate the true natures of loss, liberation, and love. With an ear fine-tuned to the intricacies of language, and a compassionate heart calibrated to the many meanings of longing, Fields reminds us that life, though never perfect, can be a beautiful dance if we only allow ourselves to move with, and not against, it. I couldn't love this book more if I tried. -- Mateo Askaripour author of Black Buck
With a tone reminiscent of Nella Larson'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
A lyrical and beautifully composed exploration of love in all its complexity. The prose captures you from the start while the story keeps you reading until the very last word. Simply stunning. -- Frances Mensah Williams, author of Strictly Friends

Kerika Fields is a New York-based writer and photographer whose work has been published and exhibited widely. Her articles have appeared in Essence, Variety, VIBE, and The Source, among others. She is also the author of "He's Gone...You're Back: The Right Way to Get Over Mr. Wrong" (Kensington Publishing). "With Your Bad Self" is her first book with Jacaranda Books. She currently lives in Brooklyn with her daughter, husband, and cat Smokey. Visit her at Withyourbadself.com

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