With Your Bad Self

“A vivid and immersive story that speaks to the centre of human desire.”

—Jendella Benson, Hope & Glory


“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


“Harkening back to literary greats like Ann Petry and Kristin Hunter, Kerika Fields’s
‘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