In "Devil Is Fine" by John Vercher, the protagonist is thrust into a journey of self-discovery and reconciliation after the sudden loss of his teenage son. Struggling with grief, he unexpectedly inherits a plot of land from his estranged grandfather, leading him to a beach town with intentions to sell. However, what he uncovers beneath the surface is a painful legacy: a former plantation passed down by his white mother's family. As a biracial Black man, he grapples with the complexities of his identity and the weight of his familial history.
Vercher skillfully navigates the blurred lines between reality and imagination, past and present, tragedy and humor. Through his protagonist's journey, he explores themes of fatherhood, inheritance, and the struggle for reclamation of a painful past. With echoes of Paul Beatty's sharp wit and Zadie Smith's nuanced storytelling, "Devil Is Fine" promises to be a darkly humorous and thought-provoking exploration of the legacies we inherit and the ones we leave behind.