Devil Is Fine by John Vercher

Wednesday, Apr. 30, 2025--San Antonio

Devil Is Fine by John Vercher was longlisted for two prizes and was named a best book of 2024 by several sites.  It is the story of a biracial (mulatto) professor under a lot of stress:  His job is on the line because his first book, a prize winner, has not been followed with further publications and the deadline for receiving tenure or losing his job is approaching.  His 17-year-old son has recently died without the two of them resolving issues that had been developing since the son became an adolescent.  He has just inherited a piece of land which is a former plantation from his grandfather on the "white" side of his ancestry.  He has been having hallucinations since arriving at the plantation to inspect it and to make a decision regarding what to do with it.  He is imagining conversations with his son.  And he seems to be taken over by the spirit of the former plantation owner as excavations at the site uncover aspects of the past.  It's a fascinating story although quite surreal at times.  I gave the book 4 stars out of 5.