Books
Devil Is Fine
From acclaimed novelist John Vercher, a profoundly moving novel of what it means to be a father, a son, a writer, and a biracial American fighting to reconcile the past
Reeling from the sudden death of his teenage son, our narrator receives a letter from an attorney: he has just inherited a plot of land from his estranged grandfather. He travels to a beach town several hours south of his home with the intention of immediately selling the land. But upon inspection, what lies beneath the dirt is much more than he can process in the throes of grief. As a biracial Black man struggling with the many facets of his identity, he’s now the owner of a former plantation passed down by the men on his white mother’s side of the family.
Vercher deftly blurs the lines between real and imagined, past and present, tragedy and humor, and fathers and sons in this story of discovery―and a fight for reclamation―of a painful past. With the wit of Paul Beatty’s The Sellout and the nuance of Zadie Smith’s On Beauty, Devil Is Fine is a darkly funny and brilliantly crafted dissection of the legacies we leave behind and those we inherit.
IndieNext Pick
An NPR Book of the Day
TIME Magazine - 24 New Books You Need to Read This Summer
LA Times - 10 books to add to your reading list in June
The Root - Books by Black Authors We Can't Wait to Read
Chicago Review of Books - 12 Must-Read Books of June 2024
Praise for Devil Is Fine
"A mystical, profound journey into an unraveling identity."
―Bookpage, Starred Review
"Vercher (After the Lights Go Out, 2022) masterfully builds a haunting tale of grief, family secrets, and unacknowledged crimes of racism that inevitably resurface. With dark humor, psychological suspense, ghost-story elements, and echoes of Percival Everett's Erasure (the source of the film American Fiction), Devil Is Fine is a multilayered portrayal of one man’s struggle with his personal demons and a white society’s steadfast refusal to confront its own."
- Booklist, Starred review
"In John Vercher’s heart-wrenching novel, Devil Is Fine, the unnamed protagonist, a biracial writer, finds himself in constant conversation with the teenage son he unexpectedly lost....Caught between the natural world and the spirit one, he must come to terms with his family’s brutal past and his son’s death in order to find salvation."
―TIME
“Vercher’s [third] novel provides a startling perspective, even darker than American Fiction, on what it means to be a person of color operating within our nation’s book-publishing industry. As the unnamed narrator copes with parenting a teenage son, he receives an unexpected inheritance from his white mother’s family that triggers tragic visions ― and allows him to at last untangle his feelings about his own identity.”
―Los Angeles Times
"This powerful story of a family struck by tragedy is laced with magic and humor. No small feat."
―Center for Fiction
"John Vercher’s latest is a powerful exploration of fatherhood and family legacy that never fails to lead with its wit."
―The Chicago Review of Books' 12 Must-Read Books of June 2024
“In the wrenching latest from Vercher, a struggling biracial writer reckons with his painful family history…Readers won’t be able to look away.”
―Publishers Weekly
"Vercher’s novel is gut-wrenching, but he leavens it with some humor; one of the narrator’s fellow bar patrons calls him names like 'Colson Half-Whitehead' and 'Phony Morrison.' His prose is self-assured...It’s an intelligent book that never loses its heart."
―Kirkus
"Devil is Fine is many things: part meditation, part fever dream, and part high-wire act that, somehow, Vercher executes flawlessly. Few have the imagination to write like this, and even fewer have the skill."
- Jason Mott, author of National Book Award winner Hell of a Book
"As arresting as it is propulsive, Devil is Fine plunges readers into every parents' worst nightmare, and asks, What do we owe to those we've failed? Vercher's rapid-fire insights on fatherhood, loss, and redemption are necessary reading. The novel's final pages will leave you breathless."
- Jonathan Escoffery, author of the Booker Prize finalist If I Survive You
“Propulsive and meticulously crafted, Devil is Fine is full of mystery, magic, dark comedy, and heart. John Vercher writes Black father-and-son intimacies with a singular virtuosity. He also delivers a well-deserved skewering to racism in the worlds of academia and publishing. That he keeps these and other narrative balls in the air with aplomb is a brilliant feat. I loved this novel!”
- Deesha Philyaw, author of PEN/Faulkner award winning The Secret Lives of Church Ladies
"In Devil is Fine, we meet a man searching for his soul after losing his loved ones in more ways than one. John Vercher brilliantly paints a character and a society, like our own, that has been twisted by the essential unfairness of racism. But this is also an intimate novel, by turns bracing and hilarious thanks to our observant narrator. Readers will see the American project in a new way after reading and rereading this novel."
- Maurice Carlos Ruffin, author of PEN/Faulkner award finalist We Cast a Shadow
“What makes John Vercher such a gorgeous, brilliant storyteller is his courage to disappear inside the ghosts he inherits and emerge from them with gifts that could save us. Defiant and tender-hearted, hilarious and terrifying, Devil Is Fine reimagines the narrator as the ultimate talisman. Vercher has created a marvel out of grief and hope.”
- Sabrina Orah Mark, award-winning author ofHappily
“How can we bear a world in which the pain of our past threatens to extinguish the promise of our future? John Vercher’s lovingly caustic Devil Is Fine threads this question with dexterity and heart, allowing for the possibility that our flaws might also be our salvation.”
- Mira Jacob, author of national bestsellers Good Talk and The Sleepwalker’s Guide to Dancing
"In John Vercher's profoundly moving Devil Is Fine, an unforeseen and unwanted inheritance of a long-forgotten plantation haunts a mixed-race man with the ghosts of his past and his present while they play hide and seek with his sanity. Vercher plays the conceit to perfection in this taut, surreal novel as the legacies of colonialism, racism, and family trauma conspire to push a good man to the very reach of his limits."
- Ben Fountain, author of National Book Award finalist Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk
“In Devil is Fine, John Vercher delivers masterful language and movement, with an insight into the small moments of intimacy and hatred that send chills. He dives into estrangement and race with father and son, splitting emotion with code-switching and the brick walls of violence and shame. It’s a physical writing, with vital, organic movement, always deep with the elemental. As a reader, you are in the room with these flawed characters, you are next to them, you are inside them, breathing along with them. It’s a quick drop to metaphor, a stunning, slow fall to grief, as Vercher schools us in the value of half-truths and the path to some god and the devil inside us.”
- Jan Beatty, poet, author of Dragstripping and American Bastard
“Devil Is Fine by John Vercher is a poignant and compelling read offering a unique perspective on the enduring impact of America’s past. Vercher weaves a narrative that is as profound as it is poignant, delving deep into the soul of a biracial Black college professor grappling with the loss of his son and his inheritance of a land with a dark history. The book’s surreal elements blend seamlessly with raw, emotional truths, offering a narrative that is both singularly imaginative and intensely relatable. Vercher’s skillful handling of complex themes like tokenism, estrangement, and institutional religion, combined with his sharp, evocative prose, makes Devil Is Fine a compelling read that resonates long after the final page. This novel is not just a story, it’s an emotional journey that challenges and enlightens, making it a standout addition to contemporary speculative fiction. Highly recommended for fans of The Changeling by Victor LaValle.”
―Isis Asare, CEO/Founder of Sistah Scifi
“Devil Is Fine is filled with vibrant imagery and immersive storytelling! Vercher succeeds in merging dark magical realism, humor, and the reality of living as a Black person post the ‘racial reckoning’ that wasn’t. We are left with a story that has the authenticity of a memoir and an evocative exploration of identity.”
―Cetonia Weston-Roy, Niche Book Bar (Milwaukee, WI)
“This incredible novel is a vulnerable and deeply honest look into the nooks and crannies of the narrator’s heart, mind, and past. I couldn’t put it down!”
―Kiki Williams, Octavia’s Bookshelf (Pasadena, CA)
"Devil Is Fine by John Vercher is an intimate journey into the mind of a Black man who must learn to balance control with trust, the real with the supernatural, and his memory with his future. Both poetic and daring, Vercher’s novel challenges readers to seek solace in the gray areas, with surprises at every turn. Anyone who loves the ghost-themed stories of Jesmyn Ward or Toni Morrison will enjoy this new narrative."
―Ember Tharpe, Alkebu-Lan Images (Nashville, TN)
“At times heartbreaking and hilarious; this novel is so beautifully written that you have to reread certain passages. The narrator of this story takes us through so much of his life that you cannot escape thinking of his story long after you read the last page.”
―Becky Anderson, Anderson’s Bookshops (Naperville, IL)
“With Devil Is Fine, John Vercher continues to establish himself as an author who goes to the top of your TBR stack. His explorations of race, history, and family are illuminating ― and essential.”
―Jason Hafer, Reads & Company (Phoenixville, PA)
“An intricate and harrowing novel about how words left unspoken can have such a major impact on our lives.”
―Elizabeth Dowdy, Baldwin & Co (New Orleans, LA)
“John Vercher’s story begins with an ending, when our narrator is left to deal with what remains after the loss of his son amidst the day-to-day of navigating the world as a biracial man. He untangles the narrator’s grief by slipping through time as memories leak out ― a writing style so few could accomplish with such wit, profundity, and palpable heartbreak. This is not just a book about grief and loss. It is about moving through it and moving forward. It was captivating and heartbreaking.”
―Teagan Kimbro, MATTER (Denver, CO)
“Absolutely loved it. Fell in love with our narrator from the first pages…I have never seen an author forge such intimacy so swiftly and make me care deeply about each and every relationship explored in the book. Something really wonderful about being carried along in this unique way…his voice in my head…felt like I was seeing through his eyes…feeling his emotions. And the intriguing and twisty mystery planted in the beginning that grows and grows…and did I mention, all the wry humor that had me smiling wide and shaking my head.”
—Karen West, Book Passage (Corte Madera, CA)
"An unnerving novel that wades into the murky, often traumatic, waters of ancestry with grace and dark wit. As longtime fans of John Vercher's novels, Devil is Fine does not disappoint." —Alex & Christina Schneider, Owners of A Novel Idea on Passyunk (Philadelphia, PA)
After the Lights Go Out
A harrowing and spellbinding story about family, the complications of mixed-race relationships, misplaced loyalties, and the price athletes pay to entertain—from the critically acclaimed author of Three-Fifths
Xavier “Scarecrow” Wallace, a mixed-race MMA fighter on the wrong side of thirty, is facing the fight of his life. Xavier can no longer deny he is losing his battle with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), or pugilistic dementia. Through the fog of memory loss, migraines, and paranoia, Xavier does his best to stay in shape while he waits for the call that will reinstate him after a year-long suspension. He watches his diet and trains every day at the Philadelphia gym owned by his cousin-cum-manager, Shot, a retired champion boxer to whom Xavier owes an unpayable debt.
Xavier makes ends meet by teaching youth classes at Shot’s gym and by living rent-free in the house of his white father, whom Xavier has been forced to commit to a nursing home because of the progress of his end-stage Alzheimer’s. Dementia has revealed his father’s latent racism and Xavier finally gains insight into why his Black mother left the family when Xavier was young.
Then Xavier is offered a chance at redemption: a last-minute comeback fight in the largest MMA promotion. If he can get himself back in the game, he’ll be able to clear his name and begin to pay off Shot. But with his memory in shreds and his life crumbling around him, can Xavier hold onto the focus he needs to survive?
Available NOW from Soho Press. Order HERE.
Praise for After the Lights Go Out
“Shrewd and explosive.”
—The New York Times
“Riveting.”
—NPR’s Fresh Air
“Sheer perfection”
—The Independent
"A knockout... The sweet science and its permutations also allow for exploration of issues like access to healthcare, race and class. John Vercher’s sophomore novel, After the Lights Go Out, approaches these topics like a fighter hitting the heavy bag, applying a keen eye and ear to make the story and language 'bounce up and down, not swing.'"
—The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
“Vercher (Three-Fifths) strides back in the ring with the explosive story of a troubled Philadelphia MMA fighter whose career has stalled . . . expertly captures the brashness and discipline of combat sports as well as the harsh realities of the fighting life, delivering all of it in a swiftly paced triumph complete with a surprising one-two punch of a conclusion. This is simply brilliant.”
—Publishers Weekly, Starred Review
“The fight-game story is enough to drive most novels, but this one goes way beyond that. The scenes involving Xavier and his father are agonizing in their soul-shattering horror; the portrait of the Black nursing-home worker who absorbs Sam's abuse is breathtaking in its complexity; and Xavier's internal battle as his brain functions fail him brings home the quintessential noir emotion of powerlessness. This is a difficult novel to read, but there is a deep and sustaining humanity at its core.”
—Booklist, Starred Review
“John Vercher writes like a fighter, a dancer, an athlete. The prose is nimble and nothing on the page is wasted. His writing knows when to throw a punch, and, in a novel that explores the intersection of race, class, celebrity, and healthcare, John Vercher leaves it all in the ring. Here is a novelist at the height of his power. After the Lights Go Out left my heart black and blue, and I loved every moment of the beating it took.”
—Wiley Cash, New York Times bestselling author of When Ghosts Come Home
“John Vercher’s latest is a spellbinding tour de force. It’s the gut-wrenching story of Xavier 'Scarecrow' Wallace, an over-the-hill MMA fighter still looking for that last shot at redemption, even as his mind and body succumb to the ravages of his years spent in the cage. Written in deft and visceral prose—Vercher’s trademark—After the Lights Go Out is one of the best books I’ve read this year. I loved every moment of it, even the ones that broke my heart.”
—Lauren Wilkinson, author of American Spy
“Vercher gives us a nuanced, troubled protagonist trying to keep his head up in a dark and dangerous world. His novel is troubling, powerful, and ultimately, surprisingly, poignant.”
—Ben H. Winters, author of The Last Policeman and Underground Airlines
“After the Lights Go Out is a heartbreaking look at Xavier Wallace’s fight inside the cage and out. John Vercher gives us an unraveling understanding of Xavier’s tumultuous relationship with his white father and Black mother, and the seedy underbelly of fighting. It’s a riveting story where the drama propels you from page to page. All these threads kept me reading, but what kept me most engrossed is that although Xavier is involved in many battles, his most formidable opponent might just be himself. Vercher is a master of interior tension. This book grabs you and doesn’t let go.”
—Crystal Wilkinson, Kentucky’s Poet Laureate and author of Perfect Black and The Birds of Opulence
“John Vercher’s After the Lights Go Out is a universal story about the grim realities of a savage sport and a savage world. Think Warrior by way of Fat City. It’s poetic, evocative, and charged with passion. It’s full of hope and heartache. Xavier ‘Scarecrow’ Wallace is a character I just can’t shake.”
—William Boyle, author of Shoot the Moonlight Out and City of Margins
"One person's entertainment is another's extraordinary trauma of the mind, body, and soul in John Vercher's stunning, stone-cold knockout, After the Lights Go Out. Heart-wrenching in its portrayal of anger, betrayal, and the value placed on the bodies of combat athletes, Vercher's novel is as relentless as it is unforgettable. Brutally elegant prose, jet fuel-like propulsiveness, and Vercher's powerhouse voice force us to confront a profound and tragic question: How do you save yourself when you're the person you trust least? Dear reader, brace yourself."
—P. J. Vernon, author of Bath Haus and When You Find Me
“John Vercher shares this gripping, tragic tale with great compassion, deftly guiding the reader through the MMA world, the nuances of mixed-race identity, and the questionable allegiances that form when the world forces people to prove their own humanity. Never has winning seemed so bittersweet, and never have I felt so much for such a complicated character.”
—Chris L. Terry, author of Black Card and Zero Fade
“In his new book After the Lights Go Out, John Vercher writes with the intensity of championship rounds. It had me hooked from start to finish.”
—Kevin Powers, author of The Yellow Birds
“Powerful, bruising and beautiful, After The Lights Go Out is a blistering story of love and loyalty, family, class and belonging. Those who haven't discovered John Vercher yet are seriously missing out. Outstanding.”
—Chris Whitaker, author of We Begin at the End
“After the Lights Go Out left me breathless. A riveting portrait of masculinity, vulnerability and alienation, it couples propulsive action with an aching tenderness. So exquisite is the result, I would go as far as to say that John Vercher could well be the next Great American Novelist.”
—Kia Abdullah, author of Next of Kin
“One of the many careful ironies of Vercher's novel is that Xavier, his character suffering with pugilistic dementia, is completely unforgettable. The prose is deft, weaving and feinting just as its characters do. There is rawness and pain at the heart of this novel, but also enormous insight and empathy. What could have been the tale of a man on the skids becomes a story about a man fighting for so much more than his own career.”
—Henrietta McKervey, author of A Talented Man
“Heartbreaking and gripping in equal measure - I caught myself holding my breath, waiting for the next blow to land, never sure if it would be the last. A fascinating exploration of pugilistic dementia.”
—Joe Heap, author of When the Music Stops
“John Vercher's After The Lights Go Out is exactly the type of book one needs about the fighting life and what it costs those who get paid to give and receive punishment; it is a novel driven by permanent consequences-some suffered in the moment, and others that echo from years past. Vercher never lets us forget this cumulative damage, or the way it narrows the main character's increasingly desperate choices, and the novel is all the more brilliant for it.”
—Ryan Gattis, author of All Involved
Three-Fifths
Shortlisted 2021 The Crime Writer’s Association John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger
2020 Nominee The Strand Magazine’s Critics’ Awards for Best Debut Novel
2020 Nominee Edgar Award for Best First Novel
2020 Anthony Award Nominee for Best First Novel
2020 Nominee Left Coast Crime’s “Lefty” Award For Best Debut Novel
“Vercher's first novel gets Agora Books, a new imprint dedicated to diverse crime fiction, off to a fast start…Vercher builds strong, multifaceted characters with bold strokes and using the tools of noir to present what is finally a full-blown tragedy. This powerful exploration of race and identity pairs well with Steph Cha's superb Your House Will Pay (2019).” —Bill Ott, Booklist (STARRED Review)
“Vercher deftly explores identity and the ethics of accountability in this debut. Fans of realistic social issue narratives will be immersed in the moral dilemmas of this timely novel.” —Library Journal (STARRED Review)
“Vercher’s debut novel is a blunt-edged thriller…A sad, swift tale bearing rueful observations about color and class as urgent now as 24 years ago.”—Kirkus
Out NOW from Polis/Agora Books. Order from your local independent bookstore HERE.
