Worthy

Worthy is a work of urban fiction that follows its protagonist, Ayanna Holliver, as she wrestles with secrets, betrayal, and the quest for unconditional love. Set in the mid-1990's, Ayanna, who is a first generation college graduate, has come back to her rough East Atlanta hometown after the disappearance of her drug-dealing brother. She vows to make a difference as a third-grade teacher in the deteriorating neighborhood's elementary school. Seeking acceptance within her community, as well as her own dysfunctional family, Ayanna comes to terms with the community's hostility to her new ideas and their determination to never let Ayanna forget her promiscuous past. The potential for romance enters when Leon, a nervous and tormented young man from Baton Rouge, becomes Ayanna's roommate. His attempts to hide his past forces Ayanna to realize that her own troubles stem from a secret that threatens to destroy both her family and her sanity.