THE HARRIS MEN by R.M. Johnson is an effortful first novel that features an African-American father seeking reconciliation with the three sons he abandoned 20 years earlier. Julius Harris, diagnosed with terminal cancer as the story opens, begins a campaign to make peace with his three sons, now grown men in their 30s.

"Mr. Harris, I'm sorry, but you have cancer." Although devastated to learn he has just one year to live, fifty-five-year-old Julius Harris has always known that the day would come when he would pay for walking out on his wife and three children twenty years earlier. Now, with a udden and passionate determination to make his family whole again, Julius begins trying to find a way back to his sons, now grown men in their 30's.

In Chicago, the three sons have managed in one way or another to stay together in spite of serious problems. The oldest, Austin, is a successful lawyer. His growing responsibilities as father and husband have become a burden to him. He so adores what he remembers of his father that he's following in his footsteps, abandoning his wife and children just as Julius had done. Caleb, the youngest, couldn't care less about his absentee father. He has a girlfriend and young son and can't seem to hold down a job, which jeopardizes his family despite the efforts of beneficent African-American business owner Joseph Benning, who tries to give him a chance. Marcus, the middle son, is a graphic artist whose main role is to prevent Austin and Caleb from losing sight of each other. His own fear of loss and abandonment by those he loves gets in the way of his committing to the one woman who has turned his life around.

Inspired by RM Johnson's own fragile family history, The Harris Men is his poignant exploration of the increasing problem of absentee fathers -- and of the compromises made by the families they leave behind. As the Harris men grapple with their fears and their choices, Johnson gets to the very heart of what it means to be a man.

R.M. Johnson is also the author of Father Found and The Harris Family (sequel to The Harris Men). His short story, "Slipping and Falling" was featured in the collection of erotic short stories entitled Brown Sugar, published in January 2001. Also in November 2001, his essay, "Fear of a Blue Uniform" was featured in the anthology Not Guilty: Twelve Black Men on Life, Law and Justice. Rm Johnson's fourth novel, Love Frustration will be released in October 2002 by Simon & Schuster. He presently lives in Washington, D.C. where he is at work on his fifth novel.

Back to Book Selections