What do you think?
Rate this book
The Harris Family
The unforgettable crew of characters from RM Johnson's bestselling debut novel, The Harris Men, returns in a riveting story of love, loss, and second chances.
Julius Harris walked out on his family twenty-five years ago—and not a moment goes by when he doesn't regret it. Five years ago, after learning he had cancer, Julius tried to make peace with his three sons. It didn't take. Now, the disease has gone into remission. Overjoyed, Julius is grateful for this miracle, and the time it affords him to make up for his past mistakes.
It won't be easy. In Chicago, life isn't exactly simple for his three grown sons. The oldest, Austin, a successful attorney, struggles to be a good father to his children despite his ex-wife's attempts to turn them against him. Marcus, the middle son, wrestles with a fear of commitment that drives away the woman he loves. And young Caleb, just released from prison, fights to rebuild his life and win back his wife and child. The three Harris brothers have a hard enough time being there for each other—let alone a father they haven't seen in years. Nor are they sure they even want him in their lives.
Filled with intrigue, romance, and shocking twists, The Harris Family is a deliciously gripping novel of contemporary black relationships and, ultimately, a moving testament to the power of family, love, and forgiveness.
Julius Harris walked out on his family twenty-five years ago—and not a moment goes by when he doesn't regret it. Five years ago, after learning he had cancer, Julius tried to make peace with his three sons. It didn't take. Now, the disease has gone into remission. Overjoyed, Julius is grateful for this miracle, and the time it affords him to make up for his past mistakes.
It won't be easy. In Chicago, life isn't exactly simple for his three grown sons. The oldest, Austin, a successful attorney, struggles to be a good father to his children despite his ex-wife's attempts to turn them against him. Marcus, the middle son, wrestles with a fear of commitment that drives away the woman he loves. And young Caleb, just released from prison, fights to rebuild his life and win back his wife and child. The three Harris brothers have a hard enough time being there for each other—let alone a father they haven't seen in years. Nor are they sure they even want him in their lives.
Filled with intrigue, romance, and shocking twists, The Harris Family is a deliciously gripping novel of contemporary black relationships and, ultimately, a moving testament to the power of family, love, and forgiveness.
- GenresAfrican American
368 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 30, 2001
6 people are currently reading
253 people want to read
About the author
R.M. Johnson
32 books240 followersRM Johnson was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. After high school, he served five years in the United States Army. After which he received his Bachelors degree in science, from the University of Louisiana. He worked as an x-ray technologist, and radiation therapist for a number of years while continuously working on his writing, and earned a Masters degree in creative writing from Chicago State University
In 1996, RM wrote THE HARRIS MEN, and in 1999 it was published by Simon & Schuster. It was received with critical acclaim and quickly became a best-seller.
Since then, RM Johnson has written nine novels, to include the best-sellers, THE HARRIS FAMILY, DATING GAMES, and THE MILLION DOLLAR DIVORCE. STACIE AND COLE was his first young adult novel, published in December 2007 by Hyperion Books.
His latest novel, THE MILLION DOLLAR DECEPTION is the sequel to THE MILLION DOLLAR DIVORCE.
In June of 2009, RM threw his ring into the non-fiction ring with WHY MEN FEAR MARRIAGE.
THE MILLION DOLLAR DEMISE is his latest novel.
In 1996, RM wrote THE HARRIS MEN, and in 1999 it was published by Simon & Schuster. It was received with critical acclaim and quickly became a best-seller.
Since then, RM Johnson has written nine novels, to include the best-sellers, THE HARRIS FAMILY, DATING GAMES, and THE MILLION DOLLAR DIVORCE. STACIE AND COLE was his first young adult novel, published in December 2007 by Hyperion Books.
His latest novel, THE MILLION DOLLAR DECEPTION is the sequel to THE MILLION DOLLAR DIVORCE.
In June of 2009, RM threw his ring into the non-fiction ring with WHY MEN FEAR MARRIAGE.
THE MILLION DOLLAR DEMISE is his latest novel.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
January 5, 2021
Redemption and Love
This book is definitely a good read! My eyes are teared up and multiple emotions running through my mind and heart. It is a realistic conclusion to The Harris Men. Story well told in a realistic way.
This book is definitely a good read! My eyes are teared up and multiple emotions running through my mind and heart. It is a realistic conclusion to The Harris Men. Story well told in a realistic way.
December 9, 2020
Wow I first reviewed the first part of this book The Harris Men in 2014---and here we are on the sequel LOL good thing I leave myself such detailed reviews so I can practically jump back in this one ..yup again I went to my personal bookshelves while waiting on library holds and found this one hidden away-- sigh I really must get to reading the books I own LOL...so here we go..
The book starts with Julian finding out that his terminal cancer diagnosis and anticipated one year to live was false and somehow his cancer is in remission and he lived an additional five years..After finding out his prognosis he immediately blamed it on his karma for abandoning his wife and three sons twenty-five years ago..Ah yes remember hating this from the first book too-how cowardly and despicable as a father..Rightfully so the oldest son Austin and middle son Marcus want nothing to do with him and carry on the hatred but the youngest son Caleb-in jail and desperate to provide for his family begins correspondence with Julius…
The book goes into each son’s life:
Caleb--Into a manipulative relationship with Julius in a both manipulative and supportive move agrees to house Caleb’s girlfriend and son while he does his time. Through letters they form a tentative bond which is threatened when Sylvia the girlfriend moves out and Caleb comes home with no idea that she left….
Marcus--a real idiot with an apartment and a girlfriend who decides that for some reason he doesn’t want that and does the dumbest thing ever to end his relationship.. This dude decides to invite another woman over for his girlfriend to catch him making out with her so she will leave and he won’t have to be honest and just break up with her. He does it and then repents and wants her back, like really what kind of stupid game is that..
Austin--Impulsive, revengeful and silly Austin who from the last book decided to leave his wife and two kids just like his father though he did resolve to be a good father to his children..Until the one day that his ex-wife hits him with a low blow on how he shouldn’t play with or take for granted his children’s love for him and he does another dumb move by deciding not to see the kids anymore with devastating consequences to his daughter..
There are a bunch of twists and surprises for each character and it all resolves nicely for them all though there are scares and tragedies woven throughout...Overall this was not predictable but familiar to me somehow and not a bad read as I got what I expected-family drama, men unable to deal with emotion, women wanting families and stability more than anything even fidelity and respect at times, and lots of moments of self-reflection and contemplation of actions by each character...
The book starts with Julian finding out that his terminal cancer diagnosis and anticipated one year to live was false and somehow his cancer is in remission and he lived an additional five years..After finding out his prognosis he immediately blamed it on his karma for abandoning his wife and three sons twenty-five years ago..Ah yes remember hating this from the first book too-how cowardly and despicable as a father..Rightfully so the oldest son Austin and middle son Marcus want nothing to do with him and carry on the hatred but the youngest son Caleb-in jail and desperate to provide for his family begins correspondence with Julius…
The book goes into each son’s life:
Caleb--Into a manipulative relationship with Julius in a both manipulative and supportive move agrees to house Caleb’s girlfriend and son while he does his time. Through letters they form a tentative bond which is threatened when Sylvia the girlfriend moves out and Caleb comes home with no idea that she left….
Marcus--a real idiot with an apartment and a girlfriend who decides that for some reason he doesn’t want that and does the dumbest thing ever to end his relationship.. This dude decides to invite another woman over for his girlfriend to catch him making out with her so she will leave and he won’t have to be honest and just break up with her. He does it and then repents and wants her back, like really what kind of stupid game is that..
Austin--Impulsive, revengeful and silly Austin who from the last book decided to leave his wife and two kids just like his father though he did resolve to be a good father to his children..Until the one day that his ex-wife hits him with a low blow on how he shouldn’t play with or take for granted his children’s love for him and he does another dumb move by deciding not to see the kids anymore with devastating consequences to his daughter..
There are a bunch of twists and surprises for each character and it all resolves nicely for them all though there are scares and tragedies woven throughout...Overall this was not predictable but familiar to me somehow and not a bad read as I got what I expected-family drama, men unable to deal with emotion, women wanting families and stability more than anything even fidelity and respect at times, and lots of moments of self-reflection and contemplation of actions by each character...
June 19, 2018
Oh my goodness gravy! Loved this book! Loved, loved, loved. The storytelling was amazing. It read like a movie. The Harris Family continues the story of the brothers in The Harris Men. The characters that I found unlikeable in THM somehow managed to endear themselves to me early on in this book. Here is a much as I can say without giving too much away...
Austin, the oldest brother, is divorced from his wife Tracee. They are navigating the tumultuous waters of newly-divorced-but-gotta-share-the-kids-and-oh-I-still-love-my-ex. I could not stomach Austin in THM, but this sequel he was far more likable. Though he was still a tactless, volatile jerk, he was a bit more humble. Austin is redeemed in this book, and this is not a spoiler because you still need to read the book to see how this redemption comes... and it is beautiful.
Marcus, the middle son, has met his match in new (and pregnant) wife Reecie. She doesn't let him get away with anything lol. In this book he has relaxed his moral code, but he's gone way too far. He's cut-off his brothers and still isn't talking to his father. Now that he has Reecie and a child on the way, it seems he wants to cocoon himself into his little world. Of all the brothers, Marcus has the most inner demons. We get to see how he allows these demons to nearly drag him to depths that he will likely not return from. The dialog between Marcus and Reecie had me laughing out loud.
Caleb, the youngest son is fresh off of a 5-year prison stint for his role in a robbery that ended with the death of one of his close friends (Ray Ray). I was a bit disappointed that we didn't learn anything more about Blue's fate. (Blue was also involved in the robbery). As soon as Caleb is released, he goes to visit Ray Ray's parents. This visit sets him on his own course of redemption. Caleb's main goal, however, is to reunite with his wife, child, and father. Though all the storylines were great, Caleb's really grabs you and won't let go.
Julian, the boys' father, is in remission. There is very little I can tell here without giving something away. So, I'll just say that Julian's journey is heartbreaking. It seems implausible to give sympathy to a man who walked out on his children for no reason other than he wanted to. I guess his story serves as a reminder that the very worse things we do don't have to define who we are.
This book was well worth the read. It made it to my re-read shelf. There were several laugh-out-loud moments, several "what the f******ck" moments, and several moments when I had to close the book and walk away for a minute. Here is one non-spoiler example... we learn that Austin tells Tracee that he had an affair right in the midst of his son's birthday party. He casually leans over and whispers it in her ear, then walks over to his son and asks him what he wished for when he blew out his candles lol. His reasoning? He didn't want to tell her later and chance her blowing up lol.
Hilarious. Just hilarious.
Read the book. Enjoy the book!
Austin, the oldest brother, is divorced from his wife Tracee. They are navigating the tumultuous waters of newly-divorced-but-gotta-share-the-kids-and-oh-I-still-love-my-ex. I could not stomach Austin in THM, but this sequel he was far more likable. Though he was still a tactless, volatile jerk, he was a bit more humble. Austin is redeemed in this book, and this is not a spoiler because you still need to read the book to see how this redemption comes... and it is beautiful.
Marcus, the middle son, has met his match in new (and pregnant) wife Reecie. She doesn't let him get away with anything lol. In this book he has relaxed his moral code, but he's gone way too far. He's cut-off his brothers and still isn't talking to his father. Now that he has Reecie and a child on the way, it seems he wants to cocoon himself into his little world. Of all the brothers, Marcus has the most inner demons. We get to see how he allows these demons to nearly drag him to depths that he will likely not return from. The dialog between Marcus and Reecie had me laughing out loud.
Caleb, the youngest son is fresh off of a 5-year prison stint for his role in a robbery that ended with the death of one of his close friends (Ray Ray). I was a bit disappointed that we didn't learn anything more about Blue's fate. (Blue was also involved in the robbery). As soon as Caleb is released, he goes to visit Ray Ray's parents. This visit sets him on his own course of redemption. Caleb's main goal, however, is to reunite with his wife, child, and father. Though all the storylines were great, Caleb's really grabs you and won't let go.
Julian, the boys' father, is in remission. There is very little I can tell here without giving something away. So, I'll just say that Julian's journey is heartbreaking. It seems implausible to give sympathy to a man who walked out on his children for no reason other than he wanted to. I guess his story serves as a reminder that the very worse things we do don't have to define who we are.
This book was well worth the read. It made it to my re-read shelf. There were several laugh-out-loud moments, several "what the f******ck" moments, and several moments when I had to close the book and walk away for a minute. Here is one non-spoiler example... we learn that Austin tells Tracee that he had an affair right in the midst of his son's birthday party. He casually leans over and whispers it in her ear, then walks over to his son and asks him what he wished for when he blew out his candles lol. His reasoning? He didn't want to tell her later and chance her blowing up lol.
Hilarious. Just hilarious.
Read the book. Enjoy the book!
May 30, 2021
3.5 stars. This work has enough drama for three novels. It is quite impressive for a first novel. The Harris family has been sundered by Julius (the father) leaving the mother and the three boys. The angst and pain of the sons is palpable. Some of the plot points are a bit weak; but the three brothers jumped up off the page and became three dimensional characters. I felt their pain and am very glad the work did not get tied up in a neat bow because that is how life generally works out. I am looking forward to reading Mr. Johnson's second book which I believe has just been published.
November 10, 2017
This was an old book that was picked for bookclub. The story of a man and his 3 estranged adult sons and his attempts to get back into their lives. Julius who had been diagnosed with cancer 5 years earlier was in remission. The boys are not only estranged from their dad who had abandoned them when their mother died had issues themselves and were no longer close. I don't want to tell you the end but I found the story interesting when it picked up the pace half way through the story.
November 2, 2017
A fairly good read.
Storyline was a bit weak. I would probably read another book from this author but I would hope that he would add more depth to the story as well as the characters.
Storyline was a bit weak. I would probably read another book from this author but I would hope that he would add more depth to the story as well as the characters.
March 23, 2022
I just finished reading this it was really good and I'm glad that Marcus forgave their father. I'm also happy that Marcus wife and baby were ok.
August 28, 2022
Good book.
November 18, 2012
This book brought me to the memory of my father and me, father and son's relation. The feeling of hatred of my father's bad demeanor toward us during his life and the hatred feeling had been sneaking and eating up energy till I understood his love. My adult life has turned the hatred into remorse feeling that in the very late I realized that My father is the best daddy in the world "if only did I know all the control freaks of his is the epitome of fatherly love I bet I would even love me more ! Miss you daddy and I have dying to dance with you again..someday ! Tear-droppings story and I just love it'
February 10, 2013
I read "The Harris Family" a while ago and was so impressed with it that I sent R.M. Johnson an email (he answered me back -- thank you Mr. Johnson!). I plan to continue with the Harris Family saga. I could see this novel as a made for television movie. Some of the family issues are "typical"; I could almost guess some of the next moves but was still very surprised at some of the interactions between family and spouses. I'd recommend it.
March 24, 2015
Although the book was good, there were a lot of unexpected twists and turns that took away from it, unlike the first book. Despite that, the book ended perfectly with a theme of love and forgiveness!
June 19, 2009
This book is an emotional journey of strong black men dealing with real life issues and heartache and forgiveness.
May 5, 2013
I love the Harris family. It gives you a small look into fiction from the man's point of view. You almost see they are just as complex, if not more,than women.
May 26, 2014
great book about family life. got strange twist
July 30, 2013
This was a great sequel. The course of events led to a satisfying conclusion for everyone in the Harris family.
October 12, 2016
I wanted a different ending but sometimes it has to go down that way. Overall good book.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews