Rating: 
Summary: Let the old man die
Review: was the club's first reaction when we read the cover of the book but after reading more we had a different perspective. The women in the book were portrayed positively and the club agreed overall that it was interesting reading (there are 6 of us). We all thought Caleb was very immature and Austin was pompous and arrongant and Marcus was well meaning but controlling. This was a great first effort, we can't wait to read Father Found. This book shows how siblings can go through the same experiences yet turn out differently. We would highly recommend this book to others.
Rating: 
Summary: Impressive Debut
Review: RM Johnson's debut novel, "The Harris Men," provides a provocative look at the long-term affects of being raised in a fatherless home. To tackle this complex issue, Johnson utilizes a simple, but compelling and nicely crafted plot. A terminally ill absentee father who's final desire is to reconcile his relationship with his three sons, whom he left behind twenty years ago, and has had no contact with since. Johnson effectively supports this plot with the story's four main characters, Julius Harris and his sons Austin, Marcus and Caleb. Each of these characters are very well developed and likewise, very believable. Johnson is masterful in his ability to allow readers to form their own opinions about each of them, especially the three sons. Austin, the eldest son, could be viewed negatively by his actions; abandoning his wife and young children, with seemingly the same selfish motives that drove his father walk out on his family. The author effectively counters this negative viewpoint by revealing the deep emotional conflicts and pain that reside within Austin. Marcus, the middle brother, who is for most of the story portrayed as it's most sympathetic character, and the most heavily burdened of the brothers by their fathers abandonment and subsequent death of their mother, shows a brutally ruthless side of his personality at the story's end. The youngest son and black sheep of the family is Caleb. Caleb is the youngest son and black sheep of the family. An unmarried and often unemployed father of a young son, Caleb is likely the only character that can evoke equal parts of compassion and disdain from the reader. Difficult though it is to get past Julius abandoning his family, through his forced recognition of the fragility of life, Johnson is able to make us understand, if not like the reasons that Julius made the decisions that he did. Though a worthwhile read as is, the story could have been improved, through the further development some of it's intriguing secondary characters, such as Joseph Benning, the sympathetic businessman who longs to save the futures of wayward young black men like Caleb, and a greater diversity among the personalities of the women in the story; Tracy, Sonya and Reecie. Each of them are identically portrayed as strong, supportive women who are willing stand unobtrusively by their men as they struggle with the less than groundbreaking issues that plague them. Overall, "The Harris Men" is an entertaining and informative novel that offers a new, or at least unique insight into the issue of absentee fathers. For a rookie offering, "The Harris Men" is an impressive novel. Despite its lack of some minor details, it may ultimately be enough to make RM Johnson a formidable name among the growing crop of talented young, male African American authors.
Rating: 
Summary: Recommended Reading
Review: This is another book I found on Amazon.com. I brought this book 2 weeks ago, it took me less then 1 week to read it. The writer was very good. The book kept me interested, I didn't have to struggle to get through it. As a matter of fact I couldn't wait to turn the page to find out what had happened next to the Harris Boys. R.M. Keep up the good work. I also recommended this book to a group of girls in a bookstore trying to find out what to read.
Rating:
Summary: ABSOLUTELY AMAZING
Review: THIS ONE IS STRAIGHT ON POINT. EVERY AFRICAN AMERICAN MALE OUT THERE SHOULD HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO READ THIS REMARKABLE NOVEL. AS A AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMAN I CAN RELATE TO THE ISSUES AND STRUGGLES THAT OUR BROTHERS ARE SUBJECTED TO. EACH OF US ARE OR KNOW SOMEONE WHO IS/HAS BEEN THROUGH THE TURMOIL THAT HAVING AN ABSENT FATHER CAUSES. SO MANY OF THE SITUATIONS COVERED IN THIS BOOK HIT HOME WITH ME. MY HEART WENT OUT TO EACH OF THE BROTHERS, WHO WERE FORCED TO DEAL WITH THEIR OWN INDIVIDUAL "ISSUES", WHICH WERE A DIRECT RESULT OF HAVING THEIR FATHER WALK OUT ON THEM WITHOUT SO MUCH AS A CLUE "WHY". MR. JOHNSON HAS TRUELY MADE A DEDICATED FAN OUT OF ME. I JUST FINISHED HIS NOVEL LAST NIGHT, AND TODAY ON MY LUNCH BREAK I WENT OUT AND BOUGHT HIS LATEST.......FATHER FOUND. I'M CERTAIN I WON'T BE DISAPPOINTED. I LOOK FORWARD TO MANY, MANY MORE EXCEPTIONAL NOVELS BY THIS TRULY TALENTED AUTHOR!
Rating:
Summary: A Great Book!
Review: I have read a lot of fiction books by black authors both male and female but one of the complaints I've had for a while, being a man, is that they don't ever seem to write any books with all men as the "lead" characters. With that said, I could NOT put this book down. I loved reading how the brothers interacted (and in some cases, DID NOT INTERACT) with each other. I loved seeing their father try to do something that was on his heart and mind to do and that is to attempt to reconcile with the three sons he abandoned 20 years earlier. A fantastic book that men will be able to relate to and it is also a great book for women to read as well. Go out and buy this book!
Rating:
Summary: A must read for all males and females.
Review: I throughly enjoyed this book. Males and females of all races should read this book because it is not specific to any race, but it deals with an issue that many families have had and will have to deal with. The author did an excellent job developing his characters. His admiration for his own mother is evident by the positive female characters. He also gives insight to women as to how we should be supportive of men who may have been affected by having their father leave. I was skeptical about reading this book because it was a first novel for the author. It was selected reading for my book club, "The Chocolate Bookworms", for the month of January and everyone thoroughly enjoyed th book. I will read his next novel.
Rating:
Summary: Why did the book have to end?
Review: This has to be on my top 5 list of the best books I ever read! Since this is the author's first book, I can't wait to read his other books. It's about 3 grown, black brothers who live different lives. They are all dealing with the disappointment of their mother passing and their father leaving them when they were boys. What I found amazing about this book is it didn't once mention infidelity among the brothers. They had female relationship problems but they never cheated. I liked the way the brothers handled their father reappearing after so many years. The author is awesome! You will get your money worth! The book should be made into a movie.
Rating:
Summary: THINK BEFORE TAKING ACTION.
Review: THE HARRIS MEN WAS A VERY GOOD BOOK. R.M. JOHNSON TOUCHED ON A POINT THAT FREQUENTS THE BLACK COMMUNITY. MOTHER'S RAISING THEIR CHILDREN ALONE BECAUSE OF THE ABSENCE OF THE FATHER. ALL FATHERS SHOULD READ THIS BOOK. THINK BEFORE TAKING ACTION IF NOT YOU WILL REGRET WHAT YOU'VE DONE.
Rating:
Summary: You Will Laugh and Cry
Review: This book is really a must read! Some chapters made me laugh, and some made me cry. If you can't put yourself in the characters place, I'm sure you've ran into one of them while matriculating through life. My heart went out to several of the characters. READ IT FOR YOURSELF!
Rating:
Summary: Execellent! Well written!
Review: The VA Book Lunceheon Group has 12 members and all of them thought this book was great. The characters were well defined. The author kept the readers' interests in the book until the end. Many of our members felt that this book was based on a true story. Also many of our readers had a hard time finding this book in the libraries and book stores in the Washington, DC area. Our group wants to know whether the author is planning on doing a sequel to this book and we also look forward in reading books by this author.
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