From Southern California in the late
1900s to San Francisco at the time of
the earthquake: ending in Paris at the
beginning of WW1, Herma is a rollercoaster
of a novel with an extraordinary twist.
With a cast of characters that includes
Proust, Puccini and Caruso, Herma also
beautifully evokes the dawn of early flight,
the world of grand opera and the passing
of an era as a world war destroys the
old way of life.
But above all, in exploring the duality of
sexual identity, Harris weaves his magic so
deftly, so subtly, that no reader could fail
to be enchanted.
‘His finest novel…Herma is fascinating,
touching, and immensely entertaining. It is
Mr. Harris’s ninth novel and it outreaches all
the work that he has done before…It is much
superior to E. L. Doctorow’s Ragtime.’
Edmund Fuller, The Wall Street Journal.