21,000+ Reviews
Bookshop.org has the highest-rated customer service of any bookstore in the world
Description
In this heart-wrenching debut novel, a young Black gay man, estranged from his father, must confront his painful past—and his deepest desires around gender, love, and sex.
“Epic, intimate, brutal, and tender, Denne Michele Norris has written a breathtaking testimony about the boundlessness of love.”—Deesha Philyaw, author of The Secret Lives of Church Ladies
“When the Harvest Comes is a book to sink into, to luxuriate within. . . . It’s only when you’re finished that you realize that you’ve never before read a story quite like this one.”—Torrey Peters, author of Detransition, Baby
“I got tired of running away from what I should’ve been running toward.”
The venerated Reverend Doctor John Freeman did not raise his son, Davis, to be touched by any man, let alone a white man. He did not raise his son to whisper that man’s name with tenderness.
But on the eve of his wedding, all Davis can think about is how beautiful he wants to look when he meets his beloved Everett at the altar. Never mind that his mother, who died decades before, and his father, whose anger drove Davis to flee their home in Chagrin Falls, Ohio, for a freer life in New York City, won’t be there to walk him down the aisle. All Davis needs to be happy in this life is Everett, his new family, and his burgeoning career as an acclaimed violist.
When Davis learns during the wedding reception that his father has been in a terrible car accident, years of childhood trauma and unspoken emotion resurface. Davis must revisit everything that went wrong between them, risking his fledgling marriage along the way.
In resplendent prose, Denne Michele Norris’s When the Harvest Comes reveals the pain of inheritance and the heroic power of love, reminding us that, in the end, we are more than the men who came before us.
“Epic, intimate, brutal, and tender, Denne Michele Norris has written a breathtaking testimony about the boundlessness of love.”—Deesha Philyaw, author of The Secret Lives of Church Ladies
“When the Harvest Comes is a book to sink into, to luxuriate within. . . . It’s only when you’re finished that you realize that you’ve never before read a story quite like this one.”—Torrey Peters, author of Detransition, Baby
“I got tired of running away from what I should’ve been running toward.”
The venerated Reverend Doctor John Freeman did not raise his son, Davis, to be touched by any man, let alone a white man. He did not raise his son to whisper that man’s name with tenderness.
But on the eve of his wedding, all Davis can think about is how beautiful he wants to look when he meets his beloved Everett at the altar. Never mind that his mother, who died decades before, and his father, whose anger drove Davis to flee their home in Chagrin Falls, Ohio, for a freer life in New York City, won’t be there to walk him down the aisle. All Davis needs to be happy in this life is Everett, his new family, and his burgeoning career as an acclaimed violist.
When Davis learns during the wedding reception that his father has been in a terrible car accident, years of childhood trauma and unspoken emotion resurface. Davis must revisit everything that went wrong between them, risking his fledgling marriage along the way.
In resplendent prose, Denne Michele Norris’s When the Harvest Comes reveals the pain of inheritance and the heroic power of love, reminding us that, in the end, we are more than the men who came before us.
Product Details
| Publisher | Random House |
| Publish Date | April 15, 2025 |
| Pages | 304 |
| Language | English |
| Type |  Hardback |
| EAN/UPC | 9780593729601 |
| Dimensions | 9.5 X 6.3 X 1.0 inches | 1.0 pounds |
About the Author
Denne Michele Norris is the editor in chief of Electric Literature, winner of the Whiting Literary Magazine Prize. She is the first Black, openly trans woman to helm a major literary publication. She co-hosts the critically acclaimed podcast Food 4 Thot and holds an MFA from Sarah Lawrence College.
Reviews
“Triumphant . . . an earnest, tender story about the courage it takes to let yourself be seen and loved for exactly who you are.”—BookPage
“Gorgeous. . . This is worth savoring.”—Publishers Weekly, starred review
“Vibrant . . . Denne Michele Norris’s emotional insightfulness and astounding talent are on display in When the Harvest Comes.”—Chicago Review of Books
“When The Harvest Comes invites us to see the most painful truths of ourselves and our pasts, hold them up to the sun, and let the light pass through.”—The Rumpus
“An achingly beautiful debut about family estrangement, the bonds of marriage, and the painful necessity of reckoning with the past.”—The Boston Globe
“A novel [about] choosing love in the face of misunderstanding, and, more importantly, the freedom that comes in finding yourself.”—TODAY
“Epic, intimate, brutal, and tender . . . Denne Michele Norris has written a breathtaking testimony about the boundlessness of love. This is the arrival of a major new American voice.”—Deesha Philyaw, author of The Secret Lives of Church Ladies
“When the Harvest Comes is abundant with a kind of grace I’m especially hungry for these days: the possibility that we can mend at least some of what we’ve torn apart, the chance that we’re not entirely too late.”—R. O. Kwon, author of Exhibit
“A story of becoming yourself that isn’t like anything I’ve ever read. . . a brave and powerful novel exploring the freedom we find in the presence of those loves we cannot hide from.”—Alexander Chee, author of The Queen of the Night
“This is a book to sink into, to luxuriate within—a book that’s generous with the pleasures and comforts of a good story and rich characters, so much so that it’s only when you’re finished that you realize that you’ve never before read something quite like it.”—Torrey Peters, author of Detransition, Baby
“When the Harvest Comes is a book for anyone who’s ever believed they didn’t deserve happiness, for anyone whose worldview has been shaped by marginalization, for anyone who’s accomplished more than was expected of them.”—Alejandro Varela, author of The Town of Babylon
“Denne Michele Norris writes with confidence and grace about some of life’s biggest concerns: family, love, safety, grief, and most importantly, how to be true to one’s self. ”—Angela Flournoy, author of The Turner House
“Romantic, wise and healing, When the Harvest Comes enchants with every line.”—Chelsea T. Hicks, author of A Calm and Normal Heart
“Aching and resplendent, deeply felt and meticulously imagined, When the Harvest Comes is a song of becoming and reconciliation: of family, of self, of abiding love.”—Sarah Thankam Mathews, author of All This Could Be Different
“A radiant, heartfelt exploration of love in all its complex, transformative forms . . . This beautifully written novel brims with honesty and hope, offering a story of redemption that feels both timeless and strikingly contemporary.”—Garrard Conley, author of All the World Beside
“Gorgeous. . . This is worth savoring.”—Publishers Weekly, starred review
“Vibrant . . . Denne Michele Norris’s emotional insightfulness and astounding talent are on display in When the Harvest Comes.”—Chicago Review of Books
“When The Harvest Comes invites us to see the most painful truths of ourselves and our pasts, hold them up to the sun, and let the light pass through.”—The Rumpus
“An achingly beautiful debut about family estrangement, the bonds of marriage, and the painful necessity of reckoning with the past.”—The Boston Globe
“A novel [about] choosing love in the face of misunderstanding, and, more importantly, the freedom that comes in finding yourself.”—TODAY
“Epic, intimate, brutal, and tender . . . Denne Michele Norris has written a breathtaking testimony about the boundlessness of love. This is the arrival of a major new American voice.”—Deesha Philyaw, author of The Secret Lives of Church Ladies
“When the Harvest Comes is abundant with a kind of grace I’m especially hungry for these days: the possibility that we can mend at least some of what we’ve torn apart, the chance that we’re not entirely too late.”—R. O. Kwon, author of Exhibit
“A story of becoming yourself that isn’t like anything I’ve ever read. . . a brave and powerful novel exploring the freedom we find in the presence of those loves we cannot hide from.”—Alexander Chee, author of The Queen of the Night
“This is a book to sink into, to luxuriate within—a book that’s generous with the pleasures and comforts of a good story and rich characters, so much so that it’s only when you’re finished that you realize that you’ve never before read something quite like it.”—Torrey Peters, author of Detransition, Baby
“When the Harvest Comes is a book for anyone who’s ever believed they didn’t deserve happiness, for anyone whose worldview has been shaped by marginalization, for anyone who’s accomplished more than was expected of them.”—Alejandro Varela, author of The Town of Babylon
“Denne Michele Norris writes with confidence and grace about some of life’s biggest concerns: family, love, safety, grief, and most importantly, how to be true to one’s self. ”—Angela Flournoy, author of The Turner House
“Romantic, wise and healing, When the Harvest Comes enchants with every line.”—Chelsea T. Hicks, author of A Calm and Normal Heart
“Aching and resplendent, deeply felt and meticulously imagined, When the Harvest Comes is a song of becoming and reconciliation: of family, of self, of abiding love.”—Sarah Thankam Mathews, author of All This Could Be Different
“A radiant, heartfelt exploration of love in all its complex, transformative forms . . . This beautifully written novel brims with honesty and hope, offering a story of redemption that feels both timeless and strikingly contemporary.”—Garrard Conley, author of All the World Beside
Earn by promoting books
Earn money by sharing your favorite books through our Affiliate program.
Become an affiliate
