Majestic Madness

Joshua Norton may have lost his mind, but that didn't stop him from successfully declaring himself Emperor of the United States and Protector of Mexico in 1859. After growing and then losing his inheritance during the California Gold Rush, Norton commiserates in total isolation with a locket containing the visages of his parents. Once delusions of grandeur fully pervade his twisted mind, he rises from bankruptcy and emerges from exile to proclaim his majestic authority over an obliging San Francisco population. On his final brisk and rainy eve, Norton gifts the locket to a young boy. Years later, Emma, the boy's daughter, comes to possess the item and quickly discovers a cryptic clue alluding to treasure. Her adventurous nature allows her obsession with the locket to grow rampantly as more clues are revealed, leading her - and her reluctant fiancée - to South Africa and Norton's footprints. Spanning nearly a century and including natural disaster, adventure, and romance, MAJESTIC MADNESS is a historical fiction novel which offers a colorful insight into the eccentric world of Emperor Norton and his mysterious locket.