WINNER OF THE 2021 BOOKER PRIZE
A NEW YORK TIMES EDITORS' CHOICE
On her deathbed, Rachel Swart makes a promise to Salome, the family's
Black maid. This promise will divide the family--especially her
children: Anton, the golden boy; Astrid, whose beauty is her power; and
the youngest, Amor, whose life is shaped by feelings of guilt.
Reunited by four funerals over thirty years, the dwindling Swart family
remains haunted by the unmet promise, just as their country is haunted
by its own failures. The Promise is an epic South African drama that
unfurls against the unrelenting march of history, sure to leave its
readers transformed.
"Simply: you must read it."--Claire Messud, Harper's Magazine
★ "This tour-de-force unleashes a searing portrait of a damaged family
and a troubled country in need of healing."--Publishers Weekly
(Starred Review)