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A review by lady_wira
The Promise by Damon Galgut
5.0
Think about how you would respond to these questions. Do you believe in promises? Are promises binding? Are you liable to carry out the contract your parents make, if they pass before fulfilling them? Do you keep your promises? What is a promise?
The promise tackles this. Set in Pretoria, the Swarts (white family) are gathering to bury the family matriarch who has been sick for a long period and was being catered to by Salome (a black woman). Salome has been with the family for decades, helping the Swarts raise their kids as she struggled to raise her own. Feeling indebted to Salome, Ma promises to give Salome, her own house and her own land. Sadly, Ma passes away before fulfilling the promise made to Salome.
Set during the Apartheid period. The Swarts are a wealthy family, that benefitted from having black women as servants. The children are not particularly proud of their family’s treatment of the blacks, but in Pretoria, during this period they had to go with the times.
After Ma’s burial and enough grieving time has passed. The promise conversation comes up. Pa dismisses it. With each passing year, it became a distant wish for Salome. Decade after decade, Salome stays steadfast in the hope that one day she will own her own house and her own land. She still serves the Swarts diligently and relies on prayer and hope steadfastly.
Damon Galgut is brilliant with words, the story is gripping and intense. I found the layout of the book crafty, four-part book – Ma, Pa, Astrid and Anton- each phase takes the reader through the thoughts of the character, their feelings, and their belief of what a promise means. Their perception of the changing country and the importance of family.
There are many twists and turns throughout the story that will keep readers on the edge of their seats. There is also a nice message about the importance of family and doing the right thing.
The characters are well-developed and the pace of the story does not miss a beat. The writing is crisp, and the flow is fast. This book will be difficult for anyone to put down and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a gripping story.
This book does not seek to answer the questions set in the beginning, it, however, delivers on making the reader think about their beliefs and opinions about promises and their weight both on self and those bound by them.
The promise tackles this. Set in Pretoria, the Swarts (white family) are gathering to bury the family matriarch who has been sick for a long period and was being catered to by Salome (a black woman). Salome has been with the family for decades, helping the Swarts raise their kids as she struggled to raise her own. Feeling indebted to Salome, Ma promises to give Salome, her own house and her own land. Sadly, Ma passes away before fulfilling the promise made to Salome.
Set during the Apartheid period. The Swarts are a wealthy family, that benefitted from having black women as servants. The children are not particularly proud of their family’s treatment of the blacks, but in Pretoria, during this period they had to go with the times.
After Ma’s burial and enough grieving time has passed. The promise conversation comes up. Pa dismisses it. With each passing year, it became a distant wish for Salome. Decade after decade, Salome stays steadfast in the hope that one day she will own her own house and her own land. She still serves the Swarts diligently and relies on prayer and hope steadfastly.
Damon Galgut is brilliant with words, the story is gripping and intense. I found the layout of the book crafty, four-part book – Ma, Pa, Astrid and Anton- each phase takes the reader through the thoughts of the character, their feelings, and their belief of what a promise means. Their perception of the changing country and the importance of family.
There are many twists and turns throughout the story that will keep readers on the edge of their seats. There is also a nice message about the importance of family and doing the right thing.
The characters are well-developed and the pace of the story does not miss a beat. The writing is crisp, and the flow is fast. This book will be difficult for anyone to put down and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a gripping story.
This book does not seek to answer the questions set in the beginning, it, however, delivers on making the reader think about their beliefs and opinions about promises and their weight both on self and those bound by them.