The Promise: A Novel (Booker Prize Winner)

Written by Damon Galgut

Narrated by Peter Noble

WINNER OF THE 2021 BOOKER PRIZE

A NEW YORK TIMES EDITORS’ CHOICE

A modern family saga written in gorgeous prose by three-time Booker Prize-shortlisted author Damon Galgut.

Haunted by an unmet promise, the Swart family loses touch after the death of their matriarch. Adrift, the lives of the three siblings move separately through the uncharted waters of South Africa; Anton, the golden boy who bitterly resents his life’s unfulfilled potential; Astrid, whose beauty is her power; and the youngest, Amor, whose life is shaped by a nebulous feeling of guilt.

Reunited by four funerals over three decades, the dwindling family reflects the atmosphere of its country—one of resentment, renewal, and, ultimately, hope. The Promise is an epic drama that unfurls against the unrelenting march of national history, sure to please current fans and attract many new ones.

“Simply: you must read it.”—Claire Messud, Harper’s Magazine

• Language: English
• Publisher: Europa Editions
• Release date: Oct 19, 2021
• ISBN: 9781609457778

Reviews for The Promise

[Bev Lubbe · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Having lived in South Africa during apartheid end experiencing some of what the author describes, this book is excellent. The narrator is fantastic with the exact pronunciation and inflection of each accent represent. . I would highly recommend this book for anyone who has lived in South Africa, they will relate to it. Or anyone else who might enjoy listening to and perhaps understanding more of That way of life.

[Joshua Pantanowitz · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Brilliant. Poetic writing. Tantalizing descriptions and metaphors. Absolutely beautiful. An amazing read/listen. An absolute treat.

[Stephanie Sandberg · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Gorgeous all the way through. Not to be missed. The narration is exquisite,

[elaine wang · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I just started to read this book. I like it so far.

[MLJS-piano · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Ok first, just listening to this exquisite prose was truly sublime!! It could have been a description of a car tire (or whatever) and this author would make your heart sing from being soo not-bored. Such relief as i felt-into the sensation of relief and joy at the sentences, paragraphs, phrasing! Sooo engaged and nourished by the creative attention to language. Yummm! Secondly I loved the time-and-place setting. As an American who wept walking all the way home with the NYT Sunday edition when Mandela was freed, I valued hearing the unfolding drama of South Africa as the ground upon which the saga happens. The subtlety and power and revelations of the central thread, that Promise. Third, the remarkable attention to the details of human bodily functions. Wowed. And finally- the tale of this family, these people, that i found annoying but cared deeply about. Portraits almost abstract, but conveying such a felt intimacy. (The only reason i did 4 stars is just that even though this is masterfully done, "family saga of troubled people" is not my favorite genre. )

[Connie Remetch · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

I endured through 3 chaps. out of 9, then quit. Mostly, I couldn’t understand which character was speaking. There seemed to
be no change of voice to help me. I even went back & repeated sections & still couldn’t follow it.

[Trevor · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A stunning, powerful, thought proving, beautifully written book. Highly recommended!