The book
LONGLISTED FOR THE 2021 BOOKER PRIZE
A NEW YORK TIMES EDITORS' CHOICE
A modern family saga that could only have come from South Africa, written in gorgeous prose by twice 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—an atmosphere 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
The author
Damon Galgut
Damon Galgut’s 2003 novel The Good Doctor won the Commonwealth Writers Prize (Africa Region) and was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize. In a Strange Room (Europa, 2010) was also shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize. In 2013, Galgut was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters. He lives in Cape Town, South Africa.
Press
- Jul 15 2021
“Complex, ambitious and brilliant.”
— Financial Times - Jul 12 2021
“One of the best books of the year.”
— The Times (UK) - Jul 8 2021
“Stunning.”
— The Guardian - Jul 4 2021
“An allegory for a nation’s wider weaknesses.”
— The Irish Times - May 11 2021
“The author recognizes that peace is possible.”
— Mary Whipple’s Reviews - Apr 15 2021
“Galgut is a gleeful satirist.”
— The New York Times Book Review