The Promise, by South African author Damon Galgut, won the 2021 Booker Prize. It is the story of the Swart family – Ma, Pa, Anton Astrid, and Amor – and also the story of South Africa’s transition from White rule. By the end, only Amor is left standing and the four sections of the novel are loosely organized around the funerals of the other family members. The title is based on a promise Pa made to Ma, as she lay dying, that he would honor her request to give the maid, Salome, title to the house where she resided on the farm. Pa promised, but after Ma died it didn’t happen. This issue arises anew at each funeral.
The author deftly paints racial divide, social roles, and the complexities of interaction in South Africa. In addition to the Swart family, there are about a half dozen other well-developed and interesting characters. One problem some may have with this novel is the author hops from head to head to omniscient point of view without clear indicators for the reader, as well as between thought versus speech. I got a feel for what he was doing and was usually able to follow, though sometimes I had to go back and reread because I didn’t catch the point of view switch. However, I’m sure many literary authorities would say the shifting points of view is part of the brilliance of the novel, and there’s truth in that. Regardless, this is great writing. They don’t hand out Booker Prizes for nothing, and Galgut was short-listed for the Booker twice before this win.
Here’s what Kirkus Reviews says:
