The Promise

The Swarts, a white family, farm outside Pretoria. Before she dies, the mother, Rachel, promises Salome, the Black woman who has served the household for her whole working life, a house and land of her own. That pledge divides the three children: Anton, the favoured son; Astrid, who relies on her beauty; and Amor, the youngest, who carries a lasting sense of guilt. Over three decades, four funerals bring the shrinking family back together, and each time the promise is still unkept. A shifting, sharp-eyed narrator follows the Swarts as their country, too, struggles with promises it has failed to keep.

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About the book

Form

Novel

Genres

Family, Politics (assigned by AI)

Set in

South Africa

First published

2021

Author's age

58 when first published

ISBN

9781609456580 (Europa Editions, United States)

9781529113877 (Vintage, United Kingdom)

9781609457440 (Europa Editions, United States)

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