The Promise
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The Promise
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Narrated by:
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Peter Noble
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Written by:
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Damon Galgut
About this listen
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)
©2021 Damon Galgut (P)2021 Penguin AudioWhat the critics say
“Galgut extends his extraordinary corpus with a rich story of family, history, and grief.” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review)
“This tour-de-force unleashes a searing portrait of a damaged family and a troubled country in need of healing.” (Publishers Weekly, starred review)
“Galgut’s compelling new novel blends characters and history and intricate themes to reveal the devastating impacts of white privilege and institutional racism.... The Promise is timely, relevant, and thematically significant.” (Booklist, starred review)
What listeners say about The Promise
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- cat
- 2025-03-16
Appreciated the fair and realistic backdrop of the Apartheid experience in South Africa
Loved the narration with the authentic accents.
The character development was beautifully done, but unfortunately there were too few positive characters in the story so it became unnecessarily sad.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Lakegirl
- 2022-04-05
My Favourite Book this Year
Damon Galgut is a skilled and agile writer. The South African setting and the time was particularly interesting to me. The characters are artfully developed and enhanced by a clever reading by Peter Noble. There is so much "promise" for this family, which goes unrealized over the decades. The perennial issue of racial injustice is distilled into another "promise" - home ownership promised to the Black nanny of the household. One family member, who is struck by lightening as a child, does a kind of undefined penance for the wrongs of the family, though this is never described. The reader is left to fill in blanks and connect dots, which is something I like in a book. This book is not all about despair. There is some finely drawn satire to sweeten the narrative. My partner is a fussy reader and he loved this book too.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Brian Katz
- 2022-04-01
Clearly Deserving of the Booker Prize
I feel impotent expressing how exceptionally good this book is. Unquestionably the best book I've ever read or listened to. And that includes classic English titles.
And among the best readings.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- C Clark
- 2023-03-15
Thought provoking but long and missing something
I got more out of the book club discussion afterwards, but found it hard to root for any of the characters. A somewhat depressing confrontation of reality and privilegie with no real climax.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Joseph Fantetti
- 2021-11-09
Brilliant
Galgut has woven a brilliant story and the writing is in top form. A joy for fans of Galgut new and old.
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- RI in Canada
- 2021-12-29
Not worthy of an award
The story is disjointed and poorly developed leaving key plot points hanging and characters mere cut-outs.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- Jacqueline
- 2024-12-21
boring and hard to follow
How did this book win an award? The descriptions are tedious and the characters obscure. I do not recommend it.
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