The Promise: WINNER OF THE BOOKER PRIZE 2021

The Swarts are gathering for Ma's funeral, and the younger generation, Anton and Amor, detest everything the family stands for. As each decade passes, they ask themselves if they can ever escape the repercussions of a broken promise.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 320 pages
Publication date: 03 March 2022
Publisher: Vintage Publishing

The Swarts, a family residing on a farm outside Pretoria, are gathered for Ma's funeral. The younger generation, Anton and Amor, hold deep disdain for the family's values, particularly their treatment of Salome, a Black woman who has dedicated her entire life to them. Despite a promise to grant her her own house and land, this vow is conveniently forgotten. As the years unfold, and the family reunites, a persistent question lingers: Can one ever escape the consequences of a broken promise?

Elizabeth Day's novel is a powerful and captivating exploration of this theme. Through her intricate storytelling, Day delves into the complexities of family relationships, societal expectations, and the enduring impact of broken promises. The Swarts, a family divided by their beliefs and prejudices, serves as a metaphor for larger societal issues.

The novel is a tour de force, showcasing Day's exceptional writing skills and her ability to create vivid and relatable characters. The prose is rich and evocative, transporting readers to the heart of the Swart farm and immersing them in the family's struggles and triumphs. The characters are well-developed, with each possessing their own unique motivations and flaws. From Anton's resentment towards his family's traditions to Amor's search for self-identity, the characters' journeys are deeply emotional and relatable.

One of the novel's strongest aspects is its ability to make readers see and think afresh. Day challenges societal norms and stereotypes, questioning the notion of fairness and justice. Through the characters' experiences, she highlights the complexities of race, gender, and class, and the ways in which these factors shape individuals and communities. The novel also explores the power of forgiveness and redemption, showing how even the most broken promises can be mended with time and effort.

The Booker Prize judges were impressed by the novel's astonishing depth and its ability to engage readers on a profound level. They praised Day's writing for its "spectacular demonstration of how the novel can make us see and think afresh." Colm Tóibín, one of the judges, described the novel as "astonishing," while Patrick Gale praised it as "utterly compelling."

In conclusion, Elizabeth Day's novel "The Swarts" is a remarkable achievement. It is a powerful and captivating exploration of family relationships, societal expectations, and the consequences of broken promises. Through her exceptional writing and thoughtful storytelling, Day has created a novel that is both thought-provoking and deeply moving. "The Swarts" is a testament to the power of literature to inspire change and challenge our perceptions of the world.

Weight: 222g
Dimension: 196 x 128 x 23 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781529113877