Reading Circle 48 ‚The Promise‘ by Damon Galgut
07.02.2022
Speziell zur Sendung am
Dienstag, den 01. Februar 2022:
The Promise, Damon Galgut (2021)
Sandra, Sonja and Andrew discuss the 2021 Booker Prize winning novel ‘The Promise’, by Damon Galgut.
“The Promise charts the crash and burn of a white South African family, living on a farm outside Pretoria. The Swarts are gathering for Ma’s funeral. The younger generation, Anton and Amor, detest everything the family stand for – not least the failed promise to the Black woman who has worked for them her whole life. After years of service, Salome was promised her own house, her own land … yet somehow, each decade passes, that promise remains unfulfilled.” (Blurb on inner cover)
What’s it about? The story of a white South African family and their broken promise, a vow even, to a Black woman who has worked for them for decades. It starts in 1986 with the Afrikaner farm-owner mourning his dead wife, who – before she died – made him promise to give their black maid the deeds to the building on their farm. His failure to honour the pledge, to keep the promise, falls like a curse on each member of the family.
We discuss the socio-political background to the novel, the several characters, structure, themes and narrative style.
Music played:
From Paul Simon’s Graceland Ivangeli Loxolo: Sihawukele (‘Have Mercy’) From soundtrack Cry FreedomTeilen:
