The Promise of the title is one made by a white South African farming family to their Black housekeeper, that she will inherit the house in which she lives, a promise that is not kept. He suffered childhood lymphoma, and spent long periods in sickrooms and hospitals, a time that he credits with sparking his love of books.
The Promise is Galgut’s ninth novel and first in seven years.
He follows fellow South Africans Nadine Gordimer (joint winner in 1974) and JM Coetzee (who won in 19). Having written his first novel aged 17, and having twice been shortlisted for the Booker (for The Good Doctor in 2003 and In a Strange Room in 2010), the author, now 57, has lived up to his own early promise. Four months to the day later, the answer, we can confirm, is yes. Is the Booker calling for the South African great? was the headline over The Irish Times's review back in July of The Promise by Damon Galgut.
0 kommentar(er)
