The Promise unfolds the drama of the Swart family, anchored to a farm outside Pretoria, South Africa. The story captures the complexity of a promise unkept—one that Rachel Swart, on her deathbed, makes to her Black maid, Salome. A promise of her own house, her own plot of land—rights that never materialize. The narrative spans across three decades, each marked by a funeral, threading the lives of Rachel's children: Anton, the conflicted golden boy; Astrid, wielding beauty like a weapon; and Amor, the youngest, burdened by guilt. The characters persist under the shadow of this broken vow, paralleling the nation's struggle with its own historical promises. With shifting perspectives that cut to the core of each character, Galgut weaves a tale of a family and a country both in search of redemption.