Powerful story of a maid who must fight for her rights.
The 2021 Booker Prize was awarded to Damon Galgut for his stunning novel, The Promise. This was his second trip to the shortlist. His most recent novel was nominated for the Walter Scott and Folio Prizes. These novels have appeared in sixteen languages so far. He has a recent film adaptation of The Quarry released in 2020. Damon lives and works in Cape Town.
Amor is a young woman, whose mother has recently passed. Damon wrote, “The moment the metal box speaks her name, Amor knows it has happened. She’s been in a tense, headachy mood all day, almost like she had a warning in a dream but can’t remember what it is. Some sign or image, just under the surface. Trouble down below. Fire Underground, // But when the words were said to her aloud, she doesn’t believe them. She closes her eyes and shakes her head. No, no. It can’t be true, what her aunt has just told her. Nobody is dead. It’s a word, that’s all. She looks at the word, lying there on the desk.\ like an insect on its back, with no explanation” (3).
This wealthy family also has a housekeeper. They discuss her position. Damon wrote, “‘But somethings you do know, because you saw them yourself. In the same impassive way that Salome sweeps and cleans the house and washes the clothes of the people who live in it, she looked after Ma through her last illness, dressing and undressing her, helping her to bathe with a bucket of hot water and a lappie
, helping her to go to the toilet, yes, even whipping her arse for her after she used the bedpan’” (19). The family knows they were supposed to provide Salome with a home and a plot of land for her in perpetuity.
The promise to Salome recurs. “‘Lucas saw Armor on the koppie yesterday. And she told him your father will give me my house.’ // ‘I don’t know anything about that.’ // ‘
Damon Galgut reveals the mistreatment of a good person who was promised a home. The Promise is a story—recounted again and again—of the mistreatment of the lowest individuals scratching out an existence. 10 Stars!
Likely Stories is a production of KWBU. I’m Jim McKeown. Join me again next time for Likely Stories, and happy reading!