Are you looking for a novel that celebrates one family’s story of resistance and will break your heart, only to rebuild it with courage, hope, and love? Look no further than Rachel Eliza Griffiths’ upcoming book, Promise. Published by Random House on July 11th, 2023, this stunning exploration of the weight and triumph of legacy is one you won’t want to miss.
The story follows two Black sisters, Ezra and Cinthy, as they grow up in a small Maine town in 1957. With an abundance of love from their parents, neighbors, and adopted hometown, the girls hit adolescence with a newfound awareness of their bodies and minds. As news from distant parts of the country calls for freedom, equality, and justice for Black Americans, the white villagers of Salt Point begin to view the Kindreds and the Junketts as threats to their way of life. In the face of escalating violence, prejudice, and fear, Ezra and Cinthy must reach deep within themselves to commit acts of heroism and grace on the path to survival.
The cover of Promise features art by Megan Gabrielle Harris titled “Ruminations.” When Griffiths chose this painting for the cover of her debut novel, Harris was overjoyed. “When I created this painting I hoped to convey the deep desire to be free in all aspects as well as the desire for ultimate peace,” Harris said. “I feel that those themes resonate with the Kindred sisters as they navigate the changes happening within themselves and the world around them.”
Griffiths shared that the genesis of Promise began as a love letter to her mother and the motherless ache she sensed in herself. “The novel is a story of two Black sisters coming of age in a small Maine town in 1957, who vow to love themselves in spite of the harm the world has promised them—something they begin to feel acutely when they hit adolescence and develop a transformational awareness of their bodies,” Griffiths said.
Preorder Promise now and get ready to experience a story that will leave you in awe.
