You can call it a psychological thriller or women’s fiction, but whatever you call it, be sure you read it! “The Promise” is a secret and solemn oath taken by three fourteen year old friends at boarding school who are still carrying the burden of that secret when they’re forty.
The story is beautifully written and tightly woven around Beth, Carol and Sally from when they were roommates, up to 2016 as they approach middle age. Three voices narrate the storyline; those of our protagonist Beth, the elusive Carol, and Matthew the private investigator Beth hires to locate Carol. The promise and the psychological damage it causes make this a dark, brooding tale, made even more so by the toll it exacts from the trio of once young and carefree school chums.
The subtle use of simile and metaphor elevates Teresa Driscoll’s writing to the sublime. There’s nothing “in your face” about these lovely passages, yet they’re all the more effective in their subtlety:
“Her voice trails away but the word lingers. Gone – the vowel extended like a hand stretching out but unable to hold on.”
“Every spring when I watch the petals lost to the wind, I think of the fragility of our dreams.”
And this little gem had me grinning. “…my mother was a spin doctor before they were invented.”
Such masterful prose should be appreciated and celebrated. Five stars.
My thanks to Net Galley for furnishing an Advance Reader Copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest review.
# NetGalley # ThePromise
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