Young pianist Catherine Wainwright flees the fashionable town of Dayton, Ohio, in the wake of a terrible scandal. Heartbroken and facing destitution, she finds herself striking up correspondence with a childhood admirer, the recently widowed Oscar Williams. In desperation, she agrees to marry him, but when Catherine travels to Oscar’s farm on Galveston Island, Texas — a thousand miles from home — … home — she finds she is little prepared for the life that awaits her. The island is remote, the weather sweltering, and Oscar’s little boy Andre is grieving hard for his lost mother. And though Oscar tries to please his new wife, the secrets of the past sit uncomfortably between them.
Meanwhile, for Nan Ogden, Oscar’s housekeeper, Catherine’s sudden arrival has come as a great shock. For not only did she promise Oscar’s first wife that she would be the one to take care of little Andre, but she has feelings for Oscar that she is struggling to suppress. And when the worst storm in a generation descends, the women will find themselves tested as never before.
The Promise, now available in paperback, received rave reviews from critics and captured the hearts of readers worldwide. Against the backdrop of the devastating Galveston hurricane of 1900, Ann Weisgarber tells a heartbreaking story with two unforgettable voices.
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This is my second Ann Weisgarber novel. The Galveston setting drew me in from the start, especially since I’ve written historical fiction set in Galveston, too, and the author did not disappoint when it comes to depicting the island with vivid imagery and atmosphere. You will feel as if you’re there.
The story of love that develops despite an …
Characters were very powerful and realistic. Ending is sad but you can’t change history.
Great story about a forgotten time in Texas history.
I just adored this book.
Had a good cry.
Immediately bought the author’s next book which I am currently reading.
I really enjoyed this fictional account of the Galveston hurricane. I’d read Eric Larson’s excellent non-fiction book about it, so I knew what was coming in the novel, but the author was so good at making these characters come to life that the story was gripping.
I enjoyed this novel. The setting is historical and the tragedy is a description of an actual happening. The women characters were amazing and were well defined and at first I thought Oscar could have been given more insight but at the finish of the story I realized it was not really necessary to the story. I was very surprised at the ending …
Beautifully written book! I enjoyed this book sooo much! I recommend it to my sister and aunt. So much story in this book, it was just incredible!!!!
I thoroughly loved this book.
Loved it!!!!
Interesting, but not satisfying.)
An interesting exploration of the time and morality of 1900.
I enjoyed the book. It was well written and had good character development. However, I didn’t care for the way it ended. It felt like it just stopped without really resolving much.
Good historical fiction about Galveston and the hurricane
Interesting idea but I would have preferred richer characterization.
I really enjoyed reading this novel, written from the first person perspective of the two main female characters. The author intertwined fiction with the real life happenings of the Galveston hurricane of 1900. A very gripping story!