Buy a cheap copy of the promise book by ann weisgarber. There she wrote at the central hotel near the train station that inspired a scene in the book. Her fiction is marked by these settings and her familiarity with them is an important aspect of her work. For the promise ann was shortlisted for the walter scott prize for historical fiction and a finalist for the spur award for best western. The promise is a challenging, gripping and intensely moving story lancashire evening post in this superb novel, ann weisgarber has created voices so convincing it is as if the dead themselves have arisen to tell their story. Ann weisgarber s second novel is a story that captures the reader and winds itself around the emotions and imagination. Open until the 26th october to anyone who can receive an amazon uk gifted ebook. In the united states, she won the stephen turner award for new fiction and the langum prize for american. She divides her time between sugar land and galveston, texas.
Ann weisgarber excels at depicting the inner lives of people living through difficult historical times. She has lived in boston, massachusetts, and des moines, iowa. She holds a masters degree in sociology and has worked as a social worker and has taught high school. I chose the promise just on a whim at a book exchange and am delighted to have done so. I found the promise to be an even more engrossing read than her first novel, the personal history of rachel dupree. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read the promise.
There is a dramatic, cataclysmic sequence of events in this book, gripping and spellbinding galveston, texas is famous for its hurricane, but the profound power here is in quieter sources. While an accurate and terrifying description of the storm does appear, it is brief and secondary to the love story. Her second novel the promise looks like it will attract similar plaudits. Ann weisgarbers first novel was the personal history of rachel dupree, for which actress viola daviss juvee productions has optioned the film rights. Deborahs husband is overdue to return from a trip, having left her alone in the remote hamlet of junction. Presentday galveston resident and orange prize longlistee ann weisgarbers novel comes to a head in the eye of this storm, the emotional. The synopsis stated it was a tale about galveston, texas and the 1900 hurricanethe most devastating natural disaster in u. The promise book by ann weisgarber official publisher. She was a social worker before earning a masters degree in sociology at the university of houston and becoming a teacher. Her first novel,the personal history of rachel dupree, was longlisted for the orange prize and shortlisted for the orange prize for new writers. Weisgarbers characters will live in your imagination long after youve turned the. The promise was a book i had really wanted to read.
The coastal isolation of galveston shows weisgarbers ability to make a place come alive, and the real storm in the book is the demand of family, the. When my first book was published, i was offered a contract for the next two books. Ann weisgarber books list of books by author ann weisgarber. The book is well written and weisgarbers descriptions are fantastic. Reviewed by joan watson martin ann weisgarber grew up in a suburb of dayton, ohio, and now lives in sugar land, texas, near houston and galveston. The characters are finely drawn, anchored by a historical event to make a great read. The glovemaker, ann weisgarbers engrossing, troubling, honesttogoodness third novel, is as stark and touching as the lives described, as tense and testing as the utah backlands where its set, as fine as any fiction you will read this year. She is the author of the promise and the personal history of rachel dupree, which was longlisted for the orange prize and shortlisted for the orange prize for new writers. The glovemaker will be my third and to say i am anxiously awaiting the fourth is an understatement. Ann weisgarber was longlisted for the orange prize, was a finalist for the orange award for new writers, and won the langum prize in american historical fiction and the texas institute of letters steven turner award for best work of first fiction for the personal history of rachel dupree. Ann weisgarbers debut novel the personal history of rachel dupree was shortlisted for the orange award for new writers and longlisted for the orange prize in 2009. Some books add up to far more than the sum of their words. Ron rash, new york times bestselling author of serena ann weisgarbers the promise is set against the backdrop of the worst natural disaster of the 20th century in the u. The coastal isolation of galveston shows weisgarbers ability to make a place come alive, and the real storm in the book is the demand of.
Fans of a reliable wife will find the promise to be a book they can latch onto. This a powerful novel of belief, morality and the human spirit. I immediately knew i would write about rural galvestonians and the storm. Ann weisgarbers novel, the promise, rides on just such a premise.
The promise by ann weisgarber 2014, hardcover for sale. Ann weisgarber was born and raised in kettering, ohio. Ann is the author of the glovemaker, the promise, and the personal history of rachel dupree. She has lived in boston, massachusetts, and des moines, iowa, but now splits her time between sugar land, texas, and galveston, texas. The prize is a kindle copy of the promise by ann weisgarber. Review of the promise by ann weisgarber judith starkston. A heartbreaking historical tale from the eye of the storm. I bought it because i had read she won the orange award for her prior book. Her first novel, the personal history of rachel dupree, was longlisted for the orange prize and shortlisted for the orange award for new writers. The promise by ann weisgarber if you are looking a book long description of the devastating hurricane of 1900 and its aftermath, this not the book for you. She was shortlisted for the ohioana book award and was a barnes and noble discover new writer. Author ann weisgarber uses the 1900 galveston storm, still considered the deadliest in u. Ann weisgarbers the promise is set against the backdrop of the worst natural disaster of the 20th century in the u. Told in the points of view of two very different women, it is the tale of their complicated relationships with a father and son and with one another, building to a crescendo as the ferocious hurricane hits galveston.
The story of their tentative relationship in the oppressive texan heat is engrossing, and the final pages are profoundly moving. Weisgarber s characters will live in your imagination long after youve turned the last deeply moving page. Ann weisgarber the promise the personal history of. She writes with a graceful simplicity that lays bare the natural beauty of the landscape and her characters turbulent emotions. Set against the worst natural disaster in twentieth century american history, the promise is a riveting tale, told in lean luminous prose, of the power of love and. For her first novel, weisgarber was nominated for englands 2009 orange prize and for the 2009 orange award for new writers. Below the salt news a poignant character study, this book was a surprisingly satisfying read. She has lived in boston, massachusetts, and iowa, but now splits her time between sugar land and galveston, texas. A novel by ann weisgarber 2015, paperback at the best online prices at ebay.
Praise for ann weisgarbers novels this second engaging novel from weisgarber. I cannot thank caitlin hamilton summie enough for introducing me to ann weisgarbers books. Fiction historical early 20th century galveston texas natural disaster marriage publisherpublication date. Two gulf coast reads, the forum at cypress creek christian church, author talk and book signing posters, october 29, 2015. Ann weisgarber the promise the personal history of rachel. Each one is trip back in time to a tiny piece of american history full of raw emotion and compelling characters. Two women from different lives are bound together through a man and his child in 1900. From the author of the personal history of rachel dupree, shortlisted. This second engaging novel from weisgarber the personal history of rachel dupree might have been written a century ago. And with ann weisgarbers precise, pitchperfect writing in the glovemaker, youre in for quite a tale.
The promise is a novel that, once started, few readers will be able to put down. Against the backdrop of the devastating galveston hurricane of 1900, ann weisgarber tells a heartbreaking story with two unforgettable voices. Ann weisgarber audio books, best sellers, author bio. Book description skyhorse publishing company, incorporated. She is destitute and heartbroken and decides to write to oscar williams, the recently widowed man who had been her admirer since childhood. The promise the second novel by ann weisgarber is set in 1900 america, where a terrible scandal has forced catherine wainwright to flee from her hometown of dayton. Presentday galveston resident and orange prize longlistee ann weisgarbers novel comes. Ann weisgarbers second novel is a story that captures the reader and winds itself around the emotions and imagination. At the center of this historical tale are catherine.
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