Peeking Between the Pages

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The Promise by Ann Weisgarber & Giveaway (US/Canada)

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promiseA few years back I read Ann Weisgarber’s first novel The Personal History of Rachel Dupree and had fallen in love with her beautiful writing.  Upon finding out she had a new novel coming out, The Promise, I knew I had to read it!  Quite often I find that second novels never live up to my love of a first one but that is not the case with The Promise.  This emotional and haunting novel touched my heart and I know I won’t soon forget it.

Catherine is an accomplished pianist who is becoming well known in Dayton society until she makes some very bad decisions that have devastating effects on her reputation and she is left shunned by the very people she once called friends.  Exhausting all possibilities of help she finally turns to her childhood friend Oscar and writes him a letter.  He is a widower with a five-year-old son who needs a mother and he proposes marriage.  Catherine agrees knowing she really has no choice and travels to Galveston, Texas where Oscar runs a dairy farm.  She can only hope that Oscar never finds out about her past.

Upon arriving Catherine wonders many times if she’s done the right thing especially when she meets Nan Ogden, the housekeeper in Oscar’s home.  Nan seems to be so much more than a housekeeper especially to Andre, Oscar’s young son.  She would do anything for the boy and his father who she has been secretly pining for.  Needless to say Nan has no patience for Catherine’s uppity ways and even less patience for the way that Catherine and Oscar begin to look at each other.

As things come to a head in Oscar’s household a devastating hurricane hits Galveston.  Catherine becomes more and more terrified as the storm closes in and the rain and wind whip the house.  When Catherine is left alone with Andre she fights tooth and nail to protect him.  She could never have imagined that she would find herself in a situation like this.  The one thing it does is show her just how much Oscar and Andre mean to her.  Is it too late though?  Will the storm destroy everything and everybody?

I can’t even begin to put across how vividly told this novel is.  As I was reading I could feel the oppressive heat of Galveston and of the storm coming in.  My heart was racing faster and faster with each word and I could literally feel the emotions and fear of Catherine and Andre enduring the storm.  While The Promise is a work of fiction the author tried to keep true to the island and it’s people, the storm, and what happened afterward.  The Galveston storm of 1900 was considered to be the worst US natural disaster of the twentieth century and this novel perfectly portrays the horror of it.

Highly recommended for those who enjoy historical and women’s fiction!  A huge thank you to Ann Weisgarber for another amazing novel!

 

Tour Schedule for The Promise
Ann’s website and Twitter
Read an Excerpt
Reading Guide
Buy at: Amazon, Amazon Canada, and B&N
Photos of Galveston before & after the storm

 

GIVEAWAY DETAILS (US/Canada)

I’m excited to share one paperback copy of The Promise by Ann Weisgarber with my readers.  To enter…

  • Leave a comment for 1 entry to the giveaway.
  • Tweet, share on Facebook, or blog for 2 extra entries.

Open to US/Canada
Draw Date May 13/14

 

Source: Digital review copy provided by the publisher. No compensation was received and all opinions are my own.
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  2. I have seen several reviews of this book and all have had good things to say about it. I would enjoy reading it.

  9. I enjoyed reading The Personal History of Rachel Dupree. This new one by Ann Weisgarber in intriguing as well, especially since I used to live in Galveston! Thanks for the review and giveaway –

  11. Lovely review, Dar! I put this title on my list when I first heard about it. Thanks for the chance to win!

  14. Being from Texas and living near Galveston, this book has peaked my interest! I would love to read this book and hope to win!

    I’ve posted your giveaway on Twitter and FB 😀

  17. Even without realizing that she also wrote The Personal History of Rachel Dupree, I want to read this book. I love Women’s Fiction and Historical Fiction and of course the other book!! Thank you so much for the chance to win this!

  20. This books sounds really good and I haven’t read the first book yet. I will have to seak out the author and read her books.
    Thanks
    pjames330 at aol dot com

  24. The Promise sounds like a very absorbing book about the Galveston storm. I will add this giveaway to my sidebar.

    Thanks for hosting, Darlene.

    suko95(at)gmail(dot)com

  29. Darlene, thank you so much for this wonderful review and for sponsoring a giveaway. I was thrilled when you agreed to be on the book tour; it brought back good memories from Rachel DuPree days.

    Hope you and Sammy are doing well. He’s a cutie and looks to be much more patient for the camera than my two Scotties were. They refused to be still. They were also impatient when I spent too much time at the computer. They’d show up in my study in force and nudge my feet until I’d go outside and throw the ball. They had my number. Bet Sammy knows how to get you to do exactly what he wants!

  30. It sounds like a great book. I love the character of Catherine and would like to know what her secret is about her past. Thanks for having the giveaway.

    ayancey1974(at)gmail(dot)com

  34. I just discovered this title and this author on another blog post in this book tour, and I am so happy that I did and I’ve found this further opportunity to win a copy of the new release. Both *The Promise* and her breakthrough novel sound like reading experiences I’d be sorry to miss.

    x1 entry for comment
    x2 entry for facebook post (as a a facebook friend, Dar Elain, you should be able to see my feed) put up now — just shy of 6 PM EST May 8.
    Here’s the link:
    http://www.facebook.com/kara.shamy