About the Author

Ann Weisgarber was born and raised in Kettering, Ohio. She has lived in Boston, Massachusetts, and Des Moines, Iowa, but now splits her time between Sugar Land, Texas, and Galveston, Texas. Her first novel "The Personal History of Rachel DuPree" was longlisted for the Orange Prize and shortlisted for the Orange Prize for New Writers.

Reviews

"This second engaging novel from Weisgarber . . . has shades of Willa Cather, Sinclair Lewis, and Conrad Richter, and the prose has a streak of formality that gives the book a period flavor, but Catherine's first-person narration (and later that of Nan Ogden, the housekeeper at Catherine's new home) is also appealingly immediate. It's a wonderful setup for solid storytelling . . . warm and winning."-- "Publishers Weekly," starred review
"Excellent use of historical detail and strong character development mark this second novel by Weisgarber, whose 2010 debut, "The Personal History of Rachel DuPree," was long-listed for the Orange Prize, and it should attract wide readership." --"Library Journal"
"Based on the true story of one of the deadliest storms in American history, "The Promise" is the work of a skilled storyteller. Weisgarber ("The Personal History of Rachel Dupree," 2010) has written a beautiful, deeply engaging story about love, loss, and the power of secrets to change our lives." --"Booklist"
"Weisgarber has delivered a second novel of finely drawn characters anchored by historical events. It's the sort of tale that you find yourself staying up late at night to finish."--Dallas Morning News
"A gripping, beautiful story of loyalties and hidden loves. Ann Weisgarber's pitch-perfect characters will break your heart and keep you guessing right to the very end." --Carol Rifka Brunt, "New York Times" bestselling author of "Tell The Wolves I'm Home"
"In this superb novel, Ann Weisgarber has created voices so convincing it is as if the dead themselves have arisen to tell their story. "The Promise" is a novel that, once started, few readers will be able to put down."
-- Ron Rash, "New York Times" bestselling author of "Serena"
"Ann Weisgarber's "The Promise" is set against the backdrop of the worst natural disaster of the 20th century in the U.S., but the weather is no match for [this] story of two women's love for the s

"A gripping, beautiful story of loyalties and hidden loves. Ann Weisgarber's pitch-perfect characters will break your heart and keep you guessing right to the very end."
--Carol Rifka Brunt, "New York Times" bestselling author of "Tell The Wolves I'm Home"
"In this superb novel, Ann Weisgarber has created voices so convincing it is as if the dead themselves have arisen to tell their story. "The Promise" is a novel that, once started, few readers will be able to put down."
-- Ron Rash, "New York Times" bestselling author of "Serena"
"Ann Weisgarber's "The Promise" is set against the backdrop of the worst natural disaster of the 20th century in the U.S., but the weather is no match for [this] story of two women's love for the same man. The coastal isolation of Galveston shows Weisgarber's ability to make a place come alive, and the real storm in the book is the demand of family, the hope of love, and the impossibility of reinvention. Fans of "A Reliable Wife" will find "The Promise" to be a book they can latch onto."
--Alexi Zentner, author of "Touch" and "The Lobster Kings"
"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 the frailty of the human condition. Weisgarber knows storms, those that devastate the land and those that rage in the human heart. Her characters will live in your imagination long after you've turned the last deeply moving page."
--Ellen Feldman, author of "Next to Love" and "Scottsboro"
"Weisgarber's conjuring of Galveston Island at the turn of the 20th century is miraculous--a sensory feast. Narrated by a pair of compellingly divergent female voices, "The Promise" is at once an American story of second chances, an achingly felt love triangle, and a psychological tour de force. I am stunned. Rarely do novelists so happily marry depth of insight to unflagging suspense."
--Lin Enger, author of


"A gripping, beautiful story of loyalties and hidden loves. Ann Weisgarber's pitch-perfect characters will break your heart and keep you guessing right to the very end." --Carol Rifka Brunt, "New York Times" bestselling author of "Tell The Wolves I'm Home"


"Ann Weisgarber's "The Promise" is set against the backdrop of the worst natural disaster of the 20th century in the U.S., but the weather is no match for [this] story of two women's love for the same man. The coastal isolation of Galveston shows Weisgarber's ability to make a place come alive, and the real storm in the book is the demand of family, the hope of love, and the impossibility of reinvention. Fans of "A Reliable Wife" will find "The Promise" to be a book they can latch onto." --Alexi Zentner, author of "Touch" and "The Lobster Kings"


"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 the frailty of the human condition. Weisgarber knows storms, those that devastate the land and those that rage in the human heart. Her characters will live in your imagination long after you've turned the last deeply moving page." --Ellen Feldman, author of "Next to Love" and "Scottsboro"