It's tragic how the connection between childhood friends can be gradually poisoned by social issues. An instance of this is vividly described in poet Rachel Eliza Griffiths' debut novel 'Promise'. It's a story about Ezra Kindred, her younger sister Cinthy and Ezra's friend Ruby. They're adolescent girls growing up in the late 1950s in a small town in Maine. Though they're conscious of being one of only two black families in the area, the Kindreds create their own humble oasis in a book filled home set in a beautiful location. The sisters are raised to be smart and strong as their parents are well aware of how harsh the world can be – especially for black Americans amidst the growing civil rights movement. Ezra and Ruby's friendship forms naturally but it soon becomes apparent that differences such as Ruby's whiteness and poverty matter a great deal. In a striking early scene the trio of girls intimately examine themselves and each other to try to understand whether there really is a difference between them. Over time, underlining fears and prejudices come to play a prominent role in their relationship. The novel focuses primarily on clever and defiant Cinthy's perspective as the community grows increasingly hostile towards her family and dramatic events unfold.
Griffiths' poetic leaning is evident in the prose. There are lush, beautiful descriptions of the landscape, the food and their home. The sometimes testy relationship between the family members is also well conveyed in dialogue which crackles with personality. I appreciated how the tumultuous history of the parents is built into the nature of their characters. There's a reason why the father is so eager to forget the past and the mother smothers her pain with drinking. The story of their lives is gradually revealed in a way which is effective. I especially liked the later introduction of a charismatic grandmother who is so vivacious and strong. As a family unit they're very compelling to read about because each generation has been so differently effected by the circumstances of the time. This means that there are frequent misunderstandings and tensions which arises between them. However, there is a unifying love and commitment to one another which is very endearingly portrayed.
Ruby's personal story of adversity and survival is also initially effective when a teacher's untimely death leads to an opportunity for her own good fortune. Unfortunately, the course of her tale felt a bit more confusing when she comes under the sway and guardianship of a monstrous woman. Of course horrific people motivated by bald-faced racism exist but I couldn't figure out the larger schemes of the perpetrators in this novel. Perhaps they were motivated by nothing more than a desire to alienate, harass and kill the black families in the community but it seemed like there were also other motives beyond this especially when it came to Ruby. It is interesting how their influence comes to deeply change Ruby and especially how this causes such a bitter clash in her relationship with the Kindred sisters. Overall, the story came to feel somewhat perplexing as the tragedies pile up and history seeps into the present. In the later part of the book the characters are also prone to didactic speechifying. These aspects lessened the sense of realism so the novel didn't feel as impactful as it could have been. However, I appreciated this book on the whole. There are some beautiful and moving passages towards the end. It's also poignant how it builds a layered meaning about the potential promise we hold both personally and as a nation.
