The title of the novel refers to the promise that Rachel, the mother of the Swart family, made to the black servant Salome: she will become the owner of the house in which she lives on the Swart property. Rachel's dying husband promises to fulfill her promise. However, the promise remains unfulfilled for almost 40 years... The destinies of the white family are gradually revealed before us, as well as the history of the Republic of South Africa from apartheid through the promising rise of Nelson Mandela to the present day. The author won the 2021 Booker Prize for the novel.