The Promise

Overview

Using his unflinching creative gaze, Tony Birch ponders love, loss, and faith in this short story collection. A trio of amateur thieves is left in charge of a baby moments before a heist. A group of boys compete in the final of a marbles tournament, only to find their biggest challenge was the opponent they didn't see coming. Two young friends find a submerged car in their local swimming hole and become obsessed by the mystery of the driver's identity. Across 12 blistering stories, The Promise delivers a sensitive and often humorous take on the lives of those who have loved, lost, and wandered.

Reviews

"Irresistibly compelling."  —Sydney Morning Herald on Blood

"Nothing short of outstanding. Tony Birch could take home a few prizes, deservedly so. Blood is a humanist masterpiece that has been worth the wait."  —Australian Book Review on Blood

"Keeps us on edge from the outset. Jesse is an endearing mix of love, cynicism, patience and survival instincts."  —Good Reading on Blood

"Many of us have known for a long time what a wonderful storyteller Tony Birch is. Blood confirms it - and how. The terrain is hard, unflinching but also imbued with a deeply resonant humanism. For at its heart there is Jesse, the young narrator whose voice is urgent and compelling, sweet and direct."  —Christos Tsiolkas, author, The Slap, on Blood

Author Biography

Tony Birch is the author of the short story collection Father's Day and the novels Shadowboxing and Blood, which was short-listed for the 2012 Miles Franklin Award. He is a frequent contributor to ABC local and national radio and a regular guest at writers' festivals. He teaches in the School of Culture and Communication at the University of Melbourne.