Promises of Love

A product of usually beautiful but sometimes cruel southern Appalachia, Daniel Friend overcomes poverty, abuse, and personal tragedy to establish an identity. Inspired by the strength and love of his older sister, he realizes the power of education to lead him to a life he has imagined for himself— the pinnacle of his ambition is to graduate from Harvard University. That he does not get this opportunity, devastating as it is to his life plan, does not prevent him from becoming a beloved doctor, loving husband and father. Although well-meaning, he stumbles in his relationship with his two children as he tries to interject his own preferences into their lives. A deeply felt story of love, the novel examines the boundaries of a family, of its secrets, of the complex web family relationships can weave. Finally, the novel examines the damage that abandonment, poverty, and childhood neglect can do to a human personality, damage that sometimes cannot be overcome. Read more