Great Promises

PARIS, 1960–1964 Pierre Lemaitre brings his sweeping saga about the Pelletier family to a close. Gripping, moving, thrilling: a great novel. Frequently compared to Alexandre Dumas, Pierre Lemaitre concludes with Great Promises the successful and monumental saga dedicated to the Pelletier family and "Les Trente Glorieuses," a project that, since its beginning with The Great Swindle, has captivated hundreds of thousands of readers. In this installment, the author once again dazzles with a novel that combines history, emotion, and suspense with uncommon naturalism and narrative force, placing his work among the most ambitious in contemporary fiction. It all begins with a fire, a baby… and a wild boar. A blazing opening that gives way to a country in the midst of transformation, where the construction projects redefining Paris coexist with the slow erosion of the rural world. In this changing landscape, the Pelletier family faces decisions that put affections and ambitions to the test. François, Jean, Colette, Philippe, and those around them move through years of apparent prosperity, marked by a progress that dazzles as much as it unsettles. And, true to form, the cat Joseph remains there, watchful, as if he knows that among the Pelletiers, a dark secret—carried over from an irreparable and long-concealed act—is about to come to light. With his mastery of pacing, emotion, and irony, Pierre Lemaitre guides the Pelletiers toward an unexpected conclusion, drawn with a precision that keeps tension alive until the final page. Critics have said of the saga: "A project consisting of narrating the twentieth century decade by decade in the manner of the National Episodes of his admired Galdós." El Mundo "A gripping plot, filled with well-constructed characters subtly embedded in History: honestly, what more can one ask of a novel?" The Times "Excellent." Helsingin Sanomat "Lemaitre is the Dumas of our time." La Vanguardia "An incredibly ambitious and extraordinarily entertaining work." The Sunday Times "Captivating and incandescent." De Morgen "Exceptional virtuosity." La Lettura – Corriere della Sera