The Promise of Forever by Brooke Harris is one of those stories that really claws at your heart with its gut wrenching loss. Events leave its victims’ families with unrecoverable trauma and pain. This story centres around a community of fishermen with its fierce reality of a hard life on the sea. It is something I can relate to, since I also come from such a family (from the other side of the Atlantic on east coast Canada) so I understand the dangers of this livelihood. Storms and exhaustion often go hand in hand along with shipwrecks and drownings. In The Promise of Forever, the worst thing imaginable happens to two persons that leave Fionn and his family shattered and scarred forever.
The Promise of Forever is told from two perspectives: Dee’s and Fionn’s which allows us to empathise and see first-hand how the dire events affect each one of them. The novel is set mostly in Ireland – on an island off Donegal but Dublin has centre stage for awhile when Dee and her best friend move and work there in radio. Dee, though, later is scouted for a host position on a London TV show. She takes the offer and the next portion of her life in the big city ascends to some lofty heights. Friendships change, surprise romantic relationships occur and things don’t always go as planned or hoped. But Dee’s connection to Fionn never loosens or lightens. The story reveals that over twenty years their love for each other remains, even though there is a lot that divides them. Many factors keep them apart, some of which will be chopped on the guillotine of life and death.
I don’t want to rehash the story, as it is one you must read and experience with the turning of its pages. I can say it is a novel that you must prepare yourself to read—in that it is quite an emotional journey— so keep your tissues close. There are small victories that will make you smile but mostly it is not a novel that will leave you feeling uplifted. Rather it will make you stare at the cold hard facts of some people’s lives who seem to never get a break or become lost in their own losses. And how it affects those around them. In this way, the novel paints quite a stark reality for these fictional families. Some would say that is how real life is for many. True. I must add, there are some stunning descriptions of the seascape and a deep love for an Irish island. But events happen here that show how scars sometimes never fade in the psyche and may return to haunt the dreams of those who have experienced the reaper’s hand.
One other observation: the Charles Dickens quote from Great Expectations at the start of the novel could have easily been the words of Fionn and his love, relationship and history with Dee: ‘I loved her against reason, against promise, against hope, against happiness, against all discouragement that could be.’ For this line sums up the heart of this story in a nutshell. Yes, there are little offshoots or plot branches that cover the supporting characters and their journeys but The Promise of Forever is primarily about Dee and Fionn: a tragic tale that takes some unexpected turns—including unfavourable ones. The author has done well covering emotional trauma as I really felt the negative effects of the characters’ loss, sadness and despair. In many ways, it is a modern tragedy like Great Expectations. This story of multiple conflicts and hard-hitting resolutions shook and broke my heart many times.
Although shattered by this tale, I was also mesmerised by the Irish island. The atmosphere is haunting and familiar as it reminds me of my childhood home with the smell of the salt on the breeze and the lobster traps and nets in the barn. Brooke has captured the spirit of a solitary place, the agony of its residents and pushed the limits of our emotional response. So be prepared to have a box of tissues close by as you're truly going to need them! 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thanks to Storm Publishing and Netgalley for my review copy.
