Promises

by Charlotte Vale Allen

It is the height of the Great Depression and Jessica Greaves has promised her late father that she will look after her younger sister, Tillie. It is a promise that will shape her entire life and have shattering consequences. In despair, with no resources and nowhere to turn, Jessica does the only thing she can: She takes to the streets of New York to sell herself in order to keep herself and her sister alive. Refusing to know and, later, to acknowledge, just how her sister has managed to provide for the two of them, Tillie blithely--with completely self-absorption--goes after whatever she wants, without regard for the fact that it will ultimately fall to Jess to satisfy Tillie's demands. When Jess agrees to what she believes is a marriage of convenience to a wealthy businessman, Tillie is very nearly consumed by anger and jealousy. And when it becomes obvious that Jess has actually found love with this man, the knowledge nearly drives Tillie mad. Fleeing from everyone and everything following the death of her son, Tillie runs away. And in the intervening years, Jess is forced to make yet another promise--one that will, eventually, allow her to redeem herself in her own eyes. So that when the sisters finally reunite, they are two very different people who at last are able to make good on that long-ago promise Jess made to their father.

Genres: Fiction

ebook

First published January 1, 1980

About the author

Charlotte Vale-Allen was born in Toronto and lived in England from 1961 to 1964 where she worked as a television actress and singer. She returned to Toronto briefly, performing as a singer and in cabaret revues until she emigrated to the United States in 1966.

Shortly after her marriage to Walter Allen in 1970 she began writing and sold her first novel Love Life in 1974. Prior to this book's publication she contracted to do a series of paperback originals for Warner Books, with the result that in 1976 three of her books appeared in print.

Her autobiography, the acclaimed Daddy's Girl, was actually the first book she wrote but in 1971 it was deemed too controversial by the editors who read it. It wasn't until 1980, after she'd gained success as a novelist, that the groundbreaking book was finally published.

One of Canada's most successful novelists, with over seven million copies sold of her 30+ novels, Ms. Allen's books have been published in all English-speaking countries, in Braille, and have been translated into more than 20 languages.

In her writing she tries to deal with issues confronting women, being informative while at the same time offering a measure of optimism. "My strongest ability as a writer is to make women real, to take you inside their heads and let you know how they feel, and to make you care about them."

A film buff and an amateur photographer, Allen enjoys foreign travel. She finds cooking and needlework therapeutic, and is a compulsive player of computer Solitaire. The mother of an adult daughter, since 1970 she has made her home in Connecticut.

Reviews

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although this author has many books, it's hard to find them. I know most people won't get her books and I understand that. There's something about the way she writes that appeals to me.

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

her parents died and she was left to raise her sister. she became a prostitute. she found a man who wanted to marry her, and she did. her sister married and had a child but was always jealous. she got him a snow suit just like her sisters son, he was mistakenly kidnapped and killed. her marriage ended, she found out she liked women better but still used men. her husband re married and had 2 girls. he helped run his sister in laws business after her husband, who she dearly loved, died. the sister eventually came back

[K · Rating 2 out of 5]

One sister promises to care for her younger sister while also searching for her own happiness.

[Aniyah Allen · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's not my type of book. It's just really boring in my opinion.

[TheRealElla · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG!! I LOVE LOVE LOVE this book! I read it as a child and never forgot it. Recently found it again after searching for it for so many years! It was just as good as I remember. Tillie got on my nerves just at much as she did before lol.

[Tammy Hummel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read this book twice.Very awesome book the selfless and giving older sister and the younger greedy and selfish younger sister and what they have to do to survive when their parents are gone.