Plot summary, “What Was Promised” by Tobias Hill in 4 Minutes - Book Review

What Was Promised by Tobias Hill is a literary fiction novel that spans forty years, from 1948 to 1988, following three immigrant families in London—Malcolm, Lazarus, and Lockhart. Set in the post-WWII era, the families, each grappling with hardship and trauma, seek new lives in the market-filled neighborhood of Bethnal Green. The Malcolms, originally from Jamaica, find themselves struggling with the realities of post-war London; the Lazaruses, Jewish refugees from Danzig, cope with the remnants of war and adopt an orphan; and the Lockharts, from Birmingham, are driven by greed and ambition. Their lives intertwine in complex and often painful ways, reflecting the challenges of rebuilding lives in a city scarred by history. Through moments of serendipity and hardship, the novel explores identity, survival, and the bonds that form amid adversity.