The Covenant of Water
Books | Fiction / Cultural Heritage
4.5
(105)
Abraham Verghese
OPRAH'S BOOK CLUB PICK INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER SUBJECT OF A SIX-PART SUPER SOUL PODCAST SERIES HOSTED BY OPRAH WINFREY ONE OF BARACK OBAMA'S BEST BOOKS OF 2023 'One of the best books I've read in my entire life. It's epic. It's transportive . . . It was unputdownable!' Oprah Winfrey, OprahDaily.com Spanning the years 1900 to 1977, The Covenant of Water follows a family in southern India that suffers a peculiar affliction: in every generation, at least one person dies by drowning - and in Kerala, water is everywhere. At the turn of the century a twelve-year-old girl, grieving the death of her father, is sent by boat to her wedding, where she will meet her forty-year-old husband for the first time. From this poignant beginning, the young girl and future matriarch - known as Big Ammachi - will witness unthinkable changes at home and at large over the span of her extraordinary life, full of the joys and trials of love and the struggles of hardship. A shimmering evocation of a lost India and of the passage of time itself, The Covenant of Water is a hymn to progress in medicine and to human understanding, and a humbling testament to the hardships undergone by past generations for the sake of those alive today. Imbued with humour, deep emotion and the essence of life, it is one of the most masterful literary novels published in recent years.
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More Details:
Author
Abraham Verghese
Pages
736
Publisher
Grove Press UK
Published Date
2023-05-18
ISBN
180471044X 9781804710449
Community ReviewsSee all
"If you read Cutting for Stone and loved it, read this.
If you haven’t read Cutting for Stone (but you should), read this saga of 3 generations of fascinating characters over 70+ years. Abraham Verghese is such a storyteller. Added to my list of favorite books in 2023, and of all time.
It is an epic tale with an unexpected ending. And worth the ride. Love it. Highly recommend!"
Jackie Davidson
"A beautifully written multi-generational story about a catholic family in India, starting in the early 20th century. A mysterious aversion to water, condemning some to drown and others to unexplainable eccentricities, is passed down through the family. "
Merry
"I’ve been trying to read The Covenant of Water since it was released, and I finally got the audiobook on Libby. It was definitely worth the wait! The narration is fantastic, and while it’s a bit long, the story is so rich and interesting. This was my first deep dive into Indian culture, and I was captivated by the way the novel centers around a South Indian family. The themes of love, family, and resilience are beautifully explored, and the characters are so well-developed. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more from Abraham Verghese.
A special note of appreciation for the author’s notes. I love when writers share insights into their process, and Abraham did such a splendid job with it. It really added to my experience of the book, and I appreciate the care he put into it."
Katherine Esther
"Good book but too long. "
M. A. Daniels
"Beautiful and captivating woven story. "
Heidi Oneil
"Sure to become a classic. Beautiful prose and storytelling."
Patti Kirby
"First book I’ve read in a long time that I didn’t want to end…
"
Karen Richards
"This was beautiful storytelling, and I loved listening to the author read the audiobook. "
Kathleen
"This is a huge book -could have wiped out a good 350 pages from it. It was interesting as it expands and follows two core families over a century. I learned a lot about Indian culture, its caste system , English imperialism and leprosy. But I got bored and tired often because it was just too wordy "
L S
Lynne Stroyne
"Well worth the long wait from Verghese. His words paint beautiful pictures of what I can only imagine southwest India looks like. I fell in love with the characters. This book really moved me."
Alicia RIdlen
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