by: Abraham Verghese
Goodreads description:
A stunning and magisterial new epic of love, faith, and medicine, set in Kerala and following three generations of a family seeking the answers to a strange secret.
Spanning the years 1900 to 1977, The Covenant of Water is set in Kerala, on South India’s Malabar Coast, and follows three generations of a family that suffers a peculiar affliction: in every generation, at least one person dies by drowning—and in Kerala, water is everywhere. The family is part of a Christian community that traces itself to the time of the apostles, but times are shifting, and the matriarch of this family, known as Big Ammachi—literally “Big Mother”—will witness unthinkable changes at home and at large over the span of her extraordinary life. All of Verghese’s great gifts are on display in this new work: there are astonishing scenes of medical ingenuity, fantastic moments of humor, a surprising and deeply moving story, and characters imbued with the essence of life.
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. It is one of the most masterful literary novels published in recent years.
Helen says: 🤓🤓🤓🤓 1/2
It was daunting when I started reading this epic saga. How am I ever going to finish this book? Steve will become a “reader’s widow”…oh well..I have been a “fishing widow” all summer. Tit for tat…ha! Surprisingly, it only took a week to finish this ten part masterpiece. I am not even sure how to describe this novel…sweeping, multigenerational, descriptive….I learned so much about South India. It is similar to Florida- just a tropical, culturally diverse melting pot of every type of person imaginable. I definitely feel like I completed a marathon when I finished, but make sure to finish!! It all comes full circle in the last two parts. Phew- report back when you do finish. I want to talk about it! Side note- Oprah has a 6 part podcast dedicated to the book and the author on her Super Soul Series.
Holly says:🤓🤓🤓🤓1/2
I loved this book! I actually loved it more than the deservedly acclaimed Cutting for Stone. This is a family saga – epic and multigenerational. I found all of the main characters fascinating, and the story is beautifully written. Verghese is a physician and a professor, so there is quite a bit of detailed medical description, but I thoroughly enjoyed these parts. This is an epic novel, so a LOT happens here, both joyful and tragically sad. The book is often surprising, but it is filled with a lovely humanity. A little reminiscent of A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry, which is a compliment in the highest degree. Read this one (and A Fine Balance) if you haven’t already. It’s an investment of time at almost 800 pages, but well worth every second.
Helen and Holly Hit the Books 