The Covenant of Water
by Abraham Verghese · 2023
Buy on AmazonSpanning the years 1900 to 1977, three generations of a Christian family in Kerala, South India, suffer a peculiar affliction: in every generation, at least one person dies by drowning. As the novel opens, a twelve-year-old girl is sent by boat to her wedding, where she meets her husband for the first time. She joins a prosperous household and becomes known as Big Ammachi, the matriarch of an extraordinary family that will endure hardship, celebrate triumph, and witness unthinkable changes over the coming decades.
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"This epic family saga, spanning generations in South India, fits Oprah Winfrey's interest in immersive storytelling that explores resilience, faith, and the human spirit. Its themes of love and sacrifice align with many of her past selections."
Oprah's Book Club 2.0 (Recent Picks) · en.wikipedia.org
"The doctor and novelist (how can you really be that multitalented?!) Abraham Verghese returns to the literary scene with an epic family drama that has been years in the making. The result – one of the best books I’ve read about South Asia in years. On its surface, this story set in South India chronicles three generations of a family that suffers from a medical mystery of drownings. But the storyline is much deeper – a complex plot with lessons about love, pain and human understanding. Don’t be discouraged by the 700+ pages: The book is a page-turner that miraculously gives you a way to find hope in the face of repeated tragedy (though I still found myself crying)."
NPR Books We Love — 2023 · apps.npr.org
Goodreads Choice Awards — 2023 · goodreads.com
"Abraham Verghese's next novel, The Covenant of Water, is more than 700 pages, and even though it doesn't come out until May, I devoured it more quickly than many books that were ahead of it in my queue."
By the Book: Ari Shapiro · nytimes.com