Cutting for Stone was one of my favourite books for a very long time. I love Verhjese's writing and the way his characters pulse off the page. The Covenant of Water had this same quality, plus the sweeping epic story that take the reader on a journey through multiple generations. Some parts of this I enjoyed, and the way the story twisted and turned, I never wanted to put it down. However, one thing about the length of this novel and the amount of time it spanned, was that I would find myself connecting to a character only to move on and lose them as time went on. That combined with the length of this novel is what brought it down slightly from a 5-star rating for me... but still a absolutely fantastic book.

"Time and water move on relentlessly."

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The Covenant of Water spans almost 80 years through three generations of a family with an unusual relationship with water, one that often leads to their deaths. The family is a part of an ancient Christian community where family and tradition are important. We get a flavor of so many aspects of life in Kerala, India at the time. We get immersed in the culture, the impact of the caste system, the impact of the world wars, the fight for independence as well as the split of India and Pakistan and the impact of leprosy and other inherited diseases. We get a deep dive into one family with several branching stories that take the long route in coming together.

This one took me more than a month to read, not because it was too long or that it wasn't good, but because there are so many intense and heartbreaking moments. There would be so much time immersing yourself falling in love with a character in the timeline and then the promised tragedy would shake me and I'd need a break. But I was always drawn back. I expected the epic multi-generational story but how this one comes together is beautiful and uplifting and heartbreaking all at the same time. In that way, it reminded me of The Love Songs of WEB DuBois. The imagery of the nature of water and the deep dive into familial love balanced with the burden of inheritance and the realities of genetics was so masterful.

This will definitely be one of my top reads of the year, if not of all time. It's worth the 31 hours of audio / 700+ pages of your time, I promise!

Thank you to @netgalley for the Advanced Reader Copy of The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese. This is the story of a family in India, from 1900 to 1977. It’s hard to even attempt to describe it, it covers so much and so many different plotlines. It is beautifully written and probably could be considered epic. I will say it is very long and I started it several times before finally settling in and reading it. But it was well worth spending the time with this. #oprahsbookclub #thecovenantofwater #abrahamverghese #netgalley #advancedreadercopy #arc #covidnovel #bookstagram #booklover #reader #bookblog #lovetoread #fictionreader #bookreview #bookrecommendation #readersofinstagram #bookloversofinstagram #takeapagefrommybook #readallthebooks #booksbooksbooks #booksofinstagram #bookwormproblems #bookaholic #booknerd #whattoread #readingtime #bookaddict #ilovetoread #ilovebooks #needtoread #readallday

I remember reading Cutting for Stone when it first came out and being thoroughly compelled by that book, not so this one, though apparently I'm an outlier. A multiple-stranded, multiple-charactered story, that brings in everything including the kitchen sink - child-bride marriage, a strange condition that affects boys more than girls in a large and extended Indian family, the loss of babies and children, leprosy, medicine, art, mothers dead too young, politics, partition, religion, caste, and much much more. Sections of the book intrigued me, some of it I found myself skimming because of the too-muchness of it all, the neat tying up of loose ends, too neat for my taste. It's a magnus opus, a doorstopper at 724 pages, the writing not particularly wondrous, still after wading my way through this, and some of it read quickly, and some of it felt like a slog, I'm glad to have read it, and though I have no issue with long books, I love long books, either I wasn't properly settled in for this one, or, in my opinion, it could have been trimmed substantially so that not everything carried the same weight.

Thanks to Grove and Netgalley for an ARC.

This was one of my favourite books of 2023. Beautifully written and so evocative of Kerala. The plot was masterfully woven together with characters that were bursting with realism. An outstanding achievement.

Sweeping and utterly worth it. This lengthy tome covers such delights as goiter, leprosy, political turmoil, famine, and the trauma of the caste system and makes them all purely fascinating. What makes it work is that these heavy topics always take a backseat to the expertly drawn characters whom I had come to love. While the book is long, nothing is wasted, nothing taken for granted. It is purely masterful.

I love everything Abraham Verghese writes, his latest included. Long, but completely worth it. Long sweeping family drama spanning decades.

I’ve read and loved all of Verghese’s previous books. At over 700 pages this book was an example of epic storytelling . Spanning eight decades and three generations the book weaves together a family saga of history ,medicine, failures and triumphs . Definitely one of my favorite books of the year. I highly reccommend this book .
Thanks to NetGalley and the publsiher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Last night, I finished my last book of 2023 — The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese. If you love literary fiction, do not sleep on this one. Yes, it is HUGE, but the 715 pages were fantastic. I loved this sweeping epic that begins in 1900 and ends in 1977 in southwestern India. There is a reason that this one is an Oprah pick.

There are many main characters in this book, but that does not detract from the story line. Usually, I have trouble with following threads when there are more than 2 or 3, but since this book takes place over 77 years, more characters work. I also enjoyed how none of the characters were totally dropped from the narrative. Just when I was missing Digby, he came back.

5 stars. Thanks to my new in-person book club for making this a December/January pick.

Abraham Verghese has done it again. He has written another sweeping epic. His writing is absolutely beautiful and you become fully immersed in this world.

An incredible masterpiece. I loved every minute of this expansive novel. I was a bit intimidated by the scope of this book initially. Also, having adored this author’s previous novels, I was apprehensive. My hesitation was unfounded . I loved every minute of it. I could not have predicted how it would all come together and I was not disappointed! This is definitely in my best of 2023 list. I took my time reading this- hence my late review. I wanted to savor and and appreciate every word and the gorgeous language. A big thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this beautiful novel.

Yes, this was an amazing book, but I do not understand the hype surrounding it. It was very long and ultimately the issue with water becomes a fairly minor part of the whole story. I much preferred Verghese's Cutting for Stone.

Over 700 beautifully written pages. I tackled this master piece in 48 hours. This story of one families generational curse is an unforgettable one as a reader. The way this story was told and developed was great. This was my first read by the author and I was truly blown away!

updated: full review can also be seen @drbooksreads via Instagram.

When I first received the ARC of this book, it was intimating being over 700 pages. However, after the first few chapters I could not put it down. The entire book takes place in India and it starts with a 12-year-old girl marrying a 40-year-old man through an arranged marriage. The book tells the story of one family’s curse of drowning everyone knows about, but does not understand. Despite them, all trying to prevent it as best they can by changing daily routines for example nothing works. This book was heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time. Character development was phenomenal. The characters felt real, raw and relatable to me. This book combined history and medicine into a powerful story of the human connection and the frailty of one family over generations. The women of this family rocked! Big Ammachi—literally “Big Mother” was the backbone and a lot of the book is her POV. The author gave powerful depictions of grief, addiction, political activism/extremism and the power of medicine to heal the body, mind and the spirit. I really enjoyed this read. The ending was perfect and I rarely EVER say that. This author hit the ending out the park. I hope you enjoy this read as much as I did. This was a beautiful 5 star read for me. Thank you to Net Galley for Grove Atlantic for the ARC of the book. Expected publication date is May 2, 2023 and it is currently available on amazon for pre order. Happy Reading!

I feel a little bit like I need to give this 5 stars because it held my attention so well over 31 hours of narration (at regular speed!). It’s very long! I loved the author’s narration and found it v soothing, v interesting. Didn’t love some of the technical medical writing but overall glad I experienced it!

Set against the backdrop of Kerala on South India's Malabar Coast, "The Covenant of Water" unfolds across the years from 1900 to 1977, traversing three generations of a family grappling with a peculiar affliction: in each generation, at least one person succumbs to drowning—no small challenge in a region where water is omnipresent. Anchored in a Christian community with roots dating back to the time of the apostles, the family, led by the formidable matriarch Big Ammachi, or "Big Mother," witnesses profound changes both within their household and in the larger world.

While the narrative spans numerous lives, generations, and locales, exploring the intricate web of connections, losses, and tragedies, there are moments when the individual stories may seem disparate. Yet, at its core, this story is about connections, illustrating how, akin to the flowing waters, individual tales eventually merge into a singular stream. "The Covenant of Water" stands as a potent, enthralling, and emotionally charged multi-generational saga that transports readers. The prose is poetic and expressive, capturing the essence of the setting. The characters are richly layered, navigating torment, resilience, and vulnerability. The plot unfolds as a heart-tugging and immersive tale, weaving together the threads of lives, love, and loss.

All the stars to this book.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars. Thank you to Net Galley and Grove Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. I loved Cutting for Stone and was excited to know that the author had another fiction title coming out. But, the sheer length of the book was daunting. I finally mustered up the courage and commitment to read this book. It definitely was a beautifully told story but it still felt too long lowering the number of stars by 0.5 stars. We follow an Indian family from the early 1900s to 1977 who is cursed by tragedies involving water. We start the story with a young girl, I believe she's 12 years old, who has been matched to get married to a 40 year old widower, whose family is affected by water. We follow three generations of the family, which parallels India's history in the southwestern region - from plagues, Japanese invasion, colonization and religion, politics and cultural and gender beliefs. We are introduced to a surgeon, Digby from Scotland, who is training and is involved in a tragedy that forever changes his life. Philipose, the son and 2nd generation, marries Elsie and we follow their story and tragedies. And, it's the third generation where the story comes together, intertwined with all the other characters, and all the secrets are revealed. Having read both his fiction books, that are filled with so much sadness, grief, loss, and sacrifice that the happy aspect is usually bittersweet. If you're ready to experience a master storyteller's epic and want to get immersed in a different world, this is the one for you!

What a journey. Literally. Through time, along a river, through history. All at the same time I was privileged to be immersed in the lives of extraordinary characters - Big Ammachi, Philipose, Baby Mol, Elise,Uplift Master. I believe this last point is most important to me because by the end of this book I felt I knew them! I understood their thoughts and dreams. I laughed outloud and sobbed (sorry no spoilers).

At the end, I felt so content and at peace that it made it difficult to move on to the next book (I finally chose Taking Paris by Dugard for some quick paced history).

This is a great book club read as there are so many directions to discuss - spirituality, the significance of water and The Condition, the evolution of society and the affects on the characters, the caste system and yes, the characters.

Yes, it is 715 pages. I suggest you read it slowly - 20-30 pages a day. Savor the prose, the descriptions that make you feel like you are in the middle of a train station or sitting at Philipose’s desk or in the kitchen.

Thank you Abraham Vereghese for taking 14 years to bring this story to life.

Without question 5 stars.

Thank you to Grove Atlantic and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a fair and honest review

I am going to start with the fact that I couldn't wait to read this book. This is a book about Kerala, India from 1900-1977 and a Christian woman married off when she was a child. She would later become the matriarch of the family and be known as Big Ammachi. This story could be about my grandmothers, my Ammachi's. They were both Malayali Christian women who had arranged marriages in their teens. They were both strong and beautiful and I loved them. But as a child I never thought to ask them about their youth and their stories. Growing up in America my life was so different from theirs. This book gave me a glimpse of that time and place in Kerala, of what it might have been like for them. The author bought this epic, multi generational saga to life with his incredible storytelling. You can feel his love and connection to Kerala through the pages. This book is about curses, love, loss, afflictions, faith, hope and the connections of family that remain strong across generations. Thank you #NetGalley.

I avoided this book for a while, because I knew 1- I would not be able to start reading once I started and this book is a doorstopper; 2- I knew it would make me cry like Cutting for Stone did. And sure enough, once I started this book four days ago, both of these things happened. I read every minute I could get, and toggled between audio and print so that I could keep reading at every opportunity.

I'm in awe of Verghese's ability to write such a complicated epic that draws so many disparate threads into one moving story. The Covenant of Water is at once a love story, an intricate work of historical fiction, a medical mystery, and an exploration into faith and suffering. I loved being immersed in the landscape of Kerala and the multigenerational family stories, even as the author broke my heart many times. Brace yourself.

There was something about this book that just wasn’t for me and I ended up DNFing it. Each section I would just be getting really into a plot line and then the characters would change and the sections just felt to long and I had then forgotten about older plot lines before they circled back.