A great 19th century British novel about India that happens to be set stretching through the first 2/3 of the 20th century, and written by a 21st century author of Indian descent. It’s great. It’s epic. It’s family.
It’s science. It’s religion and politics and philosophy and history. It rivals Cutting for Stone. Read it.

This is my first exposure to Verghese's work - although many had recommended his first gigantic novel, Cutting for Stone to me, I had heard that it got bogged down in medical detail, which didn't sound like something I would enjoy. I had a similar problem with this, his second behemoth doorstopper, which is also receiving suitable praise and has become a big bestseller.

Although I dutifully did not skim such, there were many sections that I found rather stomach-churning - and basically unnecessary for the story; knowing that Verghese's first love is medicine and he still practices and teaches at Stanford, I can see why it would excite him - me, not so much. Be that as it may, I was initially quite excited by the story, thinking it was a 5-star book for sure. - but then it started being a bit of a slog for me mid-way through.

I found it difficult to keep all the myriad characters straight (even with the character list from the website), and Verghese has a tendency to overwrite some sections and then hurry through others, so they don't make much impact. A death of one major character was just dropped in so nonchalantly that I couldn't even remember their passing and had to have a friend who buddy read it with me (who VERY kindly sent me an autographed copy!!) remind me of the particulars.

This also veers quite a lot into the 'misery porn' genre - I often had the feeling the author introduced subsidiary characters into the narrative just so he could give them pain, suffering and awful deaths. Verghese's prose style is perfunctory and rarely very exciting, and the turns of fate are often predictable - when another major character seemingly drowns halfway through, you just KNOW they are going to reappear at the denouement. But the basic storyline buried in the 715 pages is for the most part entertaining, and the ending is guaranteed to get the eyes all misty - but I sure wish the editor had excised a good 200 or so pages.

A beautifully written story of love family and redemption.
Thanks netgalley for allowing me to read this book for an honest review

A beautifully written novel of faith, family, tragedy, and resilience.  A Covenant of Water is set in the  Southern Indian state of Kerala.  The story opens in the early twentieth century with the arranged marriage between an impoverished twelve year old girl, Mariamma, and a man more than three times her age.  As her new family begins to grow and prosper, Mariamma soon discovers that members of her husband's family suffer from a mysterious, multi-generational malady that results in death by drowning.  Despite many years of prosperity, trials, and family growth, this "condition" periodically strikes unexpectedly and results in the tragic death of a beloved family member.  An aging Mariamma, now known as Big Ammachi, clings to her devout Christian faith, and prays for a miracle that will save her family from more needless tragedy.

The Covenant of Water is a massive, page-turner of a novel, with a gripping plot, exotic setting, complex characters, and brilliant writing that will have you laughing out loud one moment, and on the verge of tears the next.  The author, an accomplished physician, skillfully weaves his abundant scientific knowledge into the story, thereby making medical conditions and descriptions come to life. The Covenant of Water is a beautifully unique novel, and truly a must-read.

I so loved this book. Its length may deter some readers, but those that read to the end will be rewarded. I’m not going to recap the “story” or plot here as that can be found in many places. However, I want to share my total enjoyment. The underlying themes of water and family are so beautifully written and incorporated into the book that I found myself rereading entire passages just for the joy of doing so.

Remarkable! Extraordinary! Astounding! My list of incredible words to describe this book is never-ending.
Once again, Verghese has truly created a story that is unforgettable.
To even attempt to summarize the plot of this book would not do it justice. I do know that, upon completion, I felt that I had been on that long, long journey with the characters in the book. The plot lines were so varied and complex and, yet, at the end, everything seemed to fall into place. The people who inhabited these pages had story upon story to convey and I eagerly awaited their voyages.
Brilliant!

A saga, a secret and a big heart is what makes up The Covenant of Water. Dr. Verghese takes his readers on a journey to Kerala starting at 1900s and all the way till 1970s where the geography undergoes transformation under various political and social changes. But doesn't change is the flow of water, the thrum of the currents under the boat and the secret, a condition that afflicts this family, every generation.

All rivers run to the sea - is perhaps the best way to explain this book. The family that starts with a young girl married to an older widower with a child expands to multiple generations of family and relatives, all connected and interconnected by stories only to have a possibly hopeful ending.

This was an enjoyable read though it could have been trimmed by a quarter. of its length

An epic historical family saga set over 7 decades in South India, later Kerala. I couldn’t do justice to all the interlinking storylines, so I won’t even try. This is a book to sink into and soak up all that it has to offer. Multi-generational and multi-themed, with all those disparate plots lines expertly woven together, I found it a truly compelling read. Possibly a little over-written, possibly a little too long – that I can accede - but for me it made no difference, I enjoyed every page.

“She is twelve years old, and she will be married in the morning. Mother and daughter lie on the mat, their wet cheeks glued together."

I was hooked from the very beginning and like his previous book, Cutting for Stone, I did not want it to end. A true saga and multigenerational tale, Covenant covers eight decades and three generations. Every character is connected, not unlike the waters of the world.

I don’t have much to say that hasn’t already been said about this stunning piece of literature. I so enjoyed all of the rich cultural and medical details. I have been trying to write a review for months, but find it very difficult to do! So just let me say it is easily one of the best books of the year and worth every moment.

“We don't have children to fulfill our dreams. Children allow us to let go of the dreams we were never meant to fulfill.”

Thank you @netgalley and @grovepress for the digital ARC.

Covenant of Water is one of the most beautiful and deeply affecting books I have ever read. It will go down as one of my top ten reads of all time. Verghese is a wordsmith whose skillful language crafts a world of pain and suffering which is redeemed by the ties of family love. Just read it! Yes, it’s a big book, but I promise, you won’t notice, because you won’t be able to put it down. Just don’t plan on getting anything done while you’re reading The Covenant of Water. Truly exceptional, full of deep wisdom, and highly recommended for all readers who enjoy fine literature.

I fell into this book, as one falls into a river on its relentless course. It carried me through generations of a family I came to know through its members, some compelling, some burdened by care, all living within the restraints of life in a society divided by caste and outside influences. Yet, the author carries readers on pages of lyrical writing, and no joys are left behind. And, few medical procedures are left undescribed. That was a hard swallow for me, but after my time investment in this book, I was not sorry for the experience of staying through the hard details of educative medical events in the lives of characters devoted to the medical practice through the generations.

We stand on the shoulders of those who've gone before us. Whether we acknowledge it or not, we stand in places we've been brought to by, within just a few generations, people whose details we may not know specifically, but whose consequences affect us daily and whose features we see every time we look in a mirror. The burdens they managed and sacrifices they made set our paths. If we were lucky enough to know them or hear their stories, they truly become part of our dream, our river. Knowledge of that and our response to it, comprises some of our best treasures in life, and provides some of the best answers to the questions we have about our lives. Abraham Verghese shares some of his best treasures in this book.

Uncovering and identifying the path of past generations is my favorite kind of work. Thank you, Abraham Verghese. I'll be thinking of this one for a long time.

* A Sincere Thank You to Abraham Verghese, Grove Atlantic, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review. #TheCovenantofWater #NetGalley *

This was an absolutely fascinating book, a very riveting read, though just a tad bit long. We meet Mariamma (later Big Ammachi), a 12 year old girl getting ready for her marriage to a 40 year old widowed man who has a young son. She has reservations about the marriage, as part of it she's moving to a region quite a distance from where she lived and leaving her mother behind. Things could have gone very bad, but, her husband, who, when he found out she was very young, was not going to proceed with the marriage, he was eventually talked into it, and he was a kind and decent man, waiting until she was older before having relations with her and letting her run the house. The story goes mostly forward in time, starting in 1900, but at times it will jump back to cover something that had been brought up in the present to explain what happened. There is a lot of things going on in this story, India was under British rule at the beginning, then became independent split into India and Pakistan (a violent split) and through it all life continues for Mariamma and the people that live around her (I would describe it as a small village to start, all owned by her husband). Descendants of her husbands family may be born with a Condition, that makes them fear water, it's not until much later in the story that what causes this condition is resolved, by a granddaughter. I really enjoyed this book, the author is a physician and there are numerous instances where medical intervention saved the lives of people. At 700+ pages it is a book that requires dedication to complete and I for one am very happy that I did. I would highly recommend. Thanks to #Netgalley and #Grove Press for the ARC.

As a fan of Abraham Verghese and his novel Cutting for Stone I was very excited to see that he had a new book out and it did not disappoint. Told over generations the story deals with generational trauma as one person in every generation of a family drowns. With the same beautiful prose as his previous novels this book is definitely worth picking up.

You I read Cutting for Stone when my first child was born, almost 12 years ago. I credit that novel (as well as The Midnight Circus) for rekindling my love of reading. I was beyond excited to return to the pages composed by Verghese and even more thrilled when I was able to listen to the author reading the family epoch.

The Covenant of Water is a sweeping story following a family in southern India through multiple generations. The family is plagued by a condition in which at least one person in each generation dies by drowning. It is a medical mystery of sorts and a deep family secret.

Verghese has masterfully crafted a story of faith, love, medicine, art, family, and science. I was completely drawn in by every word. At 31 hours this was NOT a quick listen, but I never felt bogged down, I wanted to stay in that world as much as I could. As a medical provider myself I was hooked—there is a bit of jargon here and there, but I never felt like it detracted from the story.

I absolutely ADORED these characters. Big Ammachi and Baby Mol were my favorites and there was one scene in the book that absolutely brought me to tears. If you’ve read it I’m sure you know what I’m talking about (I mean there were lots of tears, but this one part in particular 😭😭😭). I even ended up loving Philipose, whom I often found myself wanting to shout at.

The ending of this story was genius. It ties everything together but also took me COMPLETELY by surprise. I cannot recommend this book enough. It is a huge time investment because there is no way to listen at 2x speed or race through the story, but it pays off immensely.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for The Covenant of Water

Thank you to @netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This book, to me, was well worth all 726 pages (it spans three generations of one family in India over 77 years). Keep in mind, this endorsement comes from someone who generally doesn’t do well with family sagas.

What first drew me into the novel was the story of the family’s matriarch and her arranged marriage at such a tender age. When I was in my teens, I had an enormous group of international pen-pals, one of whom was from India. When, at age 16, she was married in an arranged situation, I was appalled (I had only just begun dating!). When I received another letter from her with first and last name changed, and her explanation that her new family chose to re-name her, I was apoplectic. At that age, I knew nothing of other cultures, nothing of how damaging my response to her would be – only my own indignation if someone would want to change my identity. (I wrote something along the lines of how could she handle being married off so young, to someone she didn’t know, renamed, etc…). I never heard from her again, I assume, because her family/husband intercepted her letter and forbade her. I regret my actions to this day, because I realized I was probably a much-needed outlet, if not a friend.

And, so this book – far too late – helped me understand the gross error of my ways, helped me understand cultural norms in India then (and how they’ve changed). I wonder how my friend is today, what became of her future.

The second thing that drew me into the book were the medical themes. I realize this aspect, along with sheer page length, may turn some readers away. But I personally am fascinated by medical topics, so it was a huge selling point for me. I needed to know more about “The Condition,” and then all of the other maladies presented with such astute medical insight (of course, we all know Verghese is an MD, so it makes perfect sense he would marry his two passions together in this book: writing and doctoring-teaching).

Verghese has a way of painting relationships that, even when the passages are short, really sing with emotional resonance. He did not hold back in his portrayal of women as the stronger sex. In fact, he often paints the males as imbecilic, inferior beings. His reverence and respect for women and matrilineal leadership is palpable, despite India’s historic devaluation of women (and, I have to admit, reading this was refreshing).

The book, also, is a feat of near-magic in the way it loops back at the end to thread together so (very) many characters introduced throughout – and it does so, magnificently, through water. I do believe this is one of the most touching, wonderful, emotion-laden endings I have read in a book.

There was so much I did not anticipate or see coming. In this novel, I laughed and I cried – and I learned a great deal about India’s oppressive history and its religious history, as well. Yes, at times the author is heavy-handed in his insertion of historic events and his assumption that readers will look up (or understand) italicized Indian words. But my advice is to simply read. Read for context, and if you can’t figure it out, just keep going. Let the words flow like the thematic water in the book. And you will be justly rewarded at the end.

This is a story about family and love and heartbreak and healing. “What defines family is not blood, molay, but the secrets they share.”

The author’s turns of phrase are often delightful and beautiful. A few samples:

Why was it one had to leave something , or have it taken away, to really appreciate it?

We don’t have children to fulfill our dreams. Children allow us to let go of the dreams we were never meant to fulfill.

[Big Ammachi to her son, Phillpose, about God] “When he was handing out common sense, he overlooked you. If he’d made you a woman, then maybe dung wouldn’t come out of your mouth in place of words. Shame on you!”

I definitely want to go back and read Cutting for Stone.

The Covenant of Water is a sweeping saga about multiple generations of a family in Kerala, South India during the 1900s. When the book started with a twelve-year-old bride married to a forty-year-old man, I was preparing myself to read what was sure to be a heartbreaking tale. But I was wrong. From the start, the story was hopeful and optimistic, and it pulled me right in. I lost myself in the narrative and the stunning prose and was swept into Big Ammachi’s world.

Verghese is a master storyteller, and I underlined dozens of beautiful sentences throughout the book, hoping to learn from a master. Though I am usually squeamish about medical procedures, I was fascinated by Verghese’s detailed descriptions. There were many Malayan words in italics, which slowed down my understanding, but after a few chapters, the foreign words melted into the background. The characters were multi-layered and deeply drawn, flawed and realistic, and I fell in love with each of them. But there were way too many characters, and I had a hard time remembering each character’s arc since the book was very long. The setting was rich and vivid, and though I have never been to India, I was transported. I love epic historical fiction books, and I now have a much deeper understanding of the region, colonialism, religion, food, culture, and traditions.

This is currently my favorite book of 2023. It will be tough to top this writing.

My thanks to NetGalley for an Advanced Readers Copy of this book. All opinions are my own and not biased in any way.

Cutting for Stone is one of my all-time favorite books, so I was excited for this follow up from Abraham Verghese. The Covenant of Water is a multi-layered historical tale that follows three generations of a Malayali family living in Kerala India spanning from 1900 to 1977. The prose is lyrical with vivid descriptions of the period and lush setting while also incorporating extensive medical knowledge and details about medical advances. The main character of Big Ammachi is the anchor of the family and their story as it begins and then unfold through the years and generations. She is the one whose eyes you see the world through and the one who you continue thinking about after their story ends. This was a 4 star read that was lifted higher by the author’s emotional investment in his compelling narration.

This multigenerational novel follows a family for decades. A mysterious condition seems to have taken the lives of family members when they go near the water. A log is kept in the bedroom to document each death.

The story seems to go back and forth and at times, I wondered how Dr. Digby and the story of his surgical journey had anything to do with the others.
At a certain point, it all intertwines though. I found this book one that I couldn’t take in, all at once. Parts of it were very heavy as subjects include death of children and adults. There are descriptions of medical surgeries, and abandonment. Overall, I’m glad I read it as, the author took parts from his mothers own journal to write it. He is an amazing writer, which I knew from Cutting For Stone.

You can SEE the story that is being told through descriptive and beautiful narrative. It’s a long book but it sucks you in and doesn’t let go. I enjoyed this one just as much as Cutting for Stone by the same author. Beautifully written. Highly recommend!!

I was a huge fan of the author's previous book "Cutting for Stone" and eager anticipated reading this book. "The Covenant of Water" is an epic family saga that didn't grab me the way his first book did.
I really enjoyed the characters but the story sometimes dragged. Even though I loved this book less than "Cutting for Stone" it is still well worth the time invested in reading it.