The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese

The Covenant of Water is the long-awaited new novel by Abraham Verghese, the acclaimed author of the bestseller Cutting for Stone, which captivated readers worldwide and sold over 1.5 million copies in the United States alone.

Spanning the years 1900 to 1977, The Covenant of Water is set in the lush, evocative landscape of Kerala, on India’s Malabar Coast, where water is both a source of life and a harbinger of tragedy. The story follows three generations of a family afflicted by a strange and inexplicable curse: in every generation, at least one person dies by drowning. For a family surrounded by water, this fate becomes an ever-present specter.

At the turn of the century, a twelve-year-old girl from Kerala’s long-established Christian community is sent by boat to her wedding, grieving the recent death of her father. She is to meet her forty-year-old husband for the first time. From this unforgettable beginning, the young girl—who will come to be known as Big Ammachi—emerges as the matriarch of her family, witnessing nearly eight decades of profound change. Her journey, filled with moments of joy, triumph, hardship, and loss, is bound together by her steadfast faith and unwavering love.

Verghese’s masterful narrative is a shimmering evocation of a bygone India, brilliantly capturing the essence of a land caught between the ancient and the modern. The Covenant of Water is a rich tapestry of history, family, love, faith, and the inexorable march of time. It pays homage to the progress of medicine and the enduring power of human understanding while standing as a poignant testament to the sacrifices and struggles of past generations.

Abraham Verghese has crafted one of the most remarkable literary novels of recent years—a novel that invites readers to immerse themselves in the deeply moving stories of those who came before and to reflect on the interconnectedness of our shared human experience.