by Abraham Verghese
A sweeping, luminous saga that lingers.
Set in Kerala, South India, and spanning much of the 20th century, The Covenant of Water traces the legacy of a family burdened by a mysterious affliction—one member per generation drowns, without exception. But this novel is not just about loss. It’s about endurance, inheritance, healing, and the quiet strength passed down through generations of women.
Abraham Verghese—both physician and storyteller—brings lyrical precision to every detail, from the scent of monsoon-soaked earth to the emotional undercurrents shaping a family’s fate. His prose is lush and deliberate, with characters so richly drawn they feel lived in.
Despite its epic scale, the novel never loses sight of the deeply personal. It explores how we live with grief, how we search for meaning in suffering, and how love, in all its imperfect forms, binds us.
Unhurried but unforgettable, this is a novel that asks for your time—and rewards it fully.
For those who love multigenerational stories, atmospheric settings, and narratives anchored in both heart and history, The Covenant of Water is essential reading.