Review

The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese (ver-GEESE) is a superb novel, the best I've read in many years. Dr. Verghese is an American physician and Professor of the Theory and Practice of Medicine and Vice Chair of Education at Stanford University Medical School. He received the National Humanities Medal from President Obama in 2015. Readers will remember him most for his wonderful book Cutting for Stone published in 2008. Covenant, a story of India, begins in 1900 in what is now the State of Kerala in southern India. A marriage has been arranged between a twelve-year-old girl and a forty-year-old widowed farmer, beginning a family saga of some ten decades to 1977. The family's dark secret is that, in every generation, at least one member has drowned unexpectedly, even though the family members who fear the "Condition" try their best to stay clear of the water. That twelve-year-old girl eventually becomes "Big Ammachi" (Big Mother) and she becomes the central figure in the story. The mystery of the "Condition" is just one of many threads running through this historical novel, which follows the bride's family, neighbors, friends, and extended family during the 20th century. There are other key characters in this story including Digby Kilgour, a doctor who flees Glasgow, Scotland to become a surgeon in India, and Rune Orquist, a Swedish doctor who opens a leprosy clinic in Kerala after a religious epiphany. You know that Dr. Verghese would write about doctoring front and center and the medical segments of The Covenant of Water are moving and highly interesting. When Digby is severely burned in an accidental fire, he seeks help from Dr. Orquist at his leprosy sanctuary. The experiences that Big Ammachi and her family have cover births, deaths, friendships, and tragedies and are told as the history of India unfolds through two world wars, monsoons, famine, Indian independence from England, floods, rural India electrification, and much more while Verghese weaves in his insatiable love for art and literature. This broad, intricate history is driven by vibrant characters, beautifully expressed detail, and an intimate exploration of cultures, Indian landscapes, and local tradition. The Covenant of Water is a remarkable novel, a story exceptionally well-written with prose that leaps off the pages. There is much to love about this monumental effort, ten years in the making, a true classic that will charm readers that take the trip with Dr. Verghese.

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