What readers think of The Covenant of Water, plus links to write your own review.

"The Covenant of Water" by Abraham Vergese sat on my bedside table for two years, as its intimidating size and depth made me nervous. It was worth it for me. There is enough going on to justify the length. A true sign of a great writer is when they make the story engaging before everything comes together and jells.

The plot, which you could find anywhere, deals with a family with a mysterious death by drowning every generation, resulting in 77 years of love, suffering, dramatic events, and severed family ties. Multiple story lines will make you miss characters when they are gone for too long. Even Digby, technically an adulteress, will arouse your empathy as he experiences unspeakable tragedy.

Philipose is another character who will make you sad as he struggles with deafness and the family's water curse. His knowledge of how to manage his abilities reflects how people who are hard of hearing persevere and behave differently from the rest of us. He becomes a parent and makes mistakes as a husband and parent that most may recognize.

Reading reviews written by others shows an unnatural focus on length. People consistently drudged through the 715 pages. That aspect did not bother me, given the many timelines to finish, though it is a fair point to consider when accounting for taste. My thumb stays up because Vergese does not linger too long on any one topic and thoroughly explains his premise.

When I read works by the greats, I often say, "I could never write like this." Vergese also finds a way to assure you that you could not be a doctor either, based on his character's health struggles. The levels here are beyond any book that you would randomly pick up, and, yes, you should pick it up.

Abraham Verghese's storytelling is captivating. As I listened to him read his story, I felt like I was there with his characters, watching and hearing everything first hand. His use of appropriate accents for his characters added to the realism.

There are so many joys and so many tragedies in these lives. I felt the true roller coaster of life. Honestly, I wondered how these characters could continue with such positivity with everything they have undergone.

Even though this is a work of fiction, I learned much about India's history. I didn't know about India's WWII involvement, nor about the Naxalites. Dr Verghese's detailed medical descriptions were fascinating (not all for the faint of heart). He weaves his extensive research and knowledge of many subjects artfully throughout the story, putting time and place into perspective, adding to its realism.

This is a book of indian history which I didn't even knew I am in love with the book.

Abraham Verghese's "The Covenant of Water" is a mesmerizing tapestry of time, family, and the omnipresence of water in the lush landscapes of Kerala. This long-awaited novel, following the author's acclaimed "Cutting for Stone," delves into the intricate lives of a family bound by a peculiar affliction—death by drowning that echoes through three generations.

Set against the backdrop of Kerala's Malabar Coast from 1900 to 1977, the narrative weaves a compelling tale that begins with the poignant journey of a twelve-year-old girl sent by boat to her wedding. This young girl, who later becomes the matriarch known as Big Ammachi, embodies the heart and soul of the novel. Her life unfolds as a remarkable blend of joy, triumph, hardship, and loss, with faith and love standing as unwavering constants.

Verghese's prose skillfully captures the essence of a bygone India, offering readers a vivid and evocative portrayal of the cultural and historical milieu of Kerala. The omnipresence of water becomes a powerful metaphor, symbolizing both life and death, as the family grapples with the recurring tragedy of drowning across generations.

The author's ability to intertwine personal stories with larger societal changes is commendable. Against the backdrop of Kerala's Christian community, "The Covenant of Water" explores not only individual struggles but also the broader evolution of medicine and human understanding. Verghese's narrative is a hymn to progress, a celebration of the resilience of the human spirit, and a poignant testament to the sacrifices of past generations.

The characters are richly drawn, and their journeys are both captivating and heartrending. Big Ammachi emerges as a formidable figure, a witness to the passage of time and the embodiment of the family's endurance. The novel's exploration of faith and love provides a profound and introspective look into the human condition.

Verghese's storytelling prowess shines in this masterful literary work. His meticulous attention to historical detail, combined with a deep understanding of human emotions, creates a narrative that is both immersive and emotionally resonant. "The Covenant of Water" stands as one of the most compelling and thought-provoking novels in recent years, a testament to Verghese's mastery of the craft and his ability to capture the complexities of the human experience.

The Malayalam language, joins all beliefs.

The humor is scornful and very Malayali- - the Maramon Show, which has an American evangelist to silly outcomes, is one such section.

The narrating is of the best kind, liberated from any unnecessary frivolity. The uncovers come in adjusted portions that are influencing.

Water twirls deceptively through the story. In a thunderous section, the writer composes of how the Malayali fail to remember that the rainstorm will bind them for a really long time, suffocate the paddy fields, spill through the cover and exhaust their grain stores. All they know is that their bodies, similar to the dry soil, hunger for precipitation. Furthermore, eventually, the account of the Parambil family stands tall, approaching over everything. A story will remain with the peruser for quite a while.

Stunning in scope and intensity transporting the reader to far of lands and culture with exquisite detail all explored through vivid and intimate character developments.
A wonderful read.

Verghese takes you away and keeps you engaged from start to finish. You will thoroughly enjoy the journey.

This is a monumental and original family saga that is like nothing I have ever read. It is richly imaginative and packs an emotional wallop.

Taking place in Kerala, a state in South India on the Malabar Coast, it spans nearly 80 years and is brutally realistic. This isn't a sweetsie-lovey story. It's about life. Real life. And it hurts the reader sometimes! Children die, loved ones die by suicide, people are killed in somewhat brutal and violent ways, and several suffer debilitating injuries. It's a tough read because I was emotionally connected with the characters and then wham! They die or suffer. But that is the ultimate premise of this book: Finding the meaning in suffering.

Magnificently written by physician and bestselling author Abraham Verghese, this epic multigenerational novel begins in 1900 and ends in 1977, centering on the character of Big Ammachi. She is 12 years old when her father dies, leaving her mother destitute. In a desperate move, this little girl is hurriedly married off to a 40-year-old widower and father of a 2-year-old boy, who lives Kerala, a long day's journey away. She is nicknamed Big Ammachi (Big Mother) by Jojo, the little boy, and the name sticks as she grows up to become the matriarch of a large family living on the 500-acre estate of Parambil. As she soon discovers, this family has a curse, "the Condition," as they call it, that takes the life of someone every generation.

In addition, there are parallel stories that at first are seemingly unrelated. The most intriguing one is that of Digby Kilgour, a surgeon from Glasgow, Scotland, who joins the Indian Medical Service in Madras. His is also a story of joy and tragedy that eventually—surprisingly and explosively—connects with the family in Parambil, although it is a long and circuitous journey to that end.

In addition to a compelling, ever-evolving, and multilayered plot inhabited by bold and vivid characters, this is a profound work of literature that speaks eloquently and poignantly about one family's place on Earth—how they love, how they argue, how they do good, how they do evil, how they worship God, and how they make the world a better place by just inhabiting it. As you can probably tell from the title, the imagery and symbolism of water and specifically how the covenant of water links all human beings is brilliant.

This is also a love letter to medicine—to dedicated physicians, to the scientists who make the medical discoveries, to the hardworking nurses, and especially to all those who give their life to care for the sick.

Bonus: Even though it's told only in words, you'll get a tour of South India that is so vibrant and so realistic that when I Googled photos of the area, it appeared very much like it did in my imagination. The land is so much a part of the novel that it is almost a character of its own. This is truly a magical place with beautiful beaches, elaborate canals, and picturesque mountains filled with monkeys, elephants, snakes, birds, and tigers.

Two pieces of advice to make reading this 700 page book easier:
• There are dozens of characters in this novel, and even the Kindle X-ray feature is not that helpful. Go to the author's website and download the character list. Print it if you're reading the paper version of the book. If you're reading it on Kindle, I advise you to use the "send to Kindle" feature. I had this document right next to the book, so it was easy to search for or find the character. It doesn't take long before you'll know who everyone is.

• There are quite a few words in the novel in Malayalam, the official language of Kerala. In most cases, it's easy to figure out the meaning based on the context of the sentence, but I kept my phone nearby so I could Google words I couldn't decipher.

One of the best, if not THE best book I've ever read.