The Covenant of Water

De: Abraham Verghese

Narrado por: Abraham Verghese

OPRAH’S BOOK CLUB PICK • INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • SUBJECT OF A SIX-PART SUPER SOUL PODCAST SERIES HOSTED BY OPRAH WINFREY

From the New York Times-bestselling author of Cutting for Stone comes a stunning and magisterial epic of love, faith, and medicine, set in Kerala, South India, following three generations of a family seeking the answers to a strange secret

“One of the best books I’ve read in my entire life. It’s epic. It’s transportive . . . It was unputdownable!”—Oprah Winfrey, OprahDaily.com

The Covenant of Water is the long-awaited new novel by Abraham Verghese, the author of the major word-of-mouth bestseller Cutting for Stone, which has sold over 1.5 million copies in the United States alone and remained on the New York Times bestseller list for over two years.

Spanning the years 1900 to 1977, The Covenant of Water is set in Kerala, on South India’s Malabar Coast, and follows three generations of a family that suffers a peculiar affliction: in every generation, at least one person dies by drowning—and in Kerala, water is everywhere. At the turn of the century, a twelve-year-old girl from Kerala’s long-existing Christian community, grieving the death of her father, is sent by boat to her wedding, where she will meet her forty-year-old husband for the first time. From this unforgettable new beginning, the young girl—and future matriarch, known as Big Ammachi—will witness unthinkable changes over the span of her extraordinary life, full of joy and triumph as well as hardship and loss, her faith and love the only constants.

A shimmering evocation of a bygone India and of the passage of time itself, The Covenant of Water is a hymn to progress in medicine and to human understanding, and a humbling testament to the difficulties undergone by past generations for the sake of those alive today. It is one of the most masterful literary novels published in recent years.

©2022 Abraham Verghese (P)2022 Recorded Books

Engrossing story

The writer is an excellent narrator, the story is transporting A very pleasant five day listen!

Way. Too. Long.

(spoilers) Way. Too. Long. And, you really do not want to eat while reading this one, there is a lot of medical stuff that will make you queasy. But, beautifully written. I was a little uneasy about the author narrating, but other than the Scottish accent (which was tough to decipher as spoken by the Indian-accented author) I realize why he felt he was the only one who could narrate, in order to capture all of the nuance of the characters. The problem with a book that is Way. Too. Long. is that you tend to forget details from the beginning, and even the middle of the story. The "condition" is fascinating, and the cure being determined is equally fascinating (even if I felt we could have reached that point about two-thirds faster than we did). I did find that my attention wandered after the death of baby Ninan (sp?), because it was so horrific that I found I had lost interest in the remaining story. Also, I take issue with any book in which nothing good happens to anyone, and I do feel that this was such a book. Even so, it's an amazing story, and if you have a month to read/listen to a book, I would certainly recommend this one.

Brilliant

This is a wonderful story, it’s kind , it’s sad,,beautifully told, time just flew.,as I worked in my studio.

Captivating, enormously loving, and shocking!

The LOVE is this book, from every angle, was incredibly heart filling. I felt as if I was sitting there, right inside, of every chapter.

Beyond Words

This story is beautifully written and narrated. Its story of Indian life and people is a buffet to be savored slowly. Enjoy!

Powerful Read

Beautifully crafted and poignant!
Highly recommend this incredible story that spans generations and conveys love, loss and redemption.

The best novel I’ve read in awhile.

A well written book filled with vivid descriptions of landscape and emotions.
It made me laugh and cry and immersed me in the human condition.
A very heartfelt and feel good story.
It teaches us that everything happens for a reason, and that we are part of everything in this world.

Touching and fascinating

This book carries the reader through multiple generations of an Indian family, their heartaches and triumphs. it's full of wonderful details of the flora and fauna, religion, customs and food, the weather and it's impact. Loves, rivalries, medical standards of the times... it's a well crafted saga. The author narrates in his wonderful accent, giving even more authenticity to the subject matter. I highly recommend it.

A Love Letter to the Family

This novel is thoughtful, insightful, and entertaining. With a background in medicine, I especially enjoy the technical perfection of the medical descriptions, situations and historical references. As a member of a complex family, I appreciate the care given to the theme of secrets we all share and don’t share.

Thank you for this work.

Relentlessly though beautifully tragic

I was fully transported to these places and eras so poignantly written. The book made me ache in pain, cry, laugh, think. It made me feel it all. It will stay with me for a long time.