“I have been bent and broken but–I hope–into better shape.” Charles Dickens in Great Expectations
It’s been years since this author of Cutting for Stone has published a new book, but it was well worth the wait. Cutting for Stone has a special claim to fame for me, because it is the very first book I posted about when I started this blog.
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. It is an epic literary story of love, tragedy, survival, resilience and medicine.
Verghese’s great gifts are on display in this new work: there are astonishing scenes of medical ingenuity, fantastic moments of humour, and empathetic descriptions of characters. There’s even an unforgettable elephant called Damodaran.
This book is more than 700 pages so it’s a bit of a commitment, but honestly, I was still sad when it was over and I didn’t think anything should have been left out. I found it to be a masterful literary novel, a compelling and moving story with delightful surprises, and found it well worth the time spent reading it.
Abraham Verghese, MD, MACP, is Professor for the Theory and Practice of Medicine at the Stanford University School of Medicine and Senior Associate Chair of the Department of Internal Medicine. Born of Indian parents who were teachers in Ethiopia, he grew up near Addis Ababa and began his medical training there. The story of his experience as a foreign medical graduate in the US can be found in an article he wrote for The New Yorker called The Cowpath to America. Working as a resident in Boston he first saw the early signs of the HIV epidemic and cared for numerous AIDS patients in an era where little could be done.
His work with terminal patients and the insights he gained from the deep relationships he formed with those who suffer, were intensely transformative. His compassion is clearly evident in his writing. Verghese is also a graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. His website includes a handy character list for this book. The beautiful illustrations adorning section breaks in the novel are by Kelly Winton.
The Covenant of Water was picked up by Oprah’s Book Club. To watch a 50 minute excerpt of her Super Soul Podcast interview with the author, click here.
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