The Covenant of Water
Spanning the years 1900 to 1977, three generations of a Christian family in Kerala, South India, suffer a peculiar affliction: in every generation, at least one person dies by drowning. As the novel opens, a twelve-year-old girl is sent by boat to her wedding, where she meets her husband for the first time. She joins a prosperous household and becomes known as Big Ammachi, the matriarch of an extraordinary family that will endure hardship, celebrate triumph, and witness unthinkable changes over the coming decades.
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What you might want to know about The Covenant of Water
The questions readers send us most often, answered without spoilers.
From 1900 to 1977 in Kerala, India, a Saint Thomas Christian family on a coconut estate carries a strange affliction in which someone in every generation drowns. Their twelve-year-old bride grows into a great matriarch.
No. The Covenant of Water (2023) is a separate standalone novel set in Kerala, India. Both share Abraham Verghese's interest in family sagas, medicine, and South Asian-Western contact, but no characters cross over.
Yes. The Covenant of Water is around 720 pages, spanning three generations of an Indian Christian family from 1900 to 1977. Most readers find rewards in the long-haul commitment.
The Covenant of Water was written by Abraham Verghese, published in 2023 by Grove Press.
The Covenant of Water is a standalone novel by Abraham Verghese, not part of a series.
The Covenant of Water is available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats from Amazon, Bookshop.org, ThriftBooks, and most major bookstores.