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The Covenant of Water

By: Abraham Verghese
Narrated by: Abraham Verghese
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Publisher's Summary

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

What listeners say about The Covenant of Water

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A masterpiece

I can only offer the scant praise of superlatives. They fail as every aspect of the narrative was filled with mystery and fascinating minutiae of southern India. I learned so much from this learned writer. The narration only added its colouration rather than subtracted as often occurs in audible books. Thank you.

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A modern masterpiece

An incredible novel. The characters and story remain with me long after the last page.

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A story to open your heart

A sublimely rich and beautifully read story with so much love in the complexity of the characters. Other accents weren’t wonderful however the essence of words were such that for me it didn’t detract from the flow. It was Abraham’s sincerity that kept me so fully engaged. I will read his other books.

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This is a beautiful, well told story

I loved the way this story was told through three generations and how the stories intertwined.

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  • Tim
  • 20-02-2024

Breathtaking

Such a glorious book beautifully narrated. Highly recommended! Long, but don’t be daunted . It is worth the time

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Beautifuly written book

I thought this book was a well written beautifully descriptive book. A wonderful and at times funny and sad story of a history of a family. Not my normal read but a great book

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Outstanding

The author’s descriptive language was captivating. I often stopped to take in the beauty of the language. I’ll definitely listen to this more than once.

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The characters are beautifully presented and develop throughout the story.

I loved everything about it, so much that I am about to listen to it again!

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Breathtaking

A privilege to consume this book. Beautifully written and narrated. Astonishing work of art to be cherished.

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Brilliant

Beautiful story. I found it a bit slow at first and nearly stopped. I’m very glad I didn’t.

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