The person responsible for the synopsis on the dust jacket of The Covenant of Water deserves an award. Concisely summarizing a plot spanning 70 years is a unique challenge. Abraham Verghese’s 715-page historical fiction novel transports its readers across India from 1900 to 1977. You practically become a member of one family as the mothers, sons, and granddaughters navigate uncertainty, love, and loss. The plot pacing ebbs and flows, but by the final page, Verghese has weaved a masterful web of lives and events.
“Fiction is the great lie that tells the truth about how the world lives!”
Verghese’s word choices and descriptions plant the reader firmly in South India. You can almost hear rushing water, smell the mangoes, bananas, and curry, and feel the heat and humidity of summer. The practice of medicine features heavily in the novel, including descriptions of human organs, injuries, and diseases. With an abundance of medical details – a single paragraph on page 527 lists nineteen human bones – I was constantly Googling terminology, but it ultimately enhanced the atmospheric writing.
“To see the miraculous in the ordinary is a more precious gift than prophecy.”
“Genius” is the only adequate word to describe the interweaving of the novel’s plot. I admit that, in the first half of the book, I became frustrated with a few characters I believed were randomly placed in the story and detracted from the plot. In truth, each main character served an important purpose; to realize it, you must possess an abundance of patience. Even if you feel fatigued by the halfway point of the story, I implore you to push forward – you’ll feel such satisfaction when you reach the intersection of the many plot lines.
“We don’t have children to fulfill our dreams. Children allow us to let go of the dreams we were never meant to fulfill.”
The Covenant of Water is an excellent example of a character-driven novel. Readers will receive plenty of familial and romantic drama, but don’t pick up the book if you’re searching for an action-packed plot line. You’ll become deeply involved in each main character’s feelings, ambitions, anxieties, and vices. You will rejoice in their accomplishments, but you will also feel their sadness, frustration, and anger. Verghese isn’t afraid to expose the darker aspects of India’s history and culture. Several characters face severe prejudice due to the caste system, while others must continually force their way through gender barriers. Readers craving intricate character work will find it in The Covenant of Water.
“I have been bent and broken but I hope into better shape.”
Unsurprisingly, the novel’s 70-year plot contains many themes, but the most reoccurring are (1) the importance of supporting family, and (2) the perseverance and strength found through love. For example, one of the central characters, a woman lovingly nicknamed Big Ammachi, automatically accepts each person who enters her life as family, whether they appear via direct bloodline or circumstance. Since each character is eventually linked to one another, Big Ammachi’s unshakeable love positively impacts all of their lives. One character fails to attend college, but his shame dissipates when he’s welcomed back by Big Ammachi, and he instead blossoms in a different career. Another character is sexually harassed in the pursuit of her dream, but the memory of Big Ammachi’s love for her inspires her to push through her obstacles. Helping your loved ones and using love to overcome challenges are certainly the most prominent themes of the book.
“The water she first stepped into minutes ago is long gone and yet it is here, past and present and future inexorably coupled, like time made incarnate.”
The Covenant of Water isn’t a quick, easy read, but it is wonderfully descriptive of India and overflowing with complex characters. You’ll be very satisfied by the intersection of each story line and feel like you’re a member of the book’s central family. You’ll witness each character’s growth as they learn the importance of supporting their friends and family, and how the power of love impacts the people in their lives.
You might like The Covenant of Water if you enjoy:
- Literary fiction
- Historical fiction
- Novels with found-family elements
- Books set in India
- Generational sagas
Buy a copy of The Covenant of Water at the following links:
Check out the synopsis and reviews on Goodreads
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