The Covenant of Water

The Covenant of Water

By Abraham Verghese

Published by Grove Press United Kingdom, 2023

Hardcopy 736 pages.
Available from Kindle and from Amazon in hardcopy and paperback.

Reviewed by Richelle Shem-Tov

I write my thoughts on this extraordinary saga of four generations of a family in India over a period of more than seventy years during the 20th century. Through their personal lives, India is brought to us – its history, geopolitics, traditions and the multi-cultured people who make up this huge population. The heroes, the people and their stories are of characters with whom we can easily identify and indeed love.

Perhaps the leading character in a book filled with more leading characters that it is possible to name, is that of Mariamma - "Ammachi", from her childhood marriage in 1906 at the age of 12 until she dies, a most loved mother, grandmother and matriarch of a large number of relatives and countless others - all who loved her. The ending story is that of her granddaughter and namesake, Mariamma.

The central family live on the southern tip of India but one chapter comes from another world. The story goes off on a tandem to Scotland and we meet there with a totally different society. From there comes one of the characters who have come from distant and very different countries.

One thread running through the entire book, as seen from the title, is water – whether sea rivers, lakes, rain and swamps, and the effect on the people in health and disease. Another thread found throughout is medicine, health care and any reader who has himself been involved in the medical world will find himself on familiar ground, if in medical schools, hospitals and clinics and all issues, both good and bad, connected to the health care of human beings. Art in different forms is another powerful feature. Much deals with the daily life, the agriculture, the food, the landscape, the extreme weather, human behavior and interaction.

Most of all, it is about love – love in all its forms.

It all comes together, the fascinating lives of the family over generations, the political climate and changes during this century; the water, and the illnesses and conditions that are part of their lives. All this wound into an unforgettable and historical human story.

I found it a great read.