The Covenant of Water

The Covenant of Water is a 2023 novel by physician and author Abraham Verghese. The book was published by Grove Atlantic. The novel tells the story of a Malayali family living in southwest India, in the Kerala state, with the narrative spanning three generations, from 1900 to the 1970s. In each generation, some members of the family die by drowning because of an inherited affliction they refer to as "The Condition.” This condition is revealed to be von Recklinghausen's disease.

Plot
The novel tells the story of three generations of an Orthodox Saint Thomas Christian family living in the town of Parambil, in the southwest Indian state of Kerala. The story begins with a 12-year-old girl, Mariamma, who moves there to marry a 40-year-old widower in an arranged marriage. The marriage develops into a loving one and Mariamma eventually becomes the overseer of the 500-acre family estate and the matriarch of the family. She becomes known as Big Ammachi (Big Mother).

Big Ammachi's son, Philipose, grows up to be a celebrated writer and marries Elsie, an artist. Big Ammachi's namesake, who she believed was Philipose's daughter, becomes a doctor and solves the mystery of "The Condition."

The novel also includes supporting characters who interact with the family, including the Scottish doctor Digby Kilgour, who immigrates to Parambil to practice surgery, and the Swedish doctor Rune Orquist, who treats patients at a leper colony.

Major Characters

 * Big Ammachi (Mariamma) - lead character, 12-year-old bride who became the matriarch of the family
 * Big Appachen - widower, husband of Big Ammachi
 * JoJo - son of Big Appachen and his first wife; step-son of Big Ammachi
 * Baby Mol - daughter of Big Ammachi and Big Appachen
 * Philipose - son of Big Ammachi and Big Appachen; writer
 * Elsie - wife of Philipose; artist
 * Ninan - son of Elsie and Philipose
 * Digby Kilgour  - A Scottish doctor who immigrated to India to get training in surgery
 * Claude Arnold - British-educated surgeon; Digby's boss
 * Celeste Arnold - Claude's wife; Digby's first love
 * Mariamma - daughter of Digby and Elsie; Big Ammachi's namesake and supposed granddaughter; doctor
 * Shamuel - a member of the pulayar caste; foreman of Parambil and Big Appachen's friend
 * Joppan - son of Shamuel and his wife Sara; Philipose's best friend

Reception
Overall, reviews for the book were positive. The novel was selected to Oprah's book club picks.

In a mixed review in the New York Times, writer Andrew Solomon criticized the book for not incorporating more subtleties or complexities of Indian culture, stating: "This novel recalls the curry one might get in a small American farm town: exotic by local standards, not wrong in any way, but substantially softened for the locals". Solomon further criticized the characters' development stating the novel "focuses almost entirely on good people (to whom many terrible things happen), and given the complexity of human beings, the surfeit of grace sometimes feels unrealistic and even pretentious...". However, in conclusion, Solomon stated: "While I don't entirely believe in Verghese's characters, I am moved by how much he loves them and, in so doing, makes the reader love them." and "It is a better world for having a book in it that chronicles so many tragedies in a tone that never deviates from hope".

In a positive review, writing for NPR, Jenny Bhatt stated of Verghese's storytelling: "Verghese threads meaningful connections between macrocosmic and microcosmic details so elegantly that they are often barely noticeable at first." She further states: "Verghese takes his time to reveal how everything, like the waterways there, is connected and eventually flows together".

Writing for The Washington Post, Joan Frank states of Verghese's character development: "Verghese's compassion for his ensemble, which subtly multiplies, infuses every page. So does his ability to inhabit a carousel of sensibilities - including those of myriad women - with penetrating insight and empathy. In conclusion, Frank stated: "The further into the novel readers sink, the more power it accrues".

The New York Times listed The Covenant of Water as one of its 100 Notable Books of 2023.