The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese (2023 fiction)

For readers of Cutting for Stone back in 2009, it was a long wait for Verghese’s second novel. It was worth the wait! The Covenant of Water, published in May, is a family saga set in southwest India between 1900 and 1977. In it, we first meet a twelve-year-old girl who faces an arranged marriage to a widower with a young son. By book’s end, she is the beloved matriarch, Big Ammachi. Many joys and tragedies occur in the family but hope never fades. We also meet Digby, a native of Glasgow, who joined the Indian Medical Service after being denied surgical training in London. In Madras, Digby faces the caste system where he will be responsible for “natives” in crowded wards while the Senior Physician is in charge of the British ward which is empty and the Anglo-Indian ward which has one patient. Digby is a memorable character who will touch your heart. Don’t let the length of the book (715 pages) deter you! It’s worth your time!!

Reviewed by Robin Olivier