The Covenant of Water
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Narrated by:
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Abraham Verghese
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Written by:
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Abraham Verghese
About this listen
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 BooksYou may also enjoy...
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What listeners say about The Covenant of Water
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- Kareen Elliott
- 2023-07-04
Fantastic detailed book
Beautifully written piece. Great history and detail. I highly recommend this one. Worth the 30 hrs listening.
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- Donna Beker
- 2023-07-18
Riveting drama
The story draws you in right from the first sentence and keeps you engaged the entire time. The author also did a fabulous job of narrating the story. I thoroughly enjoyed the book.
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- Faye J.
- 2023-07-03
Amazing!!!
Abraham Vergese does not disappoint!! His narration makes this book a compelling listen. I only hope he continues to write more novels.
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- Barbara M.
- 2023-10-05
MAGNIFICENT…it is difficult to find fitting words for such a deeply felt experience…
To have encountered these exquisitely shared words after decades of searching for such a work is a blessing. Even Dr. Verghese’ voice is precisely perfect. Read it and you will understand.
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- Caroltmk
- 2023-10-29
So long...but I didn't want it to end.
I was swept away by this breathtaking novel. The narration was impeccable and the story will stay with me forever.
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- Courtney
- 2023-11-14
All time favourite
I was so sad when I completed this novel because I did not want it to end. I don’t even know where to begin with this book. I fell in love with all the characters and their stories from each generation and the performance from the author was just incredible. I do not write reviews often but I had to because I think everyone would enjoy this novel I much as I did.
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- William Kane
- 2023-11-12
Well worth the time.
An immersion into so many lives and interesting times. Thank you for writing and reading this book to me.
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- janet Firth
- 2024-02-08
Truly a gem!
A journey through time, that insights smells ,emotions of love and loss .The endurance of humanity sure the most difficult times,but left you feeling glad you went on the journey!
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- David B.
- 2024-02-15
intertwined story of many different peoples lives.
The book was well written and crafted. I found the stories of each person's could drag on. Too much depth at times that didn't amount to much. I think this book should be split into two books to ease the story telling.
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- Love pets
- 2024-09-07
Life intersects with medical knowledge
Wonderful for all 30 hours. A sweeping saga of generations, this book is a “lie which tells the truth”. This is how fiction is referred to when Phylipos discovers it when he reads Moby dick. I adored how medicine and surgery are interwoven into the fabric of life.
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