Abraham Verghese, the New York Times-bestselling author of Cutting for Stone, mesmerizes readers once again with his long-awaited novel, The Covenant of Water. This magisterial epic, set in Kerala, South India, spans the years 1900 to 1977, unraveling a tale of love, faith, and medicine that transcends generations in a family haunted by a peculiar affliction: in each generation, at least one soul succumbs to the depths, meeting an untimely demise by drowning in a region where water is omnipresent.

As the narrative unfolds, the story takes root in the rich cultural tapestry of Kerala, along the Malabar Coast. At the turn of the century, a twelve-year-old girl, a member of Kerala’s established Christian community, embarks on a poignant journey. Grieving the loss of her father, she navigates the waters to reach her matrimonial destiny, where she encounters her forty-year-old husband for the first time. This pivotal moment marks the beginning of the extraordinary life of Big Ammachi, the young girl destined to become the matriarch of the family, whose existence becomes a tapestry woven with threads of joy, triumph, hardship, and loss.

Verghese's masterful storytelling captures the essence of a bygone era in India, painting a vivid portrait of the passage of time. The Covenant of Water serves as a hymn to the progress of medicine and human understanding, while simultaneously offering a humbling testament to the tribulations endured by past generations for the sake of those living in the present. The novel stands as one of the most remarkable literary achievements in recent years, praised by none other than Oprah Winfrey herself, who declared it as one of the best books she has ever read—an epic, transportive narrative that is truly unputdownable."