The Covenant of Water (Oprah's Book Club)

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

An instant New York Times and indie bestseller and an Oprah Book Club Pick, The Covenant of Water has sold more than two million copies worldwide and was widely named as a best book of the year. Spanning the years 1900 to 1977, Abraham Verghese's long-awaited, masterful novel follows three generations of a Christian family in Kerala, South India, that suffers a peculiar affliction: in every generation, at least one person dies by drowning. As the novel opens, a twelve-year-old girl is sent by boat to her wedding, where she meets her husband for the first time. She joins a prosperous household and becomes known as Big Ammachi, the matriarch of an extraordinary family that will endure hardship, celebrate triumph, and witness unthinkable changes over the coming decades.

An exquisite modern classic finally available in paperback, The Covenant of Water is an unforgettable and stunning epic of love, faith, and medicine.

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Published May 6, 2025

768 pages

Average rating: 8.32

1,626 RATINGS

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What Bookclubbers are saying about this book

✨ Summarized by Bookclubs AI

Readers say *The Covenant of Water* is beautifully written with rich, complex storytelling spanning generations in India, praised for vivid characters...

Sophie Wolf

Nov 11, 2025

9/10 stars

Except for one section that was overly (unnecessarily?) long, this book is an exquisite read. A different culture (for the average North American) that embraces the reader; characters so real one can almost touch them; heartbreaking and uplifting at the same time -- what's not to love? The author is wise and so is his story. Also, a *long* book, delightfully so!

Gabriela-in-Amherst

Oct 08, 2025

10/10 stars

This book is incredibly long, so it is a commitment. Because of the level of detail that carries across the many decades covered in the book, you don't want to read it too slowly in case you forget some bits. It is beautifully written. The book has so much more to offer than what is highlighted in most of the blurbs: that it's "about" a propensity for drowning that gets passed from one generation to the next. That idea is a thread that ties many stories about many lives together. This jewel is a cultural and, to some extent, historical tour through India over a period of about 70 years in the early 20th century. I wouldn't refer to it as a page-turner, but I found it to be sublime. It's exploration of love, purpose, and family brought me to depths of reflection that I did not expect.

Marz

May 16, 2025

5/10 stars

A bit long in the tooth

Renmoews

Jan 18, 2025

5/10 stars

Too long, rambling, and tragic for me. it was hard to connect to the characters.

Gingy

Jun 25, 2024

7/10 stars

Generally liked by the members