“The Covenant of Water” - Abraham Varghese

 🛶 This book is a must-read. I was on the library wait-list for more than 6 months for it, and it was totally worth it. 

🛶 Verghese is a generous storyteller, giving us a multitude of wonderful narratives; the reader can only guess at the connections, but connections there assuredly are. 

Part I finds us in the early 19th century at a prosperous 500 acre farm in Parambil, near Travancore. As much as things can possibly go wrong for a child bride, our Big Ammachi’s life blossoms at Parambil despite her husband’s family’s curse.

Part II takes us to 1919 Glasgow and then on to Madras in 1933 where our Glaswegian doctor who has beaten the odds, finds himself. Despite his top grades, anti-Catholic discrimination keeps Digby out of advanced surgical training leading him to join the Indian Medical Service to gain the coveted training. 

Here, I should note that my surgeon husband marveled at the accuracy of medical procedures described. This isn’t of course surprising, as Verghese is an accomplished physician (who also happens to write killer fiction!).

I was sad to leave Parambil in their time of turmoil, but I loved reading Varghese’s account of the British Raj in Madras in the ‘30s.  Authors like Salman Rushdie and Sujata Massey are known for providing the POV of Indians living under the thumb of the Raj; Verghese gives us that perspective as well as the POV of both the occupiers and the Anglo-Indian community.

Part III introduces us to Rune, the kindly, garrulous Swedish doctor who experiences a transcendent religious awakening leading him to a rededication of his life’s purpose. He pivots from his general practice to giving shelter, comfort, and meaningful work to lepers.

🛶 Historical shout outs:

Verghese treads some of the same historical ground as Rushdie’s “Moor’s Last Sigh” as far as the St. Thomas Christians which is such a fascinating community to learn about. In parts, Verghese employs a colorful, fluid cadence interspersed with local slang, reminding me of Rushdie’s novels as well.

I learned that during WWII the Japanese dropped a bomb near Madras, causing a mass exodus to the countryside. Churchill then impressed Indian rice crops to feed British troops, resulting in a severe famine in India.

I also learned a great deal about the activities of the Communist party in India.

🛶 You might be tempted as I was to categorize his writing style as magical realism, but you’ll come to see that if he uses it at all, he does so sparingly. Without giving anything away, I will say this: what I initially assumed was magical realism turns out to not have been magical after all. And this isn’t a criticism at all, merely an observation of writing style. I would highly recommend this book to lovers of historical fiction and those interested in the intersection of history and medicine. I am in awe of the lyricism of Verghese’s writing style, even more so given his scientific background.