A HEADY, STEADY MIX
THE WEEK India|April 30, 2023
Abraham Verghese's latest family saga-with a dash of history, nostalgia and medicine
SUSAMMA JOY KURIAN
A HEADY, STEADY MIX

THE COVENANT OF WATER

Author: Abraham Verghese

Publisher: Grove Press UK

Pages: 736; price: ₹899

To tweak a beautiful quote, there are books that ask questions and books that answer. The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese does both.

As an idea, too, it had its beginnings in a question, asked by Verghese’s niece to his mother: “Ammachi, what was it like when you were a girl?” And, Ammachi, like any granny, had a story to share—157 pages, written in “assured and elegant cursive”. His mother’s anecdotes flowed into Verghese’s writings, too. That is why the book is a grandma’s tale of sorts—warm, comforting, full of love, loss, learning and nostalgia.

This story is from the April 30, 2023 edition of THE WEEK India.

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This story is from the April 30, 2023 edition of THE WEEK India.

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