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weiwuxivns 's review for:
The Covenant of Water
by Abraham Verghese
emotional
hopeful
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
What an incredibly poignant and intricately crafted novel. I listened to the audiobook narrated by the author which brought it to life even more, he told the story wonderfully.
The prose itself was beautiful, I just love flowery language when it’s purposefully used, it fit the setting and tone of the story so well. The dialogue expressed the tone of each of the different cultures and social settings that each of the characters come from, and it was fun getting to hear it orally from the author even if not all accents were perfect 😆 it certainly brought each character to life. Knowing the author is actually from a medical background makes me appreciate the prose even more, he skillfully manages to meld complex surgical jargon into digestible words that still fit with the flowing tone of the narrative, so that anyone can understand.
The characters in this book are amazing, so complex and each are a unique thread in the plot and also represent different facets of south indian society during the years of British occupation. In the beginning I was so curious how they’ll tie together, especially Digby being from Glasgow, but they converged naturally and satisfyingly by the end and I was in awe. I wouldn’t say it was shocking but I was definitely surprised how things actually played out.
I loved the female characters so much, I love the focus on camaraderie and bonds between women across generations, how it empowered them and how they could rely on each other. Even with Big Amachi and her husband I was pleasantly surprised that despite there being a “problematic age gap”, the way their relationship progressed was so tender and with care, how incredibly against the grain for that time their dynamic ended up being.
There are so many moments of that, showcasing parts of Indian history that go against the current of what society under Hindu predominance usually shows. I learned about the sizeable communist movement, how the caste system manifests in the Catholic community, the cultural influences of the British that are not always talked about, and so many more little things. It truly drives the message home about India being such a complex blend of politics, cultures, and people.
(This might be a spoiler?? spoiler alert just in case!) Unraveling the “curse” was so satisfying and yet some of it is still left up to intrigue. I love that you can come out of this with your own thoughts based on your own beliefs, whether it can be 100% medically or spiritually explained. My own opinion combines both, and ultimately all the threads of fate converging into one stream unraveled the mystery and brought positive change for this family and for the health of all. Verghese ultimately demonstrates how life is about living through all these moments, following your heart, and taking action in even the smallest ways to make the world you live in better, because everyone is connected. There’s so many more things I wanna talk about but this has gone long enough, I just really enjoyed and was moved by this book!
The prose itself was beautiful, I just love flowery language when it’s purposefully used, it fit the setting and tone of the story so well. The dialogue expressed the tone of each of the different cultures and social settings that each of the characters come from, and it was fun getting to hear it orally from the author even if not all accents were perfect 😆 it certainly brought each character to life. Knowing the author is actually from a medical background makes me appreciate the prose even more, he skillfully manages to meld complex surgical jargon into digestible words that still fit with the flowing tone of the narrative, so that anyone can understand.
The characters in this book are amazing, so complex and each are a unique thread in the plot and also represent different facets of south indian society during the years of British occupation. In the beginning I was so curious how they’ll tie together, especially Digby being from Glasgow, but they converged naturally and satisfyingly by the end and I was in awe. I wouldn’t say it was shocking but I was definitely surprised how things actually played out.
I loved the female characters so much, I love the focus on camaraderie and bonds between women across generations, how it empowered them and how they could rely on each other. Even with Big Amachi and her husband I was pleasantly surprised that despite there being a “problematic age gap”, the way their relationship progressed was so tender and with care, how incredibly against the grain for that time their dynamic ended up being.
There are so many moments of that, showcasing parts of Indian history that go against the current of what society under Hindu predominance usually shows. I learned about the sizeable communist movement, how the caste system manifests in the Catholic community, the cultural influences of the British that are not always talked about, and so many more little things. It truly drives the message home about India being such a complex blend of politics, cultures, and people.
(This might be a spoiler?? spoiler alert just in case!) Unraveling the “curse” was so satisfying and yet some of it is still left up to intrigue. I love that you can come out of this with your own thoughts based on your own beliefs, whether it can be 100% medically or spiritually explained. My own opinion combines both, and ultimately all the threads of fate converging into one stream unraveled the mystery and brought positive change for this family and for the health of all. Verghese ultimately demonstrates how life is about living through all these moments, following your heart, and taking action in even the smallest ways to make the world you live in better, because everyone is connected. There’s so many more things I wanna talk about but this has gone long enough, I just really enjoyed and was moved by this book!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Child death, Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Terminal illness, Death of parent, Colonisation
Minor: Eating disorder, Infidelity, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Fire/Fire injury, Classism