The Covenant of Water, a novel by Abraham Verghese, is a fascinating story that takes place mostly in Southern India, 1900 to 1977.
Mariamma is only twelve when wed to Appachen, a forty-three-year-old widower. Even though marriage arrangements and its strict stipulations seem strange to the western world, that was the custom in India. In those days, the intended bride and groom normally didn’t even talk to one another beforehand. Her mother claims “The saddest day of a girl’s life is the day of her wedding.” When she arrives in Parambil, land of her husband’s 500 acres, Mariamma is frightened and terribly homesick. However, her husband is a compassionate man who understands his young wife’s fear and doesn’t approach her as a wife until she matures.
Mariamma becomes a loving companion to Appachen’s two-year old son, Jojo. Together Mariamma and Appachen have two more children, Baby Molay and Philipose. Jojo affectionately calls Mariamma Big Ammachi, meaning Big Mother; his father Big Appachen. Throughout her life, Mariamma will experience unimaginable changes, full of joy and triumph as well as hardship and loss. Her faith, love, and strength sustain her family.
Some families have an affliction called “The Condition,” an aversion to bodies of water. Sometimes victims experience dizziness, headaches, and facial weakness. In Appachen’s family, almost every generation will experience a drowning. In Kerala it’s an inconvenient condition because they are surrounded by water. Appachen will go miles out of his way to travel by land rather than take a much shorter route by boat. The Covenant of Water follows three generations of Appachen’s family who suffer from this affliction.
Reading The Covenant of Water was a commitment, but well worth the effort. The novel is an epic of love, faith, and medicine. It’s hardcover 736 pages involve three generations, two continents, and several geographic locations. Author Abraham Verghese, whose parents were born in India, speaks with authority about life and times in India, and as an American physician is knowledgeable about the medical issues presented in the novel. I recommend The Covenant of Water to anyone seeking to learn about India and another way of life, the consequences of love, and sacrifices made so others may live.