The Covenant of Water

Author: Abraham Verghese

Who Picked the Book: Rachel

One-sentence summary: A rural Indian family has an inexplicable curse that sends ripples throughout generations as tragedy shapes their family and futures. 

B.A.D. Girls Book Rating: 8

Our favorite thing about it: It was a good story that held our attention.

Our least favorite thing about it: Possibly a little too long. 

Main Topics of Discussion: Leprosy, Tragedy, Caste, Culture, Death

Our favorite quote: "The water she first stepped into minutes ago is long gone and yet it is here, past and present and future inexorably coupled, like time made incarnate. This is the covenant of water: that they're all linked inescapably by their acts of commission and omission, and no one stands alone."

Notes: We universally liked this book. Our two gripes about it were that it was too long and those listening had a hard time keeping track of the myriad of characters, making things confusing. We did love the writing style - the dry humor and the beautiful, lyrical prose. We thought the fact that the "curse" had a medical explanation was interesting and realistic. We loved the stories and the characters - except for Philipose. None of us liked his character! Some of us felt that all the death and tragedy was a bit much - especially toward the end. Others of us felt that the death of Philipose was one step too far. But we all liked how the story came full circle. We liked Digby and wondered why it took so long to return to his story. Despite massive amounts of time in the book devoted to Digby and his first affair and Elsie and her marriage to Philipose, we did buy into the two of them together in the end. 

Memorable Meeting Moments: We watched a short interview that Amberly found of the Author, which was really interesting. 

What We Ate: Jalapeno Pimento dip with pita crackers, Curried Chicken Salad on Croissants, Warm Dijon Potato Salad, Crudite, and Pecan Pie Brownies a la mode.