Historical fiction, when done right, is an excellent way to bridge the gap between the past and present. This genre can be written from any perspective, ranging from key historical figures to someone living their day-to-day life. Its ability to bring awareness to events or societal problems that impacted people in the past can encourage readers to research related materials in their own time, fostering a creative way to learn. For Brandeis students and staff who want something to read for the summer, especially for those who want to read a different genre, I would recommend “The Covenant of Water” by Abraham Verghese. This novel is centered around an Indian-Christian family living on the coast of Kerala and portrays themes that are still relevant today. 

I was recommended this book by a friend, and I had no information about the book when I began reading it. Verghese does an excellent job of providing historical background and descriptions of the family. He avoids the trap of missing information and makes sure minor details are accounted for. His portrayal of Kerala throughout the 1900s was realistic and also demonstrated that he pulled from relevant source materials in order to set the scene. As a result, he does not shy away from the realities of that time, especially when portraying topics such as arranged marriages or death. His writing shows how these events shape the characters and other generations in the book, rather than glossing over them. 

There is one thing I would recommend to anyone interested in reading this book: slow down. From the very first chapter, you end up obtaining a lot of information. The best way to read this book is to find time where you’re free, sit down and read it slowly. I’ve found, from attempting to speed-read it, that you eventually end up having to go back and re-read because of a lack of understanding of what happened. Think of all the events in the book as a web: Everything and everyone is connected and when you don’t process one piece, you are unable to grasp the full depth of the story. The book shows the evolution of an Indian-Christian family through three generations, although it may sometimes switch to the perspectives of other people who interact with the family. It starts with the matriarch of the family before showing the point-of-view of her son, Phillipose and eventually her granddaughter Marriama. Verghese’s portrayal of generational trauma is clear. Generational trauma is a phenomenon where “an overwhelmingly negative experience causes ripple effects that are passed down in the family. It happens when traumatic experiences in one generation are not properly addressed or healed from, causing behavior to combat the trauma and therefore impacting the next generation. The traumatic events in “The Covenant of Water” are a repeated series of deaths that occur within the family. The family does not know the cause, and a large portion tend to avoid anything regarding the subject of the deaths or have a deep-seated fear for themselves and their family. 

Verghese portrays generational trauma subtly, and one thing I noticed was that during the switch of point of views, the next generation had a lot of hesitancy around talking about trauma. When reading this, I thought it was very realistic. 

“The Covenant of Water” is set over many decades and shows how India transforms politically. With this, the author also comments on themes of agency and how people make choices in limited constraints. The characters, who are from several different backgrounds, show this. For most of them, I neither disliked them nor liked them. That being said, I did really like the character of the matriarch and her granddaughter. Some of the characters thought in ways that were really unpleasant to read about, while others were people who made decisions under bad circumstances. 

Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book. I’d suggest it to anyone who enjoys reading longer novels and encourage those who may not enjoy longer texts to give it a chance. As a South Asian person who has been trying to find more books set in historical time periods within India, this book is definitely on my list of recommendations to other people.