The Covenant of Water

1. General Impressions

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

• The novel is a long family saga that spans several generations in the life of the Parambil family. Do you enjoy reading narratives that cover this much time, or do you prefer novels set during a more compressed time period (like a day)?
• Have you read Verghese’s debut novel, Cutting for Stone? Which of the two do you like better? If you haven’t read his first one, does reading Covenant make you want to read it? Why or why not?
• When you read historical fiction, or fiction set in another country, how much outside research do you do while reading, or afterwards? If yes, what does external knowledge bring to your reading experience? For example, do you confirm facts, seek out background context, or something else?

2. Personal Reflection and Connection 

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

• How did you react to the graphic descriptions of medical procedures in the novel? Did the suffering of the patients or the helplessness of their loved ones resonate with you? What difficult medical situations have you or people you know faced?
• Which of the novel’s several romantic relationships spoke to you the most? Which is the most realistic? Which is the most fantastical? Why?
• Despite being a fairly traditional woman, Big Ammachi supports and is proud of Mariamma’s modern and untraditional desire to become a doctor. Have there been unusual or unexpected supporters in your own life?
• The novel tries to give equal weight to the Parambil community’s more mystical understanding of the Condition and the scientific reason for the illness. What legends, superstitions, or other unscientific explanations for phenomena are appealing to you? 

3. Societal and Cultural Context

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

• The novel features several aspects of the socio-political situation in India during the 20th century, including the caste system, colonial status, the partition into India and Pakistan, and postcolonial political turmoil. How does Verghese embed these historical elements into his narrative, allowing them to shape characters’ lives and options?
• Does the novel privilege Western medicine over Eastern medicine? How does it fit into the debate between evidence-based treatment and holistic approaches that don’t seem to be supported by research?

4. Literary Analysis 

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

• Many people in the novel are only called by nicknames; sometimes their given names are either accidentally or purposefully hidden. For example, Big Ammachi is named for her matriarchal role, Baby Mol’s baptismal name remains in the book and is never used aloud, and everyone forgets Uplift Master’s give name. Why do names work like this in the Parambil community? 
• Compare the doctors the novel describes—Digby Kilgor, Rune Orqvist, and Mariamma. How does Verghese depict their calling to medicine? What character flaws interfere with their professional lives? How does Verghese’s own experience as a doctor play into the way he draws these characters?
• Discuss the role of fate and family history in the novel. How do generations of the Parambil family view the “Condition” and its curse-like qualities? How does belief in destiny or doom influence decision-making?
• How does the novel demonstrate the injustice of the caste system in India? How does it compare with the class system that the novel’s British characters face? 
• The novel is deeply committed to empathetic presentation of all of its characters, whose decisions—even deeply misguided ones—are shown in context. Which characters could have been portrayed as antagonists or villains, but instead are sympathetically justified? Does this make the novel more or less satisfying?
• What does the novel’s title mean? Who makes the covenant and how is water involved? How does the title explain Digby’s realization that “All water is connected and only land and people are discontinuous”?

5. Creative Engagement 

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

• What maps, charts, timelines, medical diagrams, and other visual aids would be ideal to package along with this novel for readers to keep track of its many details?
• If this novel were adapted for TV or film, which elements are so integral to the plot they’d have to be kept in? Which are secondary or extraneous? Are there any characters, events, or places whose role should be expanded?

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