Audiobook Review: The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese

I read Cutting for Stone and really enjoyed it. Verghese is such a great storyteller. So when I saw The Covenant of Water, there was no hesitation on my part. And I was totally correct. I think this is one of my new favorite books of all time.

I'm inserting part of the amazon.com description, because I can't do better: Spanning the years 1900 to 1977, The Covenant of Water is set in Kerala, on South India’s Malabar Coast, and follows three generations of a family that suffers a peculiar affliction: in every generation, at least one person dies by drowning—and in Kerala, water is everywhere. At the turn of the century, a twelve-year-old girl from Kerala’s long-existing Christian community, grieving the death of her father, is sent by boat to her wedding, where she will meet her forty-year-old husband for the first time. From this unforgettable new beginning, the young girl—and future matriarch, known as Big Ammachi—will witness unthinkable changes over the span of her extraordinary life, full of joy and triumph as well as hardship and loss, her faith and love the only constants.

There is so much to this story, much like Cutting for Stone. It spans generations. It takes you from India to Ireland (and you have to just be patient to see how things all fit together.) The characters are so richly detailed that they feel like a part of your own life. My only complaint is that I wasn't ready for it to end. There were some situations that I would have liked more resolution, although the ending is comfortable. It isn't a cliffhanger or anything. But I was so involved that it felt abrupt.

Verghese narrates the audiobook himself and is superb. He has an accent, but it is appropriate and easily understood.

It is a long story, but it flies by. I highly recommend the audio version. The only thing I didn't realize is that there are illustrations. So either get a copy of the book or go to  https://www.abrahamverghese.org/the-covenant-of-water/. I wished I had known this while reading because I would have liked to see the illustrations at the proper part of the story as I was listening. The Covenant of Water will stick with me for a long time.

Published by Grove, May 2, 2023
Audiobook obtained from libro.fm
736 pages

Rating: 5/5

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Book Review: A Traitor in Whitehall, by Julia Kelly

I was reading a new thriller, and taking forever. After about 55%, I asked myself, "Do I really care about these characters? Can I live without knowing what the 'big twists' are?" The answers were "no" and "yes." So I gave up.  Sometimes I easily blame myself for not enjoying a book--not in the right mood, not enough time to read...you get the idea. But sometimes I just don't like the book! And I need to admit that. After reading over half the book I still couldn't keep the two main characters apart.

All of that is to say, I decided to try A Traitor in Whitehall, and I really enjoyed it. I read it in three sittings! It grabbed me from the beginning. It was an easy read. So I realized, I CAN read and enjoy a book! There's nothing wrong with me!!

It's 1940 in England and Evelyn is doing everything she can for the war effort by working in a munitions factory. When she runs into a friend of her father's, he gets her working as a typist in Winston Churchill's war rooms. Top secret stuff. She works three days and must stay at the underground facility. Then she gets two days off to go home.

She is trying to get to know the women she works with when one of them is murdered. And Evelyn is the one who finds the body. She can't help but begin investigating, but this causes her to butt heads with David, who is investigating for the government. She also finds out he's investigating a mole who is selling secrets to the enemy. Are the two crimes related? David allows Evelyn to help him in his investigation, and it turns out she's pretty good at it. 

The clues are interesting, and there are plenty of suspects. This is the first of the Parisian Orphan series, so as everything is solved, we find out more about David and his work. It seems Evelyn and David will be working together in the future. I'll be interested to read more of their adventures.

This one is a pleasant and easy read. The characters are likable and easy to root for. The historic setting is always a plus for me. Read A Traitor in Whitehall if you are interested in these types of stories.

Published by Minotaur, October 3, 2023
eARC obtained from Edelweiss+
304 pages

Rating: 4/5

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