The Covenant of Water

by Abraham Verghese

New York Times Book Review – Editors’ Choice | Oprah’s 101 book pick

Gets my nomination for best literary fiction ever penned by a practicing physician. With beautiful prose and vivid imagery, Verghese brings to life three generations of a family in Southern India beset by a condition that causes strange drownings. Through heartbreak and hard work, the women of the family seek to name and cure the condition. Here’s one of my favorite examples of Verghese’s writing style, “Every tree had its own personality. Their sense of time is different. We think they’re mute, but it’s just that it takes them days to complete a word.”