The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese

This sweeping, 700+ page story is beautifully and descriptively written. Set mainly in rural India, we also get a taste of urban Madras. I had a little trouble keeping track of the earlier generations when I got to the later ones, so if I read this again, I would take notes. Multiple families and places and people combine to give you the feeling you know what it would be like to live in India during the time periods of the story: 1900 to 1977. 

In the beginning, the twelve year old girl who is being sent to wed her forty-something year old husband is full of fear and trepidation. As a reader, I feared for her welfare, but as the story unfolds, she is treated with great kindness and patience and eventually becomes the matriarch of a powerful rural family. Also in the beginning, I thought this "condition" of some of her family members, this fear of water, this inability to swim, was kind of a mythical or magical myth that afflicted them. Gradually the story unfolds of the exact medical malady it is and how it can be treated. Parts of the story also deal with leprosy and its consequences. Because the author is a doctor, many of the medical conditions, including child birth, are descriptively and minutely described. Sometimes it's hard to take!

Veghese is a wonderful writer with a huge heart for humanity. Some in this story are Christians, and they are described longingly by those who want to have their kind of faith. I can't tell if he is a believer or not...that will be an interesting question for our Monterey book club. I believe Michelle Salmonson is the one who recommended this book; it will be interesting to hear her thoughts on this. She's kind of a black and white thinker, so I'm curious about her thoughts...

I had to search out my highlighter several times to note some of the beautiful passages about life and suffering. The caste system in India plays out very powerfully in this story; as does the struggle for India's independence. I realized I understood very little about British dominance throughout history. The beauty of the Indian people as they struggled is enlightening to read about.

Philipose is the son of Big Ammachi and spends a large part of his life addicted to opium. His addiction and its consequences are harrowing to read about. So is the story of Elsie's developing leprosy, which was a shocking development in the story. I wanted to see her sculptures! I wanted to see the ancestral home and plantation and river the family inhabited. It would be a long and intricate movie, and not an altogether pleasant one. So much pain and suffering! And yet also so much beauty--both in the characters and in the land. There were many absolutely selfless characters who devoted their lives to others...both in the family, and in their devotion to the community.

One particularly poignant and funny part is when a white Christian preacher comes to the rural community and Uplift Master is his translator. The preacher goes on, and Uplift Master begins to go rogue and calls for the Christians to build a hospital, and powerfully calls for donations that start the whole process, and ends up being successful. He does it chunk by chunk, and you just have to laugh as his translation goes on, and the preacher has no idea his preaching has taken a big detour!

There are many Indian or possibly sanskrit words that are used, and some are translated and some are not. Same with the food and drink...it gives the story an authentic feel, and if I weren't lazy, I would have looked some of them up. Instead, I let the story flow.

Here are some excerpts I marked:

When Philipose returns to Parambil after failing out of medical school in Madras, he describes his feelings: Even before his brain digests these sights, his body--skin, nerve endings, lungs, heart--recognizes the geography of his birth. He never understood how much it mattered. Every bit of this lush landscape is hit; its every atom contains him. On this blessed strip of coast where Malayalam is spoken, the flesh and bones of his ancestors have leached into the soil, made their way into the trees, into the iridescent plumage of the parrots on swaying branches, and dispersed themselvves into the breeze...and his is one with avery atom of it. I'm the seedling in your hand, he thinks...Whatever is next for me, whatever the story of my life, the roots that must nourish it are here.  (Pages 330-331)

Page 402: In a life, it is the in betweens that are fatal; indecisiveness killed his son.

Pages 486-489 - Describes Joppan explaining racism or is it caste-ism? to Philipose in a most powerful way. Stunningly, and it applies universally. Joppan descibes perfectly our "superior" and 'helpful" ways to help the less-thans, and often in so doing, we do greater harm. For example:

Their kindness, their generosity compared to cruel slave owners, made them blind to the unfairness of a system of slavery that they created, they maintained, and that favored them. It's like the British bragging about the railways, the colleges, the hospitals they left us--their "kindness"! As though that justified robbing us of the right to self-rule for two centuries! 

Such things only happen when one group thinks the other is inferior by birth, by skin color, by history. Inferior, and therefore deserving less. My father was no slae. He was beloved here. But he was never your equal so he wasn't rewarded as one...

The sophistication of Joppan's argument surprised Philipose. But even to think of Joppan's argument as "sophisticated" was exactly the kind of blindness Joppan was talking about. "Sophisticated" implied that people like Joppan or Shamuel were not entitled to use history and reason and their intellect. 

I love that Philipose listened. It took courage for Joppan to make his case, and it took courage for Philipose to listen and to change. This was so inspiring! And so applicable to me...as I think about the enslaved in our world. 

A couple of other nuggets: (Page 507):

Fear comes from not knowing. If you know what it is your are seeing, if you know what to do, then you won't be afraid. 

If one imagines what God is saying, is that the same as God actually speaking? 

(Page 511): What is worry but fear of what the future holds? Baby Mol lives completely in the present and is spared all worry. 

I have a few more marked... also his descriptions of deep love are just lyrical. 

Another amazing and beautiful thing that Veghese does is weave a vast and disparate story with complicated and interesting characters that intersect in amazing ways in the future. These intersections come somewhat surprisingly and yet also seem fated. Like the baby Lenin, whose fist breaks out through his mother's womb, is pushed back in by a doctor, who later helps save his life when he has become a revolutionary. These connections happen seamlessly and authentically. Amazing!

While there is much beauty in this epic story, there is a lot that is heavy. Maybe it's good to read heavy sometimes? I'm not sure I will take this on again, but maybe I will. It will sit on my bookshelf next to Cutting for Stone, and when the time is right, I might take one or the other or both on again. In the meantime, I'm ready for something lighter!

All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot

 I vaguely recall when this book was published, in 1972, that Ann and/or Professor Angelo raved about it. I'm not sure why this sticks in my mind, but it does. And I don't think I read it then, but I have heard about it over the years, but never read it. Then our Ridgeview book club, specifically, Lori Bonzo, invited us to read it, so I did. We discussed it last night at Lori's house, and every single one of us had loved it. 

It's a quiet lovely book that unfolds slowly and methodically, with lyrical description of the English Dales. Even in harshest weather, Herriot appreciates his environment. But even more than that, he loves the people who inhabit it, and he is an astute observer of these colorful characters. We also learn a bit about the animals and their maladies and injuries that he serves, and he clearly loves them too. All in all, there is nothing but good to admire in these little vignettes and the conclusions about life that Herriot shares.

He also describes his boss, Siegfried, and Sigfried's brother, Tristan in great and often comical detail. It's fun to learn about their idiosyncrasies and to enjoy Herriot's point of view. Herriot does not take himself too seriously, either, and is the often the subject or "butt" of the jokes. 

When we discussed the book last night, many of us shared stories of the pets we have known and loved. We also read quotes from the book that showed Herriot's love of humanity. The grueling hard work of the small farmers that he serves really comes through. Why they would choose such back-breaking work makes him wonder. He also occasionally wonders what drives HIM to such a hard life of being disturbed int he middle of the night, of braving cold and icy barns, etc., but always goes back to those tender and rewarding moments of when he has been able to ease an animal's or a human's pain or see a beautiful view from the top of the Dales. Very affirming. 

The Hunter by Tana French

 I usually really like this author, whom Sierra originally recommended to me. When Eileen in our Monterey book club brought this book along to give away, I decided it was worth a try. It is a good story with fascinating characters and a good mystery!

The one BIG drawback is the almost constant swearing in every conversation...It isn't gratuitous; it sounds absolutely authentic, but I got tired of everything being "feckin'" or the real thing, etc., etc. Threaded by even the most upright characters' conversations. It was distracting at first, and felt normal throughout, and then merely annoying.

However, the character development and the way French explores the inner thinking of the main characters is amazing and instructing. The two main characters, Cal and Trey, are interesting and feel very true. Trey is fifteen and the constant way Cal measures his words to her, so as not to shut her down, is instructive. The Irish folk that populate this little village are fascinating too, and full of Irish humor and teasing. This si a serious book, though, that explores how the criminal inclinations of Johnny, Trey's father, impact not only his family, but the whole village. I often wondered how accurately the constant gossip and machinations of the village crowd and gossips was portrayed. Could they really be so coniving?

It's an isolated village, but it's hard to believe they would be so insular and sometimes naive in their thinking... It would be an interesting sequel to see how Trey navigates the world after this dramatic period of time with her father and ultimate rescue by Cal. Cal being an American helped me understand some of the goings on, as he tried to figure out the same things I was, about the local people. A really good read and rather suspenseful story if you can ignore the language.

The countryside, birds, dogs, and mountain are also beautifully described. The heat is also a constant presence in this drought of a summer. It does make me desire an Irish wander!

The Spiral Staircase by Ethel Lina White

 This is one of the books I'm reading for the "Friends" book club; the one the Stonebridge Ward women are in. I will be curious about who recommended this one, since it's very old-fashioned. Not great literature at all, but a story that would have been much better as a novella. There were so many redundant ups and downs and around the place, that I had trouble keeping track of who was who and where were they in the big house. It's a mansion, set off by itself, and is very spooky, and is full of spooky characters; most of them related. The central character, Helen, is riddled with fear and trepidation the whole time. Her imagination fools her, she pulls herself together again, and then it fools here again. And again. It gets very redundant.

The whole book takes place in one day, and so it gets rather plodding. There's a storm, and the trees are banging against the windows. There's fear around every turn. The characters are mildly interesting, although Helen is the only one we really get to know. Her altercations with the frightening nurse go on and on and get very boring. 

The notes say this author was as popular and well-known as Agatha Christie in her time. Well, I think Christie is miles ahead of this author.

What was interesting for me this time, though, was to attempt to read this in my Kindle app on my phone. The only library version available was electronic, so I decided to give it a try. I'm glad I did. I now know how to down-load and borrow this kind of book, but I would never choose it. It's convenient to have a novel on my phone, but it's too easy to be distracted to other apps. And, I like to read before sleeping, and I don't want to sleep with my phone in the room, so I have to get up when I'm really sleepy to go plug it in in the laundry room. Another annoyance is that I can't tell how I'm progressing through the book. I can tap and see a percentage, but I'd rather feel the thickness of the pages going by in real paper. Yes, I'm paper trained! Yet, I'm grateful for this experience, and grateful I could borrow and read this one for free. Because it certainly isn't something I would want to pay for or pass on...

It was kind of a fun read for upcoming Halloween...especially as I'm working on a Halloween table runner for Alice Jane. Fall is in the air, and it's early September!

All the Devils Are Here by Louise Penny

 This is my fourth Louise Penny book, and I don't need to read any more. Unless her earlier ones are better, I'm done. I was seduced by seeing it on the free shelf at Elevation Fitness, my gym, and picked it up. I loved the Eiffel Tower on the beautiful blue cover, and it looked like a winner. It is not.

First of all, there were way too many characters. And the plot was convoluted and complicated. The setting of Paris and the Marais was fun, but that didn't make up for the book's other shortcomings. The characters were confusing...Usually I like Inspector Gamache, but not much of his personality was revealed here. The plot was absolutely unbelievable. The disaffected son was unrealistic. What propelled me forward was that I was slightly interested in how the convoluted plot would unwind. And the good guys turned into bad guys and then back into good guys; people changed loyalties...all in all, a loser of a book. I will return it to the gym!

Now I'm wondering why I waste my time on such drivel when there is such good reading available to me. I like an easy read, I guess. And I assumed Penny would be "cozy" and light... Ah well, live and learn! Louise Hench told me at our Ridgeview Book Group that she's not reading any more fiction. She says she doesn't have time; it's a matter of good, better, or best. I understand that and feel myself relating to that, although I can't imagine giving up great fiction. I find it inspiring. I disappoint myself when I read crap like this one...

Tandia by Bruce Courtenay

 I loved The Power of One, despite its graphic depictions of brutality. When I realized this was its sequel, I wondered why I hadn't read it before! I promptly ordered it used from Amazon and was shocked to find it thicker than ANY book in our house! Just over 900 pages, it is spellbinding and brutal, and entirely engaging. I devoured it about a hundred pages at a time and enjoyed every minute of it.

Tandia is brutalized by the evil Geldenhuis, a violent and disturbed Boer police officer who remains a constant throughout the book. Peekay, the welter weight champion of the world, and hero of The Power of One, also figures centrally in this book, along with his best friend Hymie. These are wonderful characters, as are the more minor characters. They are mostly all introduced in the first book, but new ones also come on this scene. I don't think you could appreciate this story without reading the first book. The background isn't retold, and besides, it's so rich and deep, why not enjoy it?

Many of Peekay's dreams are realized in this story, and it was good to see him achieve his goal, study law, and fight the forces of evil in South Africa. His friendship with their friend Harriet is also enlightening. These idealists love each other and love their surroundings and describe the many beauties of nature lyrically.

I especially loved the descriptions of the Africans singing their songs whenever Peekay won a bout, or in times of stress. There is much to love about this country and these people! The brutality is hard to take, as are all of the injustices. The philosophical struggle between justice and natural justice was also enlightening. This author knows such a wide breadth of topics, history, art, etc., that it's a joy to read and amazing to think of his vast knowledge. I'm also ready to learn which of these figures in the story are actual historical figures and which are fictional. 

It's just an amazing story, and despite the harshness and occasional bad language, worth every page. It also has a very spiritual dimension, with lots of goodness from the medicine man, the characters with integrity, and the commitment to work hard and to do one's best. I was again amazed at the technical side of boxing and what all it entails. Just amazing. 

Saving Dr. Warren...A True Patriot by Jeffery J. McKenna

This was the hardest book to get through! I kept quitting and then picking it up again with a sigh. It never became enjoyable. The only reason I persisted is that I need to have something to ground my opinions on when we discuss this at the Ridgeview Book Club at Shirla Snow's house later this month. She is over the moon about this book! Probably because she heard the author speak, asked him to join our discussion live, and gave everyone a steep discount on purchasing the book It's twenty dollars, and he got them to her for ten bucks apiece. It's a nice book, with good quality paper, and much better than most self-published books. He's a local Santa Clara person, so it will be interesting to meet him.

Now, about this book. I thought it would describe the life of this patriot or at least elucidate his role in the Revolutionary War. And I had no idea there was an element of fantasy in the story--a time travel trope that took us back and forth to the 1700's and modern day. The modern day kid, Steve, is a bratty one who wins and essay contest on patriotism and then tries to understand this concept better.. His best friend is Grace, and they have this friendly relationship that is supposed to engage the main audience for this book: middle schoolers. Well, it is repetitive and boring. I cannot imagine any middle schooler being sucked in to any part of this story!

And when Steve goes back to Boston in the 1700's, there isn't much meat on the bones of the story of the various episodes (like the Tea Party) to explain what's going on that sparked the Revolutionary War. It's very vague and fragmented. We hear about Lexington and Concord and Bunker Hill, but only piecemeal. It's very confusing. And why Steve is so concerned that Dr. Warren be remembered for his role is a mystery. And we don't even find out what his role is, besides a few brief glimpses. Why on earth is Steve so enamored of this guy??? It''s not clear. At any rate, I will have to school myself when I go to this meeting and tone down my dislike of this book with the author present and other super-patriot women there, who many believe Trump is one. Ha! I will be temperate and be led by the Spirit, I HOPE!!!