Talking Volumes: Abraham Verghese on 'Covenant of Water'

Big Books & Bold Ideas with Kerri Miller

When Dr. Abraham Verghese released his debut novel in 2009 it was an literary marvel. “Cutting for Stone” captivated readers, sold more than 1.5 million copies in the U.S. alone and remained on the New York Times bestseller list for two years.

Readers had to wait 14 years for another book by Verghese, but by all accounts, his new novel was worth the wait. Oprah Winfrey named it a book club pick, called saying it was “one of the best books I’ve read in my entire life — and I’ve been reading since I was three!”

Talking Volumes with Abraham Verghese, ‘The Covenant of Water’

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It was a pleasure to have him kick off the 2023 season of Talking Volumes. Dr. Verghese joined host Kerri Miller on stage at the Fitzgerald Theater the evening of Sept. 14 and talked about redemption, inspiration, how his “day job” as a doctor informs his writing (and vice versa) and why his belief in the essential goodness of humanity is core to his novels.

Their conversation was complimented by Kerala folk music played by local musician Nirmala Rajasekar, who was joined onstage by one of India’s premier percussionists, Thanjavur Murugaboopathi.

Guest:

• Dr. Abraham Verghese is a physician and professor at the School of Medicine at Stanford University. He is also a best-selling author. His latest novel is “The Covenant of Water.”

Use the audio player or video player above to listen to the conversation.

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