The Covenant of Water
by Abraham Verghese
About_
This study guide accompanies a chapter-by-chapter reading of The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese, a
multigenerational family saga set in Kerala, India, that follows a family’s struggle with a hereditary fear of drowning
known as “the Condition.” The novel weaves together the stories of Big Ammachi, the surgeon Digby Kilgour, and
their descendants across decades of love, loss, medicine, and discovery. This guide provides comprehension and
analysis tools for each of the novel’s ten major sections. This study guide contains 130 questions across 10 chapter
sections (100 Factual + 30 Critical), 1 Crossword Puzzle (12 clues), and 1 Character Focus Activity.
What’s Included_
This study guide features 10 sets of 10 Factual Questions with an answer key (100 total), 10 sets of 3 Critical
Analysis Questions (30 total), 1 Crossword Puzzle (12 clues), and 1 Character Focus Activity (8 traits + evidence
prompt + critical thinking question).
Target Grades_
Grades 10-12
Teacher Note_
This guide is designed to help students track the novel’s sprawling, multigenerational cast while pushing them
toward deeper analysis of its themes of fate, family, and forgiveness. The mix of factual recall and open-ended
critical questions builds both comprehension and discussion skills, saving you valuable prep time so you can focus
on facilitating rich classroom conversation.