Oprah Winfrey has chosen The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese (Grove) as her 101st Oprah's Book Club selection. Noting that she was enthralled by her selection, Winfrey said, "It's one of the best books I've read in my entire life. It's epic. It's transportive. Many moments during the read I had to stop and remember to breathe. I couldn't put the book down until the very last page. It was unputdownable!"
Verghese observed: "Hearing the melodious and signature voice of the person who has done more for books in America than anyone alive, then hearing her passion for my book, which she'd read more closely than any reader I know, well, I teared up. My thoughts were flashing back through the decade-plus of writing The Covenant of Water, during which time my mother had died. The call felt like a miracle. I'd been reflexively standing throughout the conversation and when we hung up, I'm not ashamed to say I got to my knees and gave thanks. Mom would have approved."
Winfrey, Verghese, and Oprah's Book Club readers will participate in a discussion of The Covenant of Water on OprahDaily.com beginning May 13, and follow the reading schedule outlined here.