6.3 Abraham Verghese: A Saga Through Kerala's Backwaters

Picture this: Kerala, a family that suffers a strange hereditary affliction- and everywhere they look is the very thing that could kill them.In this episode Tara talks to Abraham Verghese about his bestselling book 'The Covenant of Water'. The book is set in the Malabar Coast of Kerala and follows three generations of a family where, in every generation, at least one person dies by drowning. Abraham talks about how his book was loosely inspired by his mother's 120-paged, illustrated depiction of her childhood, his experience in medicine, and how he always carries a pocketful of knowledge about rare diseases!Join us as we find out why this was Oprah's book club pick and why she simply did not want the book to end!Books and authors mentioned in this episode:God of Small Things - Arundhati RoyThe Better Man - Anita NairThe Brothers Karamazov - Fyodor DostoevskyThe Love Songs of W. E. B. Du Bois - Honorée Fanonne JeffersMaster and Commander - Patrick O’BrianApplications for The Bound Publishing Course 2026 are now open.The Bound Publishing Course is a 3-month intensive course on book, magazine, and digital publishing. Through live sessions, workshops, and industry-facing projects, participants gain practical publishing skills and exposure to careers across the industry.Cohort size: 50 seatsFirst round of acceptances: 15th June 2026Applications are reviewed on a rolling bas‘Books and Beyond with Bound’ is the podcast where Tara Khandelwal and Michelle D’costa uncover how their books reflect the realities of our lives and society today. Find out what drives India’s finest authors: from personal experiences to jugaad research methods, insecurities to publishing journeys. Created by Bound, a storytelling company that helps you grow through stories. Follow us @boundindia on all social media platforms.