The Covenant of Water

Abraham Verghese is a physician-author whose life and work reflect a rare and deeply human blend of science, empathy, and storytelling. Born to Indian parents in Ethiopia, Verghese grew up in Addis Ababa, where his journey in medicine began. From these international roots, his path led him through political upheaval, across continents, and into some of the most emotionally charged corners of modern medicine.

What makes Verghese profoundly humanizing as an author is not just his medical expertise, but his commitment to seeing and honoring the full experience of his patients—especially those society overlooked. As a young doctor in Johnson City, Tennessee, during the early days of the HIV/AIDS crisis, Verghese provided care when little treatment was available, sitting with dying patients and witnessing their final stories unfold. These intimate moments, often harrowing and raw, became the foundation for My Own Country, a memoir that gives voice to suffering, love, and dignity in the face of death.

His compassion doesn’t end at the bedside. Verghese took time away from practicing medicine to study writing at the Iowa Writers’ Workshop—evidence of his belief that storytelling is itself a form of healing. Through his writing, whether in The New Yorker or in bestselling books like The Tennis Partner, he channels emotional truths that transcend clinical charts. His literary works reveal the doctor as listener, griever, companion—a human being in the truest sense.

Today, as a professor at Stanford, Verghese continues to advocate for medicine that values the physical presence and story of the patient—what he calls “the human touch.” His life, shaped by migration, loss, friendship, and a reverence for suffering, stands as a reminder that the best doctors—and the best writers—are those who never lose sight of our shared humanity.