Book 174: Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
Book 174: Cutting for Stone.
Author: Abraham Verghese, 2009.
Genre: Period Fiction. Medical Drama. Family Saga.
Other Details: Paperback. 541 pages.
Marion and Shiva Stone are twin sons of a secret union between an Indian nun and a British surgeon at 'Missing' hospital in Addis Ababa. Orphaned by their mother's death in childbirth and their father's disappearance, bound together by a preternatural connection and a shared fascination with medicine, the brothers come of age as Ethiopia hovers on the brink of revolution. Yet it will be love, not politics-their passion for the same woman-that tears them apart and forces Marion to flee his homeland. He makes his way to America, finding refuge in his work as a surgical intern at an underfunded, overcrowded hospital. - synopsis from UK publisher's website.
A few people had raved about this novel and I admit that I did not find the premise all that enticing. However, once I started reading I was completely riveted by this powerful story of twin brothers.
Cutting for Stone was Abraham Verghese's début novel. He grew up in Addis Abba and is now a Professor of Medicine at Stanford University. All the medical procedures are described in great detail both in Ethiopia and the USA.
So I quickly revised my opinion and after finishing it I felt that it was one of the best books I have read in recent years. I could appreciate its popularity and the many accolades it has gained since publication. It was a library reading group selection and the entire group also loved it. It is a novel that I would happily read again.
Cross-posted to 50bookchallenge.