Wednesday, July 25, 2012

CUTTING FOR STONE by Abraham Verghese


Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese (Vintage; Reprint edition:January 26, 2010)
 
(NOVEL)

Reviewed by Lisa Proehl

Abraham Verghese is a physician and author. His two non-fiction books are My Own Country, about his work with AIDS patients in rural Tennessee, and The Tennis Partner, a memoir of a difficult friendship. Cutting for Stone is his first novel.

The story is set in Ethiopia, where conjoined twins Marion and Shiva Stone are born and immediately lose their mother, a nun, to the complicated pregnancy. What follows is the story of their coming of age as Ethiopia hovers close to revolution. The twins share a very strong connection with each other, a fascination with medicine, and eventually a passion for the same woman.

There are several plot twists which keep the reader engaged throughout the novel. What resonated most deeply for me was the beautiful expression of the power and beauty of doing healing work, as well as the profound love and connection between the twin brothers.

My favorite book of 2010! I highly recommend it.