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.
