Cutting for Stone

by

Paperback

English language

Published Jan. 4, 2009 by Vintage.

OCLC Number:
851782118

View on OpenLibrary

3 stars (1 review)

Marion and Shiva Stone, born in a mission hospital in Ethiopia in the 1950s, are twin sons of an illicit union between an Indian nun and British doctor. bound by birth but with widely different temperaments they grow up together, in a country on the brink of revolution, until a betrayal splits them apart. But fate has not finished with them - they will be brought together once more, in the sterile surroundings of a hospital theatre.

From the 1940s to the present, from a convent in India to a cargo ship bound for the Yemen, from a tin operating theatre in Ethiopia to a hospital in the Bronx, this is both a richly visceral epic and riveting family story.

~from the back cover

22 editions

reviewed Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese

Interesting story of how an African Indian ended up a very respected doctor in the US

3 stars

Written by a doctor, this book takes you to Addis Ababa in the early 60's and ends up there as well, not without a long stay in America.

The story certainly brings us out of the usual European or North Ameican settings. Very touching, although the story is claimed to be fictional, being written by a famous doctor, you cannot help but think that there might be quite a few autobiographic elements included. As many books written by technical experts, this one tends to lean heavely on sentimental lyricism but given the nature of the intrigue you easily forgive the author for it.