CUTTING FOR STONE

CUTTING FOR STONE by ABRAHAM VERGHESE

Cutting for Stone is the first novel of the Indian-American doctor Abraham Verghese which was published in 2009.
In his novel the author describes two of his own autobiographical personal experiences, especially his youth spending in Ethiopia. But he also mentioned that his work is not entirely autobiographical.

Cutting for Stone is a book about twins named Marion and Shiva which are born in 1954 in a hospital in Addis Ababa Ethiopia, known locally as a "Missing". Their mother dies during the birth.

Tweens have British father but he do not want to see them. After several days after their mother died Marion and Shiva are adopted by the doctors Gosh and his wife, ethnic Indians.

The protagonists experience a largely carefree childhood in the desperately poor country but grow apart in spite of common interest for medicine. Their relationship was not so well because of their rivalry for the girl Genet.
After the death of their adoptive father and forced emigration, they became more close to each other but only by necessity.

Reception [edit | edit source]
Even if many passages of that book could easily pass as a medical textbook, and the agglomeration of anatomical details sometimes overused the pain threshold, the patience of readers will be compensated: with great emotions, with clever thoughtfulness and with pictures of melancholy beauty.