Dec 06, 2011 cutting for stone confronts the harrowing procedure of female genital cutting, which is practiced in several countries in africa, including ethiopia. Jan 26, 2010 this is a book to be read for the same joy one garners from listening to puccinis madame butterflyagain and again. Cutting for stone by authorphysician abraham verghese is an enthralling novel of twin brothers caught up in ethiopias epic history. Cutting for stone the phrase is from the hippocratic oath is about twins born joined at the head, in a mission hospital in addis ababa half a century ago. This first novel involves the trials of a medical family caught up in the turmoil of ethiopia.
Oct 17, 2011 abraham vergheses cutting for stone was published in 2009, and while verghese had published two nonfiction books previously, this was his first novel. Orphaned by their mothers death in childbirth and their fathers. Cutting for stone is initially set in ethiopia, a nation with an interesting history going back some 400,000 years to the dawn of man. Most of cutting for stone takes place in addis ababa, the capital of ethiopia. The book s climax unfortunately marks a further major misstep on vergheses part. Cutting for stone by abraham verghese reading guidebook club. Abraham vergheses cutting for stone was published in 2009, and while verghese had published two nonfiction books previously, this was his first novel. Marion and shiva stone are twin brothers born of a secret union between a beautiful indian nun and a brash british surgeon. Jan 25, 20 cutting for stone is initially set in ethiopia, a nation with an interesting history going back some 400,000 years to the dawn of man. Marion stone, the ethiopianborn, halfindian protagonist and narrator of cutting for stone, at one point refers to his adopted mothers voice as both lilting and singsong. The plot of this big, dense book is fairly straightforward. Almost all of the characters in cutting for stone are living in some sort of exile, selfimposed or forced, from their home country hema and ghosh from india, marion from ethiopia, thomas from india and then ethiopia. Marion and shiva stone are twin brothers born of a secret union between a beautiful indian nun and a brash british surgeon at a mission hospital in addis ababa.
Cutting for stone by authorphysician abraham verghese is an enthralling novel of twin brothers caught up in ethiopia s epic history. Marion and shiva come of age as ethiopia hovers on the brink of revolution, and their. Cutting for stone there are so many layers and themes to plumb in this intensely poignant and demanding book. A sweeping, emotionally riveting first novelan enthralling family saga of africa and america, doctors and patients, exile and home. Cutting for stone 2009 is a novel written by ethiopian born indianamerican medical doctor and author abraham verghese. Twin brothers born from a secret love affair between an indian nun and a british surgeon in addis ababa, marion and shiva stone come of age in ethiopia, where their love for the same woman drives them apart. In what ways is cutting for stone an oldfashioned story and what does it share with the great novels of the nineteenth century. By different routes, both sister mary joseph and stone end up at a mission hospital in addis ababa, locally known as the missing hospital a mispronunciation of mission. In 2009 verghese published cutting for stone, bringing him both critical and popular acclaim. Cutting for stone 2009 is a novel written by ethiopianborn indianamerican medical doctor and author abraham verghese. Cutting for stone by abraham verghese book club discussion. Cutting for stone by abraham verghese is a book about 2 twin boys marion and shiva growing up in ethiopia with adoptive parents hema and ghosh. The story begins with an intense, anatomical description of the birth of marion and shiva, twin boys born to sister mary joseph praise and her lover, a brash english surgeon, dr.
The books climax unfortunately marks a further major misstep on vergheses part. A sweeping, emotionally riveting first novelan enthralling f. He was born in ethiopia to parents from kerala, india, who worked as teachers. Cutting for stone kindle edition by verghese, abraham. Fiction that takes us from ethiopia to the suburbs cutting for stone by abraham verghese knopf, 560 pp. Almost all of the characters in cutting for stone are living in some sort of exile, selfimposed or forced, from their home countryhema and ghosh from india. Beyond that there is a spiritual journey of a mystical nature that will not disappoint. Verghese is of indian descent but was born and raised in ethiopia, went to medical school in india, and has lived and worked in. Cutting for stone book the kansas city public library. Cutting for stone by abraham verghese a story of ethiopias past half century impresses aida edemariam.
An epic novel which starts out in addis ababa and ends in new york, cutting for stone is one of those books that stays with you long after youre done. It is a saga of twin brothers, orphaned by their mothers death at their births and forsaken by their father. Moving from addis ababa to new york city and back again, cutting for stone is an unforgettable story of love and betrayal, medicine and ordinary miraclesand two brothers whose fates are forever intertwined. Abraham verghese has said that his ambition in writing cutting for stone was to tell a great story, an oldfashioned, truthtelling story. In 2009, knopf published his new book and first novel, cutting for stone.
Feb 08, 2009 the plot of this big, dense book is fairly straightforward. Most of the story takes place at missing hospital in addis ababa, ethiopia. The title of this book is cutting for stone and it was written by abraham verghese. Cutting for stone by abraham verghese 9780375714368. Set primarily in addis ababa, ethiopia, during the midtwentieth century, cutting for stone opens at the missing hospital with the unexpected and miraculous birth of marion and shiva to sister. The novel opens with sister mary praise leaving india to travel to africa as a. Modern ethiopia, as we recognize it today, became a monarchy in the late 1800s under the rule of emperor abeto menelik. To what extent are these differences reflected in the split between poor hospitals, like the one in the bronx where marion works, and rich hospitals like the one in boston where his father works. This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of cutting for stone by abraham verghese. Cutting for stone confronts the harrowing procedure of female genital cutting, which is practiced in several countries in africa, including ethiopia.
The same can be said of sunil malhotras expert reading of this audiobook, a moving story about twin brothers born of an indian catholic nun and an expatriate english. Cutting for stone by abraham verghese reading guide. These book discussion questions are highly detailed and will ruin plot points if you have not read the book. Throughout the book, the political unrest and upheaval of ethiopia is a constant backdrop. His writing and work continue to explore the importance of bedside medicine, the ritual of the physical examination in the era of advanced technology, where as he notes frequently in his writing, the patient in the bed is often ignored in favor of the. Readers will put this novel down at books end knowing that it will stick with them for a long time to come. Free download or read online cutting for stone pdf epub book. It is a beautiful novel because it succeeds in creating endearing personalities. Reading this wonderful novel while in ethiopia was a kind of memory walk for me.
The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 541 pages and is available in hardcover format. Abraham verghese story, cutting for stone, takes us to ethiopia during haile selassies rule when poverty foments revolution and betrayal by subjects who want better living and working conditions for its citizens. May 08, 2009 cutting for stone the phrase is from the hippocratic oath is about twins born joined at the head, in a mission hospital in addis ababa half a century ago. Popular ethiopia books meet your next favorite book. The main characters of this fiction, historical story are thomas stone, sister mary joseph praise. Tell me about it, shiva, genet whispers from behind her book. When the past catches up to himnearly destroying himmarion must entrust his life to the two men he thought he trusted least in the world. Cutting for stones medical content increases as marion goes on to an internship in new york, and robs the novel of a little of its magic. I read cutting for stone when i travelled to ethiopia in december 2010. Cutting for stone book washington county cooperative.
Sign me up to get more news about literary fiction books. The book includes a deep description of both medical procedures and. Feb 22, 2009 how to sum up abraham vergheses cutting for stone. Ethiopian physician abraham vergheses 2009 novel cutting for stone, a publishers weekly best book of 2009 selection, tells the story of twin brothers marion and shiva stone who are born conjoined but are separated at the time of their birth. Cutting for stone s medical content increases as marion goes on to an internship in new york, and robs the novel of a little of its magic. Even so, the majority of the characters are considered ferengi, foreigners, and thats because most of them were either born elsewhere or were born to immigrant parents. Pdf cutting for stone book by abraham verghese free. Marion and shiva stone are born one dramatic afternoon in 1954 in addis ababa, the same day their mother a nun, sister mary joseph.
But its also a novel about doctors and nurses living amid the rich contradictions of ethiopia. Recommending new books each month to spark lively conversation. Cutting for stone book omaha public library bibliocommons. An epic novel that spans continents and generations, cutting for stone is an unforgettable. Verghese is of indian descent but was born and raised in ethiopia, went to medical school in india, and has lived and worked. The book includes a deep description of both medical procedures and explores the human side of medical practices. What other important differences does cutting for stone reveal about the way illness is viewed and treated in ethiopia and in the united states. Cutting for stone is a novel written from the firstperson perspective of marion stone, one of. Dec 26, 2009 abraham verghese story, cutting for stone, takes us to ethiopia during haile selassies rule when poverty foments revolution and betrayal by subjects who want better living and working conditions for its citizens. Poignant for its journey with love and loss and demanding for its medical language and historical themes. Cutting for stone is the complex story of the praise family, focusing on twin brothers marion and shiva as they negotiate the hidden histories of their past while working hard to make medical advances for the future. Marion stone, the ethiopian born, halfindian protagonist and narrator of cutting for stone, at one point refers to his adopted mothers voice as both lilting and singsong.
This is a book to be read for the same joy one garners from listening to puccinis madame butterflyagain and again. Cutting for stone resists easy categorization it is just as much the chronicle of a bond between twin brothers and family as it is a book about medicine, or a story of grace. The story begins with a brief love story between hema and ghosh and then turns to the birth of the twins by their mother, sister mary joseph praise a nun. An indian nun and an english doctor have conjoined twin babies in ethiopia. Cutting for stone by abraham verghese is the tale of several lives, but in particular the narrators, marion stone, and the story of his identical twin brother, shiva stone. The story is also ethiopias coming of age and these two wideeyed adolescents no not the twins, marion and shivamarion and ethiopia, must. Cutting for stone is a best book club book for discussion, a sweeping first novel and enthralling family saga of africa and america, doctors and patients, exile and home. Behind the love stories of the main characters in the book, abraham describes the ageold agetold values and customs of ethiopians which make the country and the people so unique. Mar 12, 2020 almost all of the characters in cutting for stone are living in some sort of exile, selfimposed or forced, from their home countryhema and ghosh from india, marion from ethiopia, thomas from india and then ethiopia. A sweeping, emotionally riveting novel with over one million copies soldan enthralling family saga of africa and america, doctors and patients, exile and home. Marion, fresh out of medical school, flees ethiopia and makes his way to america, finding refuge in his work as an intern at an underfunded, overcrowded new york city hospital.
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