Every once in a long while, you come upon a book that is truly
extraordinary. Abraham Verghese's 'Cutting for Stone' is one such
book. It is a breathtaking family saga which sweeps you up and
keeps you under its spell from the first page to very last
sentence.
The story opens with Sister Mary Joseph Praise, an innocent and
beautiful young nun who is setting off to do good in the world. But
at her very first posting, and before even beginning to fulfill her
mandate, she is brutally raped. We are never sure exactly how she
processes this experience or manages to move on, but before long
the fervently religious Sister flees to the one place on the planet
where she feels there is goodness - the mission hospital in Addis
Ababa, Ethiopia. Here the brash and brilliant Dr. Thomas Stone, a
man she once nursed from the brink of death back to health, takes
her under his wing, and, against plan, into his heart. Conflicted
about their feelings, they can hardly acknowledge the depth of
their passion -- not to themselves, not to each other and certainly
not to their colleagues. But their secret cannot be kept forever.
Sister Mary is carrying twins.
Marion and Shiva Stone are the result of this illicit union. Almost
at birth the twins are orphaned. Sister Mary dies in childbirth and
Dr. Stone is too overcome with grief to do anything but disappear.
And here the real story begins. We are with Marion and Shiva as
they come of age, develop the same passion for medicine that their
parents shared, and fall in love with the same woman. Their shared
passion for this woman will tear them apart and force Marion, fresh
out of medical school, to flee his homeland and find refuge working
as an intern in an underfunded, overcrowded New York hospital. When
his past catches up to him, Marion must entrust his life to the two
men he thought he trusted least: the surgeon father who abandoned
him and the brother who betrayed him.
As John Schwartz, author of 'Reservation Road' writes, "This is a
human story that is deeply moving, utterly gripping and totally
unforgettable."
Verghese, who is himself a physician, writes with a sure hand, a
clear intelligence and a wise heart. There is not a wasted word, an
emotional misstep, or a superficial character. You will relish
every page and never want it to end. Brilliant… truly brilliant.