An unforgettable journey into one mans remarkable life, and an epic story about the power, intimacy, and curious beauty of the work of healing others. After an attempted coup in ethiopia, the boys tell a fake soldier who wants to steal their friends motorcycle to drive down a dangerous path. Cutting for stone by abraham verghese reading guide. Cutting for stone by abraham verghese penguin random house. Cutting for stone is the first straightforward novel set in and largely about africa that ive read in a good long timethe kind richard russo or cormac mccarthy might write, the kind that shows how history and landscape and accidents of birth and death conspire to create the story of a single life. Cutting for stone is very simply one of the best books ever written and read. Cutting for stone, by abraham verghese the new york times. 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. A sweeping, emotionally riveting first novel an enthralling family saga of africa and america, doctors and patients, exile and home. It is a saga of twin brothers, orphaned by their mothers death at their births and forsaken by their father.
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. Cutting for stone pdf book by abraham verghese 2009. Cutting for stone by abraham verghese book club discussion. Cutting for stone is a novel written from the firstperson perspective of marion stone, one of the identical twins born of a secret affair between a beautiful indian nun and a british surgeon. The novel opens with sister mary praise leaving india to travel to africa as a.
Cutting for stone pdf book by abraham verghese read online or free download in epub, pdf or mobi ebooks. The main characters of cutting for stone novel are thomas stone, sister mary joseph praise. I would love to recommended cutting for stone wholeheartedly, such is the strength of vergheses writing, his vivid characters and brilliant settings. Abraham verghese, quote from cutting for stone we come unbidden into this life, and if we are lucky we find a purpose beyond starvation, misery, and early death which, lest we forget, is the common lot. Readalikes for abraham vergheses cutting for stone. Those words provide an epigraph partway through abraham vergheses first novel, cutting for stone, and also explain the surname of its narrator, marion stone, along with his twin brother, shiva. It is a beautiful novel because it succeeds in creating endearing personalities. It begins with the lines from gitanjali, the celebrated poetry collection of the nobel laureate, rabindranath tagore. The book includes both a deep description of medical procedures and an exploration of the human side of medical practices. Cutting for stone by abraham verghese powells books. Cutting for stone 2009 is a novel written by ethiopianborn indianamerican medical doctor and author abraham verghese. 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 mary.
Marion and shiva stone are born one dramatic afternoon in 1954 in addis ababa, the. Cutting for stone anesthesiology american society of. 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. Cutting for stone is a gorgeous epic tale, suffused with unforgettable grace, humanity and compassion. Cutting for stone follows twin brothers marion and shiva stone, born of a secret union between an indian nun and a brash british surgeon. 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. Many readers will tell you that cutting for stone is the epic story of two conjoined twins fathered by a brilliant british surgeon and an indian nun. Masterfully written by abraham verghese, this is the story of identical, conjoined twins marion and shiva, born in ethiopia of a disgraced roman catholic nun from india and a talented, but socially inept white surgeon. Cutting for stone by abraham verghese the guardian. Something of a bildungsroman, cutting for stone focuses on a pair of twin boys who are born and raised in an african missionary hospital. Definitely cutting for stone, even though the title reference was explained to me by a doctor after i finished the book, was the most memorable book i read in 2011. Marion and shiva stone are twin brothers born of a secret union between a beautiful indian nun and a brash british surgeon.
Abraham vergheses 2009 novel, cutting for stone, is a compelling story of a surgeon in ethiopia who, during his childhood, medical training. Cutting for stone by abraham vergese book club discussion. Dec 06, 2011 cutting for stone, abraham vergheses debut novel, is nothing less than an epic in prose. Oct 08, 2020 cutting for stone by abraham verghese, 2009, vintage edition, paperback in english. It seems that the book s author, abraham verghese, has it in for women right from the beginning, as he sends sisters anjali and mary joseph praise out on a mission trip aboard an improperly equipped. Trying to pull a gun from where its lodged in his belly, marion accidentally shoots and kills. 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 first edition of the novel was published in 2009, and was written by abraham verghese. Feb 06, 2009 cutting for stone by abraham verghese. A sweeping, emotionally riveting novel with over one million copies soldan enthralling family saga of africa and america, doctors and. About cutting for stone a sweeping, emotionally riveting novel with over one million copies soldan enthralling family saga of africa and america, doctors and patients, exile and home. You can also purchase this book from a vendor and ship it to our address. Cutting for stone is one of the best books ive read which is saying a lot. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 541 pages and is available in hardcover format.
Jun 02, 2009 stone is the shared name of the three main characters but cutting for stone is the name verghese bestows upon the equally important character that medicine and surgery personify in the novel. His essays and stories have appeared in the new york times, the new yorker, esquire, granta, new york times magazine, and the wall street journal. I learned so much but mostly, i felt so much for the characters, for their stories and for the author. An epic tale about love, abandonment, betrayal and redemption, abraham vergheses first novel, cutting for stone, is a masterpiece of traditional. Cutting for stone kindle edition by verghese, abraham. This is a book narrated by a surgeon, and structured as a surgeon might structure it. 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. Feb 08, 2009 those words provide an epigraph partway through abraham vergheses first novel, cutting for stone, and also explain the surname of its narrator, marion stone, along with his twin brother, shiva. An epic novel that spans continents and generations, cutting for stone is an unforgettable story of love and betrayal, compassion and redemption, exile an epic novel that spans continents and generations, cutting for stone is an unforgettable story of love and betrayal, compassion and redemption, exile and home that unfolds across five decades in india, ethiopia, and america.
Cutting for stone by abraham verghese is the october selection for mavs book club, which meets at 5 p. Born in 1954 to an indian carmelite nun and a promising british surgeon in an ethiopian hospital, marion stone narrates the story of his life and. Cutting for stone by abraham verghese, paperback barnes. The plot of this big, dense book is fairly straightforward.
Marion and shiva stone are twin brothers born of a secret union between a beautiful indian nun and a brash british surgeon at. Marion stone and shiva stone timeline in cutting for stone. Set in africa with indian characters worthy of bollywood and the enigmatic american doctor whose name gives double meaning to the title, there are enough plot twists in this novel. The story is a riveting saga of twin brothers, marion and shiva stone, born of a tragic union between a beautiful indian nun and a brash british surgeon at a mission.
It incorporates love, lust, trust, betrayal, commitment, emigration, faith, poverty, life, death, hope, dreams, fears, and just about every other big theme you can imagine. Verghese is so attuned to the movements of the heart and of the mind, so adept at dramatizing the great themes of human existence, and he has filled this world with such richly drawn, fascinating characters, that cutting for stone becomes one of those rare books one wishes would never end, an alternate reality that both rivals and illuminates. Set in the tiny arizona town of bowie, this compelling portrait of a frontier community graced by the transforming powers of the desert is a romantic, panoramic western of exceptional sensibility and depth. He is the author of my own country, an nbcc finalist made into a film directed by mira nair, the tennis partner, a new york times notable book and cutting for stone. In 2009, knopf published his new book and first novel, cutting for stone.
Vergheses skill at intertwining so many stories is awesome and prohibits simple description of the novel as a whole. 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. 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 doctor. Pdf cutting for stone book by abraham verghese 2009. A series of catastrophic events occur during their births, leading to their fathers abandonment and lifealtering changes to the staff of missing hospital. Narrated by marion the first born twin we are told of every influence on his and his brothers existence. Unequal treatment between men and women is evident throughout the novel.
Cutting for stone is a sweeping family saga which draws you in and transports you to a small missionary hospital in ethiopia. 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. Each character is so fully developed from start to finish that the reader becomes deeply involved with each and every one. Pdf cutting for stone book by abraham verghese free. To read the first page of cutting for stone is to fall hopelessly under the spell of a masterful storyteller. The story was captivating, traveling through times and places and experiences with which i was unfamiliar but came to love.
From ethiopia to new york, abraham verghese weaves a stunning story of medicine, learning. Cutting for stone is a novel written from the firstperson perspective of marion stone, one of the identical twins born of a secret affair between a beautiful indian. Mavwire department of university communications the. Feb 03, 2009 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. At 500 pages it certainly is a long book, but worth every second, earning five stars rating from this reader. 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. Reading guide for cutting for stone by abraham verghese. Mar 10, 2009 cutting for stone by abraham verghese hardcover, 560 pages knopf list price. The long narrative, setting, characters, conflicts, and quotations that read as invocations all set out to prove this. If you like abraham verghese s cutt ing for stone by seattle librarians a staffcreated list. It seems that the book s author, abraham verghese, has it in for women right from the beginning, as he sends sisters anjali and mary joseph praise.
Cutting for stone is a book i should have read years ago tolstoy. In what ways is cutting for stone an oldfashioned story and what does it share with the great novels of the nineteenth century. May 09, 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. But beyond rhetoric the title does not resonate emotionally throughout different levels of meaning in the novel. Cutting for stone is a beautifully written comingofage novel weaving family, hospital and house staff, patients, community, disease, and country into a complex tapestry. The writing is vivid and thrilling, and the story completely absorbing, with its pregnant indian nun, demonridden british surgeon, siamese twins orphaned and severed at birth, and narrative strands stretching across four continents. Vergheses carefully drawn characters are compelling and unforgettable this is a book you will have to share with others, if you can bear parting with your copy. Thesis it is implied that the only greatness that any of the female characters can achieve is if a man is by their side or by the sexuality of their bodies and fulfilling their destined role of motherhood women roles in abraham vergheses cutting for stone portrayed as. Theres a mystery, a comingofage, abundant melodrama and even more abundant medical lore in this idiosyncratic first novel from a. Books similar to cutting for stone cutting for stone.
Marion stone and shiva stone s timeline in cutting for stone. The main characters of this fiction, historical story are thomas stone, sister mary joseph praise. The introduction, discussion questions, and suggested further reading that follow are designed to enhance your groups discussion of abraham vergheses acclaimed first novel, cutting for stone. The babies, conjoined at the head, are successfully separated immediately after birth. An epic novel that spans continents and generations, cutting for stone is an unforgettable story of love and betrayal, compassion and redemption. The washington post book world absorbing, exhilarating. Dec 29, 2010 it is impossible to fully explore the incredible depth of cutting for stone within a few paragraphs. 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. A sweeping, emotionally riveting first novelan enthralling family saga of africa and america, doctors and patients, exile and home.
Women roles in abraham vergheses cutting for stone by. Published in 2009 the book become immediate popular and critical acclaim in fiction, historical books. Feb 03, 2009 abraham verghese is professor and vice chair for the theory and practice of medicine at the stanford university school of medicine. It tells the story of marion stone from his birth along with identical twin, shiva in ethiopia, his life growing up there as the. Youll get access to all of the cutting for stone content, as well as access to more than 30,000 additional guides and.
In this discussion, i will be focusing on gender inequality of the female characters in the book cutting for stone. Cutting for stone has the power to evoke cathartic reactions, much like greek tragedies. Cutting for stone paperback the elliott bay book company. An epic novel that spans continents and generations, cutting for stone is an unforgettable story of love and betrayal, compassion and redemption, exile an epic novel that spans continents and generations, cutting for stone is an unforgettable story of love and betrayal, compassion and redemption. Feb 03, 2009 abraham verghese has said that his ambition in writing cutting for stone was to tell a great story, an oldfashioned, truthtelling story.
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