CUTTING FOR STONE

Abraham Verghese

MSRP $15.95, 688 Pages.

Published by Vintage.

Twin brothers, conjoined and then separated, grow up amid the political turmoil of Ethiopia.

International Bestseller

A sweeping, emotionally riveting first novel — an enthralling family saga of Africa and America, doctors and patients, exile and home.

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. Orphaned by their mother’s death in childbirth and their father’s disappearance, bound together by a preternatural connection and a shared fascination with medicine, the twins come of age as Ethiopia hovers on the brink of revolution. Yet it will be love, not politics — their passion for the same woman — that will tear them apart and force Marion, fresh out of medical school, to flee his homeland. He makes his way to America, finding refuge in his work as an intern at an underfunded, overcrowded New York City hospital. When the past catches up to him — nearly destroying him — Marion must entrust his life to the two men he thought he trusted least in the world: the surgeon father who abandoned him and the brother who betrayed him.

An unforgettable journey into one man’s remarkable life, and an epic story about the power, intimacy, and curious beauty of the work of healing others.


From the Hardcover edition.

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Amazon Exclusive: John Irving Reviews Cutting for Stone

John Irving has been nominated for a National Book Award three times--winning once, in 1980, for the novel The World According to Garp. In 1992, Irving was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in Stillwater, Oklahoma. In 2000, he won the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for The Cider House Rules--a film with seven Academy Award nominations. Read his exclusive Amazon guest review of Cutting for Stone:

That Abraham Verghese is a doctor and a writer is already established; the miracle of this novel is how organically the two are entwined. I’ve not read a novel wherein medicine, the practice of it, is made as germane to the storytelling process, to the overall narrative, as the author manages to make it happen here. The medical detail is stunning, but it never overwhelms the humane and narrative aspects of this moving and ambitious novel. This is a first-person narration where the first-person voice appears to disappear, but never entirely; only in the beginning are we aware that the voice addressing us is speaking from the womb! And what terrific characters--even the most minor players are given a full history. There is also a sense of great foreboding; by the midpoint of the story, one dreads what will further befall these characters. The foreshadowing is present in the chapter titles, too--‘The School of Suffering’ not least among them! Cutting for Stone is a remarkable achievement.--John Irving

(Photo © Maki Galimberti)

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Articles from the New York Times

First Chapter

Sunday Review

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Customer Reviews

Breathtaking

Rating

No need to go into narrative details, others have done this more than adequately.

If you care about literature, if you care about human relations, if you care about anything at all READ THIS BOOK! There are few novels of this caliber.

The story is engrossing and introduces us to the unfamiliar territory of Addis Abeba with a rich panoply of characters.

The medical descriptions are brilliant! As an ophthalmic surgeon I can truly appreciate what he has done. I was at times at the edge of my seat. Dr Verghese has made me proud to share at least one of his 2 professions. It is also my intention to urge all my residents to read this.

My sincerest congratulations to Dr Verghese for a great contribution!

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Tragomedy

Rating

Didn't think I would get into this book because of the excruciating detail, but I have gotten into it and am enjoying it. It is rather sad and funny at the same time. The players are real characters described in living colour and are easily pictured in my mind.I'm onli a third of the way through but know I will make it to the end.

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Loved it!

Rating

The only reason I don't give it 5 starts is because a few passages are a little too long. Other than that, it is a beautiful story and very well written.

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Book club material!

Rating

One of the best novels i have read in recent years. So compelling I couldn't put it down. i learned much about the Ethiopian culture.

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What a journey

Rating

There isn't anything unique I can add to a book that's been reviewed over 300 times, so I won't try to give new information.

I just want to say how much I enjoyed reading it. I read a LOT and I haven't read something this worthwhile in a long time. It is a compelling, beautifully written book. I read it slowly, savoring every paragraph, and made it last for two glorious weeks.

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