You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.25 AVERAGE
4.25 AVERAGE
emotional
medium-paced
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This one was hard for me to get into, but once I was in I didn't want to leave. It's an epic tale of love, family, and choices we make.
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I read The Covenant of Water first and it was just, wow. Cutting for Stone didn't hit me the same way. The characters, the relationships, the depth of emotion...hardships and resilience, love and service. It's beautiful, it's raw.
We get a lot of the story in the first person from Marion, a point of view I wanted to break out of, or see evolve more. Especially in regard to Genet, his obsession.
We get a lot of the story in the first person from Marion, a point of view I wanted to break out of, or see evolve more. Especially in regard to Genet, his obsession.
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese is a brilliant novel, but that wouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone who has read Dr. Verghese’s other books. I loved My Own Country: A Doctor’s Story and I know I’ll be running out to get The Tennis Partner next. Dr. Verghese is a powerful storyteller and his books are beautifully written.
The setting of Cutting for Stone is in both Ethiopia and the United States. A nun and doctor travel to a small hospital in Ethiopia, which begins a series of mishaps and intriguing scenarios. A long story short, the nun gives birth to twins who are co-joined and separated. The doctor disappears and the nun dies in childbirth. But this is only the beginning. Although a piece of fiction, it is based on actual events such as the unrest in Ethiopia during Emperor Haile Selaisse's reign.
The twins, Marion and Shiva, are cared for and loved by two other doctors at Missing (Mission) Hospital. The story continues as the boys grow to become young men with one having to flee the country. He continues his education in the United States and eventually meets his father again. The other twin continues his on-the-job training as a specialist in Ethiopia along with his adoptive mother.
This short description doesn’t give the book justice, but I don’t want to give away the story. Let me just say that I couldn’t put this book down. If there’s any way of giving the book six stars in a five-star rating system, I certainly would. Cutting for Stone is a powerful book. You simply must read it. You won’t be sorry.
The setting of Cutting for Stone is in both Ethiopia and the United States. A nun and doctor travel to a small hospital in Ethiopia, which begins a series of mishaps and intriguing scenarios. A long story short, the nun gives birth to twins who are co-joined and separated. The doctor disappears and the nun dies in childbirth. But this is only the beginning. Although a piece of fiction, it is based on actual events such as the unrest in Ethiopia during Emperor Haile Selaisse's reign.
The twins, Marion and Shiva, are cared for and loved by two other doctors at Missing (Mission) Hospital. The story continues as the boys grow to become young men with one having to flee the country. He continues his education in the United States and eventually meets his father again. The other twin continues his on-the-job training as a specialist in Ethiopia along with his adoptive mother.
This short description doesn’t give the book justice, but I don’t want to give away the story. Let me just say that I couldn’t put this book down. If there’s any way of giving the book six stars in a five-star rating system, I certainly would. Cutting for Stone is a powerful book. You simply must read it. You won’t be sorry.
Verghese's masterfully written novel covers much ground geographically, medically, emotionally, historically and culturally. It's difficult to review a book that is so rich and multi-faceted. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It is long. I listened to the audiobook (19 discs), lyrically narrated by Skokie, Illinois native (!) Sunil Malhotra. What emerges immediately as the most startling element of the book is the degree of medical-surgical detail, which might turn off some readers; I was not one of them. I found it fascinating, although I could wish that less of it had had to do with the female anatomy. What keeps me from giving it 5 stars is that my favorite character Hema, she of the fabulous early scene on the airplane, disappears almost completely after she unites with her true love and becomes a mother. I missed her. I wanted her to be more present, more of a doctor, less of a mother. And I didn't want her to be outshone by her son in her own area of specialty. I would call that a quibble, were it not for the tragic fate - closely tied to her sexuality - of another favorite female character, Genet. Is there some misogyny present here? Possibly. Oddly enough, and perhaps this is truly the most startling element of the book for me, this didn't detract from my enjoyment.
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I really enjoyed reading this book and it didn't feel that long despite its length. I was still sad when it was over and wanted to keep accompanying the characters. I found the explorations of family, identity, grudges and forgiveness, surgery and health, inequality, politics all super interesting. It was a fascinating way to learn more about the history of Ethiopia which I knew next to nothing about. I liked the way the stories wove together.
However, my main complaint, and why despite really enjoying the book I'm not rating it higher, is around the treatment of Gennet as a character. I know that a just because a protagonist thinks a certain way or behaves a certain way doesn't mean the author is condoning it, but I hated how Marion treated and thought about Gennet.And while Marion goes on to forgive men who hurt him, namely Thomas Stone and his brother Shiva, I don't recall him really forgiving Gennet. And it sort of implies it's her fault he almost died from Hep B but he raped her! And that isn't addressed at all. Like she tried to stop him, at least maybe she was going to suggest a condom or something, but he just starts having sex with her, which to me is not consensual.
In general the Gennet storyline felt a bit misogynist to me, and maybe that was the author's point, to show how Marion's attitude was not ok, but I would have likeda less tragic storyline for Gennet, full of so much trauma and just a pitiful end
However, my main complaint, and why despite really enjoying the book I'm not rating it higher, is around the treatment of Gennet as a character. I know that a just because a protagonist thinks a certain way or behaves a certain way doesn't mean the author is condoning it, but I hated how Marion treated and thought about Gennet.
In general the Gennet storyline felt a bit misogynist to me, and maybe that was the author's point, to show how Marion's attitude was not ok, but I would have liked
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Sexual assault, Medical content, Medical trauma
emotional
inspiring
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes