Cutting for Stone

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 'Born in Africa, living in exile in America, then returning at last to Africa' - that, in a nutshell, is the story of Marion Stone - the central character in this sweeping novel written by Abraham Verghese. Spanning 3 continents and almost the entire 20th century, 'Cutting for Stone' is an engrossing, enthralling read - highly recommended!

Marion and Shiva Stone are conjoined twins - born to Sister Mary Joseph Praise, an Indian Carmelite nun and Dr. Thomas Stone, a British surgeon, an unlikely pair if ever there was one! Their birth at the Mission 'Missing' Hospital in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia brings tragedy - Sister Mary's death, and the subsequent disappearance of the grief-struck Dr. Stone, leaves the twins orphaned. They are subsequently raised by Dr. Hema and Dr. Ghosh, and indeed the entire staff of Missing Hospital!

Though separated surgically at birth, the twins share a deep bond, communicating almost telepathically, their identities closely intertwined. They have a shared passion for medicine, nurtured by their foster parents, learning hands-on at Missing - but as they grow older, their paths start to diverge. Things come to a head in their teens - their childhood playmate, Genet, becomes a bone of contention. Marion, who is in love with Genet and wants to marry her, feels betrayed when Shiva casually sleeps with her. The rift that is caused lasts for most of their adult lives. Marion enrolls in medical school, while Shiva chooses to train with Hema, forgoing formal medical training - developing into the world's leading expert in the field of birth-related fistulas.

It is Genet, once again, who causes the next upheaval in Marion's life. She joins the Eritrean Liberation Movement, and when Marion's name comes up as one of her closest friends, he has to flee overnight to avoid arrest, not knowing if he will see his family or his Ethiopia ever again! He heads to New York, where he joins the Our Lady of Perpetual Succour hospital as a resident surgeon. The book heads to a stunning conclusion through a set of unexpected reunions and painful reconciliations - Marion and Dr. Stone, Dr. Stone and Hema, Marion and Genet, and of course, Marion and Shiva! For a final reunion, Marion heads back to Missing and Ethiopia, and life comes full circle!

Abraham Verghese is a physician, and his love of medicine and surgery shines forcefully through the novel. There is plenty of operating room drama - Grey's Anatomy, anyone? Practicing medicine in a country like Ethiopia is hard - the anguish and frustration of the doctors of Missing when they are unable to save a patient is very palpable. Using antiquated equipment, outdated diagnostic tools and sheer common sense, these doctors are fighting against superstition, malnutrition and plain ignorance! Although, the medical jargon does end up being a bit much - there were times when I was thinking - OK, too much information, I really did not need to know that! Especially the whole thing about fistulas - I could not get through that fast enough! For anyone not in the medical profession the very visceral images of the surgeons performing their different procedures would be just a little disturbing!

What I really loved was the Ethiopian backdrop - before I read this book I guess I thought that Ethiopia was one of those poor impoverished African countries -  and I was really surprised to learn about its rich history! Yes, we all know that Africa is the 'Cradle of Civilization' - but I did not know that Ethiopia is actually where it all started! Ethiopia has also been one of the longest monarchies in history, and except for a short 6 years when Mussolini invaded, has never been colonized or occupied by a foreign power! I also did not know that Ethiopia is one of the founding members of the United Nations, and its last emperor Haile Selassie was named Time magazine's 'Man of the Year' in 1935! True, the last few decades have not been kind - droughts, famines, civil wars and revolutions - but the picture of Ethiopia painted in this book, though far from idyllic, has certainly piqued my interest!

Very faint but distinctly unique is the the thread of India that runs through the book - binding the characters together! Hema and Ghosh are both from Chennai, and so is Sister Mary Joseph - Dr. Thomas Stone, too, has been raised in Chennai! References to the Mylapore Temple and San Thome Cathedral literally transported me back in time - almost like unexpectedly running into an old friend! Also very familiar are the Indian student doctors in New York - Marion's colleagues and friends. The angst of students living on a shoe-string budget, the struggle of surviving in a foreign country, the bitter realization that no matter what 'once a foreigner, always a foreigner', and finally, the joy of finding a little piece of heaven in the most unlikely places - it did cut a little close to the bone!

When Marion first travels to New York, it was like I was once again on my first flight to Chicago! Stepping off the plane into the huge airport, an immense number of cars waiting outside, and yet not even a single honk! Our noisy tropical cities are no match to the deafening silence of America - seriously, the silence and the long trail of red taillights on the freeway, these were my first impressions of America - much like Marion's. His delight when he finds authentic Ethiopian food in the heart of New York and meets other fellow Ethiopians who, like him, are longing for a taste of home! Certainly brought back bitter sweet memories of the those first few years away from home!

I don't remember why I decided to read this novel - but I am so very glad that I did! It truly touched my heart, stirring up a deep nostalgia! There's a great deal of general knowledge - mainly about Ethiopia and medicine - don't you love a novel that actually educates you?! And if you have ever been an expat, this book is a must-read - countries may differ, but the experiences are always the same! Happy Reading!