Cutting for Stone

A Novel

By: Abraham Verghese

Narrated by: Sunil Malhotra

Length: 23 hrs and 54 mins

Publisher's summary

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • From the author of The Covenant of Water: A beautifully written, page-turning family saga of Ethiopia and America, doctors and patients, exile and home. • “Filled with mystical scenes and deeply felt characters.... Verghese is something of a magician as a novelist.” —USA Today

Marion and Shiva Stone are twin brothers born of a secret union between a beautiful Indian nun and a brash British surgeon. Orphaned by their mother’s death 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.

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 miracles—and two brothers whose fates are forever intertwined.

This sweeping, emotionally riveting novel that "shows how history and landscape and accidents of birth conspire to create the story of a single life" (Los Angeles Times).

©2009 Abraham Verghese (P)2009 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“Abraham Verghese is a doctor, an accomplished memoirist and, as he proves in Cutting for Stone, something of a magician as a novelist. This sprawling, 50-year epic begins with a touch of alchemy: the birth of conjoined twins to an Indian nun in an Ethiopian hospital in 1954. The likely father, a British surgeon, flees upon the mother’s death, and the (now separated) baby boys are adopted by a loving Indian couple who run the hospital. Filled with mystical scenes and deeply felt characters–and opening a fascinating window onto the Third World–Cutting for Stone is an underdog and a winner. Shades of Slumdog Millionaire.”–Jocelyn McClurg, USA Today

“A novel set in Africa bears a heavy burden. The author must bring the continent home to help the reader sit in a chair and imagine vast, ancient, sorrowful, beautiful Africa. In the last decade I’ve read books narrated by characters homesick for Africa; books by or about child soldiers; books about politics; books full of splintering history.... Lush and exotic . . . richly written.”–Susan Salter Reynolds, Los Angeles Times

“Any doubts you might harbor about a 534-page first novel by a physician in his 50s will be allayed in the first few pages of this marvelous book. Abraham Verghese has written two graceful memoirs, but Cutting for Stone, his wildly imaginative fictional debut, is looser, bigger, even better.... The doctor in him sees the luminous beauty of the physician’s calling; the artist recognizes that there remain wounds no surgeon can men. ‘Where silk and steel fail, story must succeed,’ Marion muses. This one does.”–Jennifer Reese, Entertainment Weekly; Grade: A

Incredible storytelling

The characters were brought to life by the narration of the author himself. For me, that greatly enhanced the story. I had never read anything about Ethiopia and about the would be doctors coming to the US as interns. Although I read comments that there were too many medical references for them, it only added to my understanding. After all, this is a tale of a family of doctors. It will remain an unforgettable book for me.

Exceptional

Many moving parts in a timeless story. I will read again and again. Thank you.

Beautiful story

There could have been a more perfect narrator. The voices and accents he used were just enough to make the story more interesting without being too much. I’m usually not a fane of longer stories but this one kept me intrigued the whole way through. If you are in medicine the terminology and descriptions of surgeries were an added bonus. If you are not that’s the only part that may be a bit much.

Best book ever

I marvel at the ability of a writer/author to conjure up the world, so vivid, and so alive. I never wanted this story to end. I am so glad that I listen to it on Audible as the accent of the reader enhance the story tenfold.

Loved this book

I love the writing style of Abraham Verghese. The depth of the characters are exceptional. I will miss learning about this family and friends in such an interesting part of the world.

I am not a medical person but this is my second book from this author, so I knew there would be vivid explanations of the procedure taking place. I loved learning the history from the perspective of everyday people living life.

Well written and moving

Complex yet beautiful story about life and its joys and challenges. The narrator was excellent and added a dimension I wouldn’t have had reading the story.

The profound humanity of this book makes it memorable.

I loved the story and the first person narration gave it such immediacy. Emotionally, it was very moving.

Rich layered, and meaningful story

The characters were complex and intriguing. I especially love the historical fiction aspects and the stables and lessons to take away. The story ended beautifully. Great writing.

Just a beautiful story

There are so many glowing and beautifully written reviews of this book that I just couldn’t pass it up, despite its length.
Thank you to everyone else who loved this book and took the time to describe it-

The only caveat is that it is a story of doctors and the world of medicine in Africa and the poorer areas of NYC. If you are pretty squeamish, you may not like it. I am a nurse- so it was really interesting to me.

It is in my Favorites and not many of my 1977 titles make it to that category. So, for me, it’s a treasure.

A well written historical journey

Well written and immersive. Love, despair, fear all rolls back to love for this collection of souls called a family. Nicely done!