Cutting For Stone

I just finished Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese and my mom is smiling down from Heaven above.  Twelve years ago she gave me an autographed copy that she got when Dr. Verghese was passing through Short Hills, New Jersey. I wish I read it then! I picked the book up off a dusty old shelf and started it two weeks ago.  It is a magnificent novel that not only educated me on the history of Ethiopia, it also taught me some internal medicine!  I never knew that typhoid fever patients had a smell like freshly baked bread!

Dr. Verghese weaves a riveting story about two twins growing up in Africa after a tumultuous entry into this world which includes on the same day the death of their delivering mother, the abandonment of their father, and an attempted termination of one of their lives.  Adopted by their delivering obstetrician, they grow to love and live the life of medicine.  Due to an amazing series of unfortunate events, Marion, the older more sensitive twin, is forced into confronting his biological father who turns out to be a famous transplant surgeon in America.  I LOVED this book and recommend it to any aspiring medical or nursing student.  My only regret is that I didn’t have the chance to share my impressions with my mom who so thoughtfully gave me this book.  I guess I’m lucky because I got a gift from her again now.  And I’m grateful for it.