Cutting For Stone

Marion and Shiva Stone are twin brothers born to an Indian nun and  British surgeon at a mission hospital. Orphaned by their mother’s death in childbirth and their father’s disappearance, bound together by a connection that only twins know and can understand; they also come of age as Ethiopia is on the brink of revolution.  Their passion for the same woman will tear them apart and force Marion, just out of medical school, to escape his homeland. In  America, finding refuge in his work as an intern at an underfunded New York City hospital, Marion finds his father in an unsuspecting moment. When trouble causes problems for Marion again,  he 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.

I was unsure how I felt about this book when I started, especially with all of the reviews that are out there.  I found the beginning incredibly slow and actually very confusing with the names and even what was going on.  After the first couple of chapters it did pick up though.  I found the detail of the customs, the medical procedures and descriptions and even the character's interactions to be very detailed and colorful, so much so that I even dreamed about them. I loved the relationship between the twins: although Shiva was less than an admirable character, their dedication and bond was incredible. I loved the relationship between Ghosh and Hema, the two people responsible for raising the boys, and even Rosina's(the twin's nanny) daughter Genet, who truly was raised by Hema and ended up having a pivotal role in everyone's life as time went on.

Although the descriptions were wonderful, in some areas of the book I also found myself at times struggling to stay with the story and frustrated with the painstaking detail of the medical procedures that frankly  really weren't that important to the ongoing saga of the twins.  I felt  that the story may have been able to end sooner rather than later, especially when we got to Marion leaving the country.  I did like how it tied together in the end and of course was consistent throughout the family tie that bound Marion to his country and ultimately to Hema, his twin brother, and his allegiance to Gosh's legacy which  was what made me end the book with a great feeling of satisfaction. Overall a great story, however it's for a reader committed to really digging in for a detailed heavy read.

On a rating scale I would give the book 3 1/2 to  4 stars out 5.