pickHow to explain how much I loved this book? The author makes magic with words. His character development is outstanding—I especially loved Marion. His medical background shines through, making the surgical details fascinating. I also learned so much about Ethiopia. If I could give 100 stars, I would.
Life, too, is like that. You live it forward, but understand it backward.
pickGeopolitics is my passion, therefore I really enjoyed this one. For people who are not familiar with conflicts and the world map - could be diffcult to follow. It still is a pick if you wanna understand the world‘s politics !!
pickA apt title, I really enjoyed the play on words. Cutting For Stone is part of the hypocritic oath. If you cannot handle health/surgery talk this is not for you. Verghese pulls a lot from himself - he is an Ethiopian -American doctor. His MCs are Ethiopian twins born of doctors who become doctors. The background of the Ethiopian revolution. I was a bit nervous about this but it was very readable, the characters are vivid and the pacing is perfect.
"The hospital 's old septic tank was located here, deep underground, and for years it has overflowed before it was taken out of use. USAID concrete, Rockefeller funds, and a Greek contractor named Achilles had built a new one "
Try as I might this will not be the book that doesn't remind me how far America has fallen. To be reminded that we used to help the poorest of the poor across the globe ?
#25in25 we are halfway through the year and I am doing not as great as I could have hoped on the 25 books I have chosen to focus on in 2025.
I feel like July and August are going to be my time to shine on this! A perfect time to read Anne of Green Gables, Three, A Trace of Sun, all those lovely summer books.
I grabbed the audio of Cutting for Stone from my Library so will dive into that this month.
Current count 11/25
Today‘s find in Belgrade: the Serbian edition of “Cutting for Stone.”
so-soI liked learning more about the Ethiopian immigration experience but otherwise the sprawling, disconnected narrative and bland main character put this near the bottom of my #ToB25 list.
pickThis novel covers a lot of ground: grief, family dynamics, generational trauma, illness, addiction, income inequality, immigration, racism. I appreciate the writing and the characters, but like others, I found following the story to be a challenge. The format and timeline feel true to life and therefore a little unsettling to me. I wonder if I go to fiction because a tidy narrative helps life seem more manageable. (This isn't a tidy narrative.)
