First i would like to just comment on miggys attention to our book club, ensuring that we had questions and food amidst her. Our latest book, cutting for stone is the story of twin brothers, marion and shiva stone. Cutting for stone by abraham verghese, paperback barnes. It was timed for our wonderfully themed, indian lunch. Those words provide an epigraph partway through abraham vergheses first novel, cutting for stone, and also explain the surname of its narrator, marion stone. Cutting for stone abraham verghese book club in a box. Cutting for stone throughout the month of march, npr books will be running an online discussion about abraham vergheses novel cutting for stone. I would love to recommended cutting for stone wholeheartedly, such is the strength of vergheses writing, his. Cutting for stone s medical content increases as marion goes on to an internship in new york, and robs the novel of a little of its magic. It is impossible to fully explore the incredible depth of cutting for stone within a few paragraphs. Not being very familiar with ethiopian cuisine, although i have eaten it a time or two, i was at a loss. Abraham verghese has said that his ambition in writing cutting for stone was to tell a great story, an oldfashioned, truthtelling story. Each bookclubinabox guide is clearly and effectively organized to give you information and ideas for a lively discussion, as well as to present the.
This study guide consists of approximately 42 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of cutting for stone. Vintage many of you already know that my book club read cutting for stone by abraham verghese this month. Cutting for stone is a sweeping family saga which draws you in and transports you to a small missionary hospital in ethiopia. What does cutting for stone reveal about the emotional lives of doctors. At first, i wasnt sure id like the book, as i expected it to be quite sad. Each character is so fully developed from start to finish that the reader becomes deeply involved with each and every one. This is a book, i think, that i would have greatly benefited from an introductory summary. Cutting for stone is a work of literature as noble and dramatic as that ancient practice medicine that lies at the heart of this magnificent novel. The book includes a deep description of both medical procedures and explores the human side of medical practices. It is a heavy book, but the writing is beautiful and the story is important. Abraham vergeses cutting for stone is a grand, romantic medical and family novel which is mostly set in ethiopia. Reading guide for cutting for stone by abraham verghese.
Throughout the month of march, npr books will be running an online discussion about abraham vergheses novel cutting for stone. A section of nh library associations book group collection has 195 titles. Pairing food and literature the book club cookbook. Cutting for stone by abraham verghese reading guidebook. Abraham verghese story, cutting for stone, takes us to ethiopia during haile selassies rule when poverty foments revolution and betrayal by subjects who want better living and working conditions for its citizens. Cutting for stone, set in addis ababa, ethiopia, spans the course of a century.
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 miraclesand two brothers whose fates are forever intertwined. Blacksmithing forging tools for stone splitting duration. The book starts off with a tantalizing prologue that introduces the main characters of the book, marion and shiva twin brothers, addis ababa capital city of ethiopia where most. At 500 pages it certainly is a long book, but worth every second, earning five stars rating from this reader. Wikipedia the hippocratic oath meaning of cutting for stone original, translated into english. As a bookseller, i live for novels like cutting for stone big, fat, beautiful novels as beguiling and enchanting as babies, as wise and as generous as old sages. One of bookbrowses top 3 favorite books of 2009, a novel set in ethiopia and america in the latter part of the 20th century.
This narrative begins with the extreme reactions of three main characters to the birth of twin boys. The novel cutting for stone by abraham verghese will certainly provide some clarity when it comes to answering this question. Haunting, moving, richly detailed summary from publisher. But, aside from that, vergheses writing style is so detailed and descriptive that youll taste the food and feel the rain as you read. In what ways is cutting for stone an oldfashioned storyand what does it share with the great novels of the nineteenth century. What treatment in an emergency is administered by ear.
I will not cut for stone, runs the text of the hippocratic oath, even for patients in whom the disease is manifest. John burnham schwartz, author of the commoner and reservation road cutting for stone is a tremendous accomplishment. Read the cutting for stone book club menu ideas discussion from the chowhound home cooking food community. Cutting for stone march 8, 2011 throughout the month of march, npr books will be running an online discussion about abraham vergheses novel cutting for stone. Cutting for stone has the power to evoke cathartic reactions, much like greek tragedies. The novel opens with sister mary praise leaving india to travel to africa as a. A site dedicated to book lovers providing a forum to discover and share commentary about the books and authors they enjoy. The complete package for readers and leaders marilyn herbert on.
It is a saga of twin brothers, orphaned by their mothers death at their births and forsaken by their father. Integrating book related cuisine into meetings gives book club members a chance to connect with the literature, try new recipes, and spice up their meetings. Are you leading a book group for cutting for stone but need some good topics to. The writing is vivid and thrilling, and the story completely. Bookclubinabox discusses abraham vergheses novel, cutting. These book discussion questions are highly detailed and will ruin plot points if you have not read the book. Thomas stone, who becomes a key player in her destiny when they meet up again at missing hospital in. Vergheses skill at intertwining so many stories is awesome and prohibits simple description of the novel as a whole. This is one of those books you dont want to see end and that will leave you hungry for more. After a really slow start, i found myself enjoying cutting for stone, but i dont. Cutting for stone discussion questions west maui book club. We shared some moments about the horrors of medical care in this country.
Complete summary of abraham vergheses cutting for stone. We had each explored the connections between books and food in our own book. Cutting for stone 2009 is a novel written by ethiopianborn indianamerican medical doctor and author abraham verghese. The complete package for readers and leaders herbert, marilyn on. An indian nun and an english doctor have conjoined twin babies in ethiopia. Cutting for stone by abraham vergese book club discussion. Cutting for stone by abraham verghese book club discussion. About this guide the introduction, discussion questions, and suggested further reading that follow are designed to enhance your groups discussion of abraham vergheses acclaimed first novel, cutting for stone. Furthermore, the author alludes to the term cutting for stone when describing shivas fistula repair procedure. Verghese uses twice in his book the fragment of the hyppocratic oath i shall not cut for stone which puzzled me because it seemed to me something negative that a physician would not want to do. Verghese cutting for stone and annie barrows the guernsey literary and. Also, see novel noshes for book and food pairing ideas from book clubs.
Wanting to document our unofficial book club thoughts along the way through. Hoping all can attend the next book club meeting on. Cutting for stone is definitely a book i would like to read over and over again because it is highly captivating and has so many layers and details that i could notice something new. I didnt know that much about ethiopia before starting the book but i do now. Cutting for stones medical content increases as marion goes on to an internship in new york, and robs the novel of a little of its magic. Contrast the attitudes of hema, ghosh, marion, shiva, and thomas. One book one lincoln 2011 resources lincoln city libraries. Many notes were made in the back of my book to research places, people and food. The buttery books book club party page for cutting for stone has an wealth of ideas for your book club meetingsome of their suggestions include playing traditional ethiopian music i found one cd from the library with an ethiopian lullaby it may be hard to come up with ethiopian food for your group to sampleclick here for a list of ethiopian restaurants in the kansas city area. The book club i raved about chose this book for our november book club meeting. The book du mois was cutting for stone by abraham verghese an awesome read. Personal blurbstyle intro aka why i picked up this book. They are the breadandbutter novels i cant wait to sell, the books people talk about all year long, the. With equal parts humor, tragedy, and suspense, cutting for stone is a book you.
Cutting for stone by abraham verghese everyday reading. I love ethiopian food, and doro wat is probably my favorite dish. If you know the kit that you would like to reserve. Phyllis in the ancient greek hippocratic oath for physicians there was a line about not cutting for stone gall stone, kidney stone, etc because of themore in the ancient greek hippocratic oath for physicians there was a line about not cutting for stone gall stone, kidney stone, etc because of the danger to the patient.
Marion and shiva stone are twin brothers born of a secret union between a beautiful indian nun and a brash british surgeon. The books climax unfortunately marks a further major misstep on vergheses part. American academy of hospice and palliative medicine book club 2011. Now, when i host the group, i sorta like to theme my snacks and appetizers around the book in some way. We puzzled over the true meaning of cutting for stone. Here are some ideas for matching food with the books youre discussing. Cutting for stone is the complex story of the praise family, focusing on twin brothers marion and shiva as they negotiate the hidden histories of their past while working hard to make medical advances for the future. Cutting for stone questions and answers discover the community of teachers, mentors and students just like you that can answer any question you might have on cutting for stone. Bookclubinabox discusses abraham vergheses novel, cutting for stone. Cutting for stone abraham verghese, 2009 knopf doubleday 541 pp. Content includes books from bestselling, midlist and debut authors.
Martha chats about her latest books im reading pick, cutting for stone, with author abraham verghese. In the womb, they were joined by a small stalk at the head, but during a rather traumatic birth this physical tie is severed, leaving behind an intimate relationship unique to such siblings. The interest in the novel does not hinge upon the suspense created by dr. Google tells me that doro wat is often referred to as the ethiopian national dish, and. These words spoken by hamlet in the shakespeare play of the same name, are applicable hundreds of years later and brought to life in the novel, cutting for stone. Want ideas for fitting in reading and sharing books with your children.
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