Cutting For Stone, My February Book Pick
Unlike some novels that get off to a slow start and take a few chapters before I find myself committed to the story, reading Cutting For Stone, by Abraham Verghese, left me fascinated and connected after the very first pages. The story begins in 1954 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia when conjoined twin boys are born. Their mother, a nun, who was hiding her pregnancy, dies of complications. The twins were successfully separated and were raised by doctors in the hospital where they were born. One of the twins acts as the book’s narrator.
Verghese is also a physician and a professor for the Theory and Practice of Medicine at the Stanford University School of Medicine. This may explain why his descriptions of surgery are so vivid. That vividness appealed to my curious nature, but others may find it disturbing. Putting that and Dr. Verghese’s credentials aside, Cutting For Stone is a beautiful piece of fiction filled with wonderful characters. I must comment that parts of the story contain numerous medical terms, many of them unfamiliar, which made The Sony Reader dictionary feature especially useful when reading this book!
If you don’t already have one, you should consider buying a Reader for yourself or as a Valentine’s Day gift for someone special. Sony is offering $50 off the Pocket Edition now through February 14th!
Also, be sure to tune in to the Hallmark Channel today at 10:00AM to see my interview with Dr. Abraham Verghese, the author of Cutting For Stone.
1 The National Bestseller, Cutting for Stone, by Abraham Verghese
2 Here's how Cutting For Stone looks on The Sony Reader.
3 USA Today says that this book is - 'A winner...Filled with mystical scenes and deeply felt characters...Verghese is something of a magician as a novelist'
.
Martha Pins
Martha Tweets
This book sounds very interesting, but...I probably won't be reading it, unless it is the Library to check out.
Gloria G!!
Posted by: Gloria | February 3rd, 2011 at 12:04 am
I read this book and I loved it. I am an OR nurse though so it was all very familiar to me!
Posted by: Joan | February 3rd, 2011 at 9:57 am
Martha, thanks for sharing this blog. I sure it is a read.
Posted by: KLBrown | February 3rd, 2011 at 10:27 am
I do love reading so much and novels are a great way to learn the truth about living. Was so happy with your first two selections, COLD and CLEOPATRA. All have their own ideas on
environmental and political issues but very timely reads. I asked about your views on Egypt on Mondays with Marlo after reading Stacy Shiff's book about Egypt. Our public Libraries do continue to be valuable sources of reading matterial but there are some good buys at tag sales and on line if one has the time to search.
So glad you have Abraham Verghese on today. Many authors are magicians and you are one in your books even if some do not recognize them as NOVELS.
Posted by: ann | February 3rd, 2011 at 10:48 am
Martha,
I'm also reading this book on my Sony Reader. I heard the book just got optioned for a movie. It's funny because as I was reading, I kept thinking what a good movie it would make. Who do you think should play Hema?
Posted by: Amy Caplan | February 3rd, 2011 at 10:49 am
Hi Martha, Every one of the three books you have picked to share with us sound like fantastic reading supplies. Your descriptions of each of them is intriguing and since I don't have an eReader, I'm going to have to get to the library and check out each one. Dr. Verghese sounds like an extremely intelligent doctor and author. Loved your TV Show again yesterday, especially the part about indoor plants. Hope the 'bugs' didn't get on your plants! So great to hear you on 'Ask Martha' on Sirius Radio 112 yesterday. Hope the ice and snow will melt away soon-must be frustrating. Have a great day. Jan
Posted by: Jan Erickson | February 3rd, 2011 at 11:49 am
Hi Martha,
Unfortunately, I cannot keep up with you technology-wise. Think of me as peddling behind on my Moped while you zoom ahead on your Harley! I've always been a slow mover but like a turtle, I eventually get where I want to go. This Sony Reader certainly sounds like a good thing but I'm not sure it is for me. Usually if I don’t ‘fall’ all over something immediately, it isn’t something I really want. Anyway, "Cutting for Stone" sounds like a very interesting book and I thoroughly enjoyed the author on the show today so I decided to order the paperback from Amazon. I can’t wait to start reading it. Trish
Posted by: Trish @Trish_EllenC | February 3rd, 2011 at 12:34 pm
I really enjoyed the interview with Dr. Abraham Verghese today! His book sounds incredible, and his philosophy on the doctor/patient relationship is inspiring. I look forward to reading "Cutting for Stone".
Posted by: Jenn Erickson/Rook No. 17 | February 3rd, 2011 at 5:27 pm
Your reading and praise of this book (which makes me want to read it, too) reminds me of another extraordinary medical read~Zuzu's Petals by author Lauren Larsen. Lauren is masterful in telling her unbelievable experience with pre-eclampsia in which she nearly lost her life and didn't get to see her baby except right after an emergency C-section for the first six weeks of her life. She has such a remarkable wry sense of humor that I found myself weeping and then spewing with laughter all at the same time. I ordered my copy from her website which allows you to designate to which charity you'd like profits from the book to go. I promise--it's a 5-star read! (laurenwardlarsen.com) By the way, I have been a fan of yours for years and look forward to every Living issue. I am a Waldorf teacher and a few months ago, another teacher referred to me as the Martha Stewart of Waldorf! That's a compliment I'll take any day!
Posted by: Deborah Rogers | February 3rd, 2011 at 5:59 pm
We recently read this book for our book club and thoroughly enjoyed it. We had one of the best discussions after reading it. We are now reading Sarah's Key. I am reading Cleopatra on Martha's recommendation.
Posted by: barbara | February 3rd, 2011 at 6:21 pm
Wasn't this book wonderful? Absolutely a great story chosen to read for our Book Club. The title of Dr. Verghese's book is so strange that I never would have chosen it. But belonging to a Book Club offers me the opportunity to read a great variety of books - And the discussions have opened my eyes to many intelligent and interesting interpretations.
Dee
Posted by: Dee Pollmann | February 4th, 2011 at 12:32 am
I'm sure the book is good. You may not have to buy the book--try your local library and see if you can download the book for free on to your computer or even your own Sony reader. Don't overlook your local library. Martha, you should do some more to get people to use their library. Even borrow a book written by you!
Posted by: Cathy M. | February 4th, 2011 at 7:29 am
I read this a few weeks ago while in Montego Bay. I loved this book. It is very layered and interesting.
Posted by: Josette | February 4th, 2011 at 10:31 am
I read this great book last year and loved it. I found myself reading slower at the last because I did not want it to end. I actually "missed" the characters in the book after I finished it.
Posted by: Chris | February 4th, 2011 at 2:42 pm
My book club read this book in January. When we gathered for our meeting one of the lovely ladies prepared injera, atakilt wat and doro wat. It was REALLY, REALLY good. The meal we shared brought this great book to life.
Posted by: Leslie | February 7th, 2011 at 2:10 pm
Martha, you HAVE to try Fingersmith. It's EXCELLENT.
Posted by: Sheila | February 7th, 2011 at 11:24 pm
I just finished "The Dirty Life; on Farming, food and love" by Kristin Kimball
Seriously loved it...it's a casual read with thought-provoking impact.
Posted by: leigh | February 9th, 2011 at 5:38 pm
Great book! I read it on my Nook. Amazing how a surgeon could write such an interesting novel.
Posted by: karen | February 9th, 2011 at 7:36 pm
Right after the show interviewing the author of
"Cutting for Stone", I bought and downloaded it
to my e-reader. Just as you said, a beautiful,
well written novel...I really liked it!
Would you consider featuring a fictional book
once a month on The Martha Stewart show? The book can be one you, one of your friends or a staff member has read and enjoyed...author
interview would be nice, but not necessary for
a good book. Thanks, Marie
Posted by: M. Robinson | February 16th, 2011 at 10:49 pm
I recently purchased a Sony Pocket Reader and ordered Cutting for Stone because it was your Feb pick. It is a fascinating book and I am enjoying it very much. Love the reader and look forward to reading many more good books. Thanks for having this book as your February pick. Would have loved to seen your interview with the author. It's great to see you back on TV doing what you do so well. Delores
Posted by: Delores | February 18th, 2011 at 11:20 pm
I'm not one to sit down and read unless I can knit and be watching something at the same time, but, I'm excited and anxious to download "Cutting for Stone' especially after seeing your interview with the author, plus of course your recommendation. With your endless schedules, if you can take time to sit and read, then I should be able to also!
Posted by: Maria Hannawalt | February 22nd, 2011 at 5:08 pm
May I recommend Memory Wall by Anthony Doerr. I think you interviewed him for his first book The Shell Collector.
Posted by: Pat Hazard | February 28th, 2011 at 7:20 pm
I am looking forward to reading this book after thoroughly enjoying Sweetness in the Belly, andother book with an Ethiopian connection.
Posted by: Heather | March 4th, 2011 at 4:43 pm
I just finished reading Verghese's Cutting for Stone this afternoon. I really enjoyed this book. Verghese pulled me in from the prologue's very first paragraph, and I could hardly put the book down after that. What a poignant writer with such a zeal for formulating the written word into such realistic visualization for the reader! I felt as if I were right there in the story as it unfolded year after year. I will think of ShivaMarion, Hema, Ghosh, & Thomas Stone for a long time to come....
Posted by: Katherine Weaver | March 5th, 2011 at 6:21 pm
Thanks Martha!...I am so enjoying Cutting Stone. I, like another reader, probably would have never picked this book to read, but finding it so good...love how in light of what's happening in African countries today, this book gives me such a better picture. I have to admit I'm not finished yet....I'm currently where Marion is an intern in NY after being smuggled out of Africa via the underground. Perhaps growning up in a medical family helped me know many of the medical terms and procedures.
Great book...thanks again for recommending!
Posted by: Coelle Baskel | March 10th, 2011 at 1:12 am
I absolutely loved this book. What a great recommendation. I absolutely love, love, love my Sony reader. I have a bad neck and this is lightweight, easy to read and operate! Okay, I'm ready for your next recommendation.
Posted by: Jan Brandt | March 12th, 2011 at 11:15 am
Loved this book! It is so nice reading an author who has great command of language and storytelling.
Posted by: Ava Breitwieser | March 13th, 2011 at 1:05 am
I highly recommend Day of Honey by Annia Ciezadlo, a gentle, recipe-laden memoire on her journey through wartorn Baghdad and Beirut as a "seasoned" journalist and new bride.
Posted by: Claire | March 29th, 2011 at 1:30 pm
Cutting for Stone is an amazing book! What a fantastic selection. HIstorical fiction is, by far, my favorite genre.
Thank you!
Posted by: Hollye Jacobs | March 31st, 2011 at 1:36 pm
Cutting for Stone is a fantastic book. It is in my top 10 favorites of all time. We read it for my book club and all of us agreed - fantastic book.
Posted by: Talia | April 5th, 2011 at 4:56 pm
Loved this book. My book club will be reviewing this month. would love some ideas for ethiopean or indian food to accompany our meeting. We are all foodies and it would be very special to serve something theme suitable!!
thanks
Posted by: Natalie | May 30th, 2011 at 11:17 am
I just finished reading, "Cutting for Stone", and I really wanted to tell the author, Abraham Verghese, my comments, but was met with lecture times, and stumbled onto Martha's blog.
This is a fantastic book! There was so much information, it was not a fast read for me, as I needed time to digest and think about all that was happening. Not until I was in the 4th section, did I have to hurry to complete the book. Terrific, awesome, outstanding…so many adjectives come to mine. When I was younger, I had to read all of Frank Slaughter's books, as he was a doctor, also. Many of his stories involved the Bible, also. Kind of a comparison for me of Dr. Verghese's work.
Posted by: Patricia Pope | September 18th, 2011 at 6:18 pm
RE: Laundry Room
Ironing Board Cover and Folding Table
Easier still, make one to fit on your washer if not a top loader, and/or dryer.
Same idea, same results, as many homes do not have a large laundry room.
A reply would be nice........
Posted by: Noreen Barbe | February 9th, 2012 at 2:45 pm