Introduction
The fictional book “Cutting for Stone” by Abraham Verghese relates the story of Marion and Shiva, two twin brothers born and reared in Ethiopia in the 1950s. The violent history of Ethiopia serves as a backdrop for the book’s exploration of love, family, medicine, and politics. The book” Cutting for Stone” aims to relate the tale of identical twin brothers born in Ethiopia to an Indian nun and a British surgeon. The story follows them as they negotiate the difficulties of their identity, their connection with their father, and Ethiopia’s political and social climate.
Cutting for stone author qualifications
Abraham Verghese’s medical expertise influences the story’s setting and attention to detail as a doctor and professor at Stanford University School of Medicine. The medical subjects in the book are also given depth and authenticity by Verghese’s distinct viewpoint as a doctor. Verghese’s personal experiences have also inspired his work and his professional background. His youth in Ethiopia, where he was born and reared, significantly impacted the book’s location and some of its characters. He has also discussed how the loss of his father influenced his ambition to write a book that looked at life, death, and healing (Verghese, 2009).
Summary & Evaluation of the Book
The novel “Cutting for Stone” by Abraham Verghese chronicles the tale of Marion and Shiva, twin brothers born in Ethiopia in the 1950s. The book examines their upbringing, schooling, eventual separation, and the political, medical, and familial themes of love and family in Ethiopia’s history. The Mission Hospital, where the twins are born and nurtured, employs their mother, an Indian nun, and their father, an English surgeon. The fundamental ideas in Abraham Verghese’s novel “Cutting for Stone” are the value of a family, romantic love, and the social function of medicine. The bond between Marion and Shiva, the twin brothers born in Ethiopia, and the various ways their family members assist them are explored throughout the novel by Verghese to further this theory. The book also examines how medicine affects society, especially in underdeveloped nations like Ethiopia, where access to healthcare is poor (Verghese, 2009).
Throughout the book, Verghese provides compelling instances to back up his thesis. For example, Sister Mary Joseph Praise, who looks after the patients in the mission hospital where Marion and Shiva dwell, is shown as loving and compassionate. She motivates Marion to pursue a career in medicine and is a dependable source of encouragement for him throughout his life. Although their father, Thomas Stone, a surgeon, is as committed to his patients, he is less close to his sons. A different topic covered in the book is how Ethiopia’s healthcare system is affected by political unrest. For instance, when a coup d’état occurs, and a new government takes office, the mission hospital is closed, and the medical staff is compelled to leave (Verghese, 2009). This illustrates how political unrest can significantly affect people’s access to healthcare.
Critical evaluation of the Book Cutting for Stone
Critical Organizational Evaluation
One of the things that makes “Cutting for Stone” strong is how it is organized. The novel’s narrative arc, which chronicles the protagonists’ lives from childhood to adulthood, is well-structured and follows a clear progression. The book’s narrative is given depth and richness through flashbacks and historical context. The illustrations and descriptions of medical practices provide the book’s topics and processes with more authority and specificity.
The book is divided into three sections, each focusing on a particular time in the protagonists’ lives. The reader is introduced to the key characters in Part 1, and the scene is set for the remainder of the narrative. The twins’ conception and early years are likewise a significant emphasis of the first section. The second part section dives into the protagonists’ adolescence and young adulthood, their experiences in medical school and their job as doctors. The third section completes the narrative by offering a conclusion and resolving all significant plotlines. It also concludes history.
Style and Presentation Used in the Book
The presentation and style of “Cutting for Stone” are captivating and descriptive, with evocative details that bring the people and places to live. Verghese’s writing is complex and multi-layered, and his attention to detail strengthens the authority of the book’s medical topics. Elegant and evocative, Abraham Verghese’s writing style transports readers to the hospital hallways and Addis Ababa’s streets through vivid descriptions.
Verghese’s ability to combine medical jargon, such as surgeons, physicians and leaving kidney stones to be treated by the specialist like the surgeons and historical context to engross the reader in the narrative entirely is one of his writing’s most vital points. His meticulousness lays a robust framework for the book’s medical topics, and his use of illustrations and descriptions from the field of medicine furthers the narrative’s legitimacy. Verghese adds depth and richness to history through flashbacks and historical context, contributing to the book’s style and presentation (Tadias Magazine, n.d).
The use of symbolism and foreshadowing further improves the presentation and style of the book and gives the story deeper layers of meaning. Verghese’s use of supplementary information is outstanding, with thorough explanations of medical processes, cultural customs, and historical events that give the narrative depth and richness (Tadias Magazine, n.d). The novel also benefits from the author’s personal experiences as a doctor and immigrant, which give it a distinctive viewpoint. Overall, “Cutting for Stone”‘s presentation and writing style are good at drawing the reader in and examining the topics of family, love, and medicine. Verghese’s writing is intricate and multi-layered, and his attention to detail strengthens the authority of the book’s medical topics.
Intended Audience for the Book
A wide variety of readers will find Cutting for Stone interesting, from those who enjoy family dramas and political history to those who want medical fiction. The novel’s investigation of identity and belonging makes it relevant for readers interested in these topics. Readers with a medical background might be particularly interested in medical jargon and in-depth explanations of medical procedures can read this book. The book’s main plotline revolves around the relationships between the main characters, who are all members of the same family, so it may also interest readers who enjoy reading about family dynamics and relationships.
Personal Thoughts, Reactions, and Responses on Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
An essential subject matter of identity, family, and politics are explored in Cutting for Stone, a brilliantly written and captivating book. The novel has a deep impression, and Verghese’s language is emotional and thought-provoking. The author’s deft use of medical terminology and attention to detail in the hospital setting is one of the aspects of the novel that stuck out while reading it. The sincerity and correctness of these descriptions, which gave the story more depth and richness as someone with a background in global health, are appreciated.
The novel’s examination of the complexities of identity and belonging is noteworthy, especially in light of Ethiopia’s political and social environment. Verghese sensitively and respectfully portrayed the history and culture of the nation, and his characters came across as accurate and wholly developed. Verghese explored the search for identity and belonging via the prism of a complex family drama, which is how the book’s thesis is met. The book’s topics were developed and linked, and the narrative was gripping and exciting from beginning to end.
The Book connection to Global Health Themes
The story “Cutting for Stone” examines several global health-related themes, such as the value of healthcare access, the effect of colonialism on healthcare systems, and the part played by culture and tradition in healthcare procedures. For instance, Sister Mary Joseph Praise, a nurse who manages a clinic in a destitute area of Ethiopia, illustrates how vital healthcare access is. The clinic emphasizes the value of primary healthcare access for underserved groups by offering prenatal care and vaccines, among other crucial healthcare services, to the community.
The book discusses colonization’s effects on healthcare systems, mainly by Dr Thomas Stone, a character trained in British medical customs and practices. His method of practicing medicine contrasts with his Ethiopian colleagues, who engage in traditional medicine and strongly emphasize the value of cultural context in healthcare procedures (Verghese, 2009). This demonstrates the persistence of colonialism’s effects on healthcare institutions and the necessity of healthcare practices sensitive to a cultural context, one of the community-based programs for treating any population.
The book offers insight into Ethiopia’s healthcare system and the difficulties healthcare professionals encounter while caring for a population with limited resources. It highlighted how political instability could affect the health system. Marion narrates that during the change in government through the coup d’état, he was forced to leave since his medical education was interrupted by political instability. He says many of his schoolmates became guerilla fighters who tried to unseat the government (Tadias Magazine, n.d).
Finally, the character of Ghosh, an Indian physician who uses conventional Ayurvedic treatment, emphasizes the importance of culture and tradition in healthcare methods. His method of practicing medicine is compared with that of his Western-trained colleagues, emphasizing the value of recognizing and incorporating other cultural viewpoints in healthcare practices (Verghese, 2009). Generally, “Cutting for Stone” thoroughly analyses global health concerns by depicting healthcare methods in many cultural and historical contexts. The novel strongly emphasizes the value of healthcare access, the pervasive effects of colonialism on healthcare systems, and the necessity of culturally and contextually sensitive healthcare practices.
Conclusion
Cutting for Stone significantly contributes to the debate over global health issues. Verghese does a fantastic job of bringing attention to the difficulties of delivering treatment in underdeveloped nations and the significance of compassion and empathy in healthcare. As a person with a healthcare background, this book is recommended to anyone interested in healthcare or world health challenges because it is well-written and engrossing. The author succeeded in his goal of bringing attention to crucial problems relating to healthcare access and equity, and his unique viewpoint as a doctor gives his arguments more weight.
References
Tadias Magazine. Book Review: Verghese’s ‘Cutting for Stone’ – A Scalpel’s Slice of Life at Tadias Magazine. (n.d.). Retrieved April 25, 2023, from http://www.tadias.com/06/02/2009/book-review-vergheses-cutting-for-stone/comment-page-1/
Verghese, A. (2009). Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese – Reading Guide: 9780375714368 – penguinrandomhouse.com: Books. PenguinRandomhouse.com. Retrieved April 25, 2023, from https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/183598/cutting-for-stone-by-abraham-verghese/9780375714368/readers-guide/#:~:text=Cutting%20for%20Stone,By%20Abraham%20Verghese
Verghese, A. (2009, February 3). Cutting for stone. Google Books. Retrieved April 25, 2023, from https://books.google.com/books/about/Cutting_for_Stone.html?id=rKq8bnUK3WoC
Verghese, A. (2009, March 11). Excerpt: ‘cutting for stone’. NPR. Retrieved April 25, 2023, from https://www.npr.org/2009/03/10/101526395/excerpt-cutting-for-stone
write