The majority of this story takes place in Africa and was written by an Ethiopian born, of Indian parents, medical doctor.
So, I knew that (Africa, Ethiopia) as I was considering reading this book.
And I was a little nervous about the title. I wondered what the title might be saying about the book's content. And Ethiopia worried me a bit too. All I could picture was children starving in make shift camps.
This might be a common concern, because I over heard two women talking about this book and one reassured the other that they were not doing surgery with a stone nor with the patient lying on a stone.
She went on to explain that she thought the word stone (in the title) comes from one of the doctors whose last name is Stone. And he happens to be a surgeon, hence the word cutting.
That is true, there are doctors with the name of Stone in the book. But I think the line actually comes from the Hippocratic Oath.
English translation, version 2 of The Hippocratic Oath
I swear by Apollo, the healer, Asclepius, Hygieia, and Panacea, and I take to witness all the gods, all the goddesses, to keep according to my ability and my judgment, the following Oath and agreement: To consider dear to me, as my parents, him who taught me this art; to live in common with him and, if necessary, to share my goods with him; To look upon his children as my own brothers, to teach them this art; and that by my teaching, I will impart a knowledge of this art to my own sons, and to my teacher's sons, and to disciples bound by an indenture and oath according to the medical laws, and no others. I will prescribe regimens for the good of my patients according to my ability and my judgment and never do harm to anyone. I will give no deadly medicine to any one if asked, nor suggest any such counsel; and similarly I will not give a woman a pessary to cause an abortion. But I will preserve the purity of my life and my arts. I will not cut for stone, even for patients in whom the disease is manifest; I will leave this operation to be performed by practitioners, specialists in this art. In every house where I come I will enter only for the good of my patients, keeping myself far from all intentional ill-doing and all seduction and especially from the pleasures of love with women or men, be they free or slaves. All that may come to my knowledge in the exercise of my profession or in daily commerce with men, which ought not to be spread abroad, I will keep secret and will never reveal. If I keep this oath faithfully, may I enjoy my life and practice my art, respected by all humanity and in all times; but if I swerve from it or violate it, may the reverse be my life.
Back to the two ladies I overheard discussing this book:
She went on to explain that the book is about the people who work at a mission hospital. (The doctors and nurses and nuns are mostly from England and India.)
She said - So yes, there is a lot of medical stuff and there is political upheavel and all kinds of stuff you would associate with that part of Africa. The book is about what they do. It talks about the people/families who are part of the hospital staff.
So that was my expectation, from my little eavesdropping adventure, the book was about what they do.
And from having been involved with girls from the Middle East, I know family stories can read like a novel, like one can't quite believe ALL THAT can happen to one person or one family, but I know it can.
This book was 19 CD's and 24 audible hours, so it took me a while to finish. Each day youngest would get in the car returning from her after school activities and I would (contentedly) sigh - this book is sooooo good.
It is not a book for the VERY squeamish as there are a lot of medical procedures and conditions described. I would have guessed that would have bothered me, but it did not (back to that - it's what they do concept). Youngest would never have been able to read it. She is that level of squeamish. However she can read/watch Les Mis, and I cannot.
When I read the New York Times' review (I waited until after I read the book, as it does give away some of the plot), the reviewer complained about all the medical details. I thought - come on lady it is about doctors where medicine (and missionary health care) is these people's whole life.
The NYT review also complained about the detail and order the author used in presenting the characters' back stories. That did not bother me either. I think most of us figure out the stories of our lives later rather than earlier.
In case you hadn't noticed, I LOVED THIS BOOK.
In many of the books I read, classic books are referenced.
As I mentioned two weeks ago with Reading Lolita in Tehran, I was thrilled to discover an actual list of the books referenced in the novel.
So, when I started Cutting for Stone and in Chapter 15 other novels were referenced, I took notes.
I listen to audible editions. I had to try to remember titles until I was stopped in traffic and could jot a note. So if you are reading this book later and notice any titles I missed, please leave a note for me in comments. I will see it, no matter how far in the future.
Middlemarch: A Study of Provincial Life (1874) by George Eliot (the pen name of Mary Anne Evans, later Marian Evans).
Les Trois Villes (1894–98; The Three Cities) by Émile Zola
The Man-Eater of Malgudi (1961) by R. K. Narayan
The Hornblower series by C. S. Forester consists of eleven novels (one unfinished) and five short stories (written between 1937 and 1967, the stories take place between 1808 and 1848)).
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865) by Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (pseudonym Lewis Carroll).
