Book Review: Cutting for Stone

I didn't write about last month's book, which was The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold. I read this book many years ago when it first came out and loved it. As a refresher, I watched the movie and actually liked it although from what I recall of the book, it is a departure for the sake of drama. I think if I had read the book closer to watching the movie I would not have liked the movie so much.

But anyways, this month's selection was Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese. When I initially checked for information on the book, I was not going to read it mostly because of its length (~600 pages in paperback). I hardly ever read books that long, not that I never do though. It's just been a while. But I read reviews and they were all very positive, it's on the best seller list, so I ordered it and started reading.

From the beginning, it was captivating. I could not put it down. There are few books that catch my attention like this one. It was an epic novel, spanning some 50 years. It was reminiscent of the Kite Runner but totally different. It is mostly set in Ethiopia and intermingled with the characters' lives are descriptions of the country, its food and culture. I was immersed in it - so much so that when I would put it down at night, I would dream of it. I finished this ~600 page book in about a week! There was only one time when it got slow but then picked up again and whirled to a close. It left me wanting more, and that's exactly what a good piece of fiction should do. I highly recommend reading this book...and I have a copy if anyone wants to borrow it!