Cutting for Stone

by Abraham Verghese · 2009

Marion and Shiva Stone are twin brothers born of a secret union between an Indian nun and a British surgeon. Orphaned by their mother’s death and their father’s disappearance, the twins share a mystical bond and a fierce fascination with medicine. Growing up in Addis Ababa as Ethiopia teeters on the edge of revolution, they navigate love, betrayal, and the ordinary miracles of healing. Their journey carries them from the bustling streets of Ethiopia to the hospitals of New York City and back again, weaving a sweeping family saga that explores the pull of home, the weight of history, and the power of brotherly devotion. Cutting for Stone is a richly layered tale of doctors and patients, exile and return, and the ways destiny can be shaped by both circumstance and choice.