Cutting for Stone: #MountTBR

 I remember the day I bought this book in 2009. I was living in Baltimore, on my own, after leaving my husband. I walked into an independent bookstore and this was displayed in those beautiful displays that only independent booksellers can do. I was vulnerable, broke, depressed and feeling really alone.  The bookseller told me this was an amazing book that she had just finished the night before. She said a theme was hope and family.  Well, I needed that, didn't I?  I grabbed the book, paid, and left the bookshop.

I started it that same night and because I was still working in the public schools it took me forever to get it about a third read. Then, I left it somewhere in the doctor's office and was saddened. Work and life never led me back to that book. Until this past weekend.

This past weekend, I made a detour into a thrift shop. I always look in the books first, as I just know there are hidden gems waiting for some love. There it was. A copy of Cutting for Stone, that I had lost ten years ago. For a buck!  Sold. 

What an absolutely beautiful book! I now have this addition to my top five all time best books! Beautifully written, it tells the tale of conjoined twins and the intersection of love and forgiveness, mixed with intercultural issues. I loved the medicine within the book, much of which is pretty forward thinking and feminist. A lot of the medical writing is graphic, but the author is a MD and knows his subject. The book captures the innocence of childhood, adolescence and the tragic consequences of our decisions and the trajectory lives take as a result of them. This is a must read book for all. Five huge stars! Push it to the top of your TBR.