NPR Books is proud to announce that for the second installment of our Book Club experiment, we will read and discuss Abraham Verghese's cross-cultural epic of family, love and medicine, Cutting For Stone. And, to keep things interesting, we're introducing a new wrinkle to the Book Club this month: The author will personally call in to (or videochat with) three local meet-ups, chosen at random from among qualifying groups. Read on for details on how to participate.
THE BOOK
Cutting For Stone follows twin brothers Marion and Shiva Stone, born of a secret union between an Indian nun and a brash British surgeon. They are orphaned at a young age and must learn to navigate the world together as they grow up in Ethiopia on the brink of a revolution. The twins' story swings from Addis Ababa to New York City and explores the themes of family, betrayal, health care, everyday magic and the way that two lives can forever intertwine. When NPR's Lynn Neary picked the book as one of her favorites, she had the following to say: "This big, old-fashioned novel is at once a family saga that crosses continents and cultures and a love story with tragic consequences. ... The book is very much about what it means to be a doctor and what it takes to be a good one."
NPR has interviewed Verghese (who works as a professor at Stanford University School of Medicine when not writing best-sellers) several times. You can hear the author read from Cutting for Stone here and hear him on All Things Considered here.
HOW TO PARTICIPATE
We are excited to present a new way to connect with Verghese as you read the book — the doctor will personally drop in on three book club meet-ups. Read on for how to put your local club in the running (and how to participate online along the way).
1) Read the book. We will be aiming to finish it by the first week of April.
2) Discuss the book on Twitter. We have set up an account, @nprbkclub, where we will be asking questions and leading discussions about the book. Follow us for more. You can also discuss the book on your own account by using the hashtag #nprbookclub.
3) Talk to the author and fellow readers on Facebook. We have set up a discussion board called "Ask Abraham Verghese" on our Facebook page (LINK). He will be there throughout the month to answer questions and spark conversations.
[Signup for the drawing is closed (though you are still welcome to organize a meetup). We'll announce the winning clubs soon here and on Facebook.]
We are excited to get your thoughts and start reading together.
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