Cutting For Stone by Abraham Verghese

Abraham Verghese's bestselling book is long -- 650 pages or so. It spans 50 years in the life of Marion Praise Stone, who was born in Ethiopia with his conjoined twin, Shiva Praise Stone. They were the sons of a beautiful Indian nun who dies in childbirth and a brilliant British surgeon who flees, leaving twins Marion and Shiva (named after the Hindu god) to be raised by another physician and a nurse.

The brothers are mirror-image twins, identical in physical appearance only. In life, Shiva sees everything -- even the loss of his virginity -- from a biological perspective, while Marion sees the emotional elements of life. Both become successful surgeons, Shiva even brilliant. Shiva's career reflects one of the few times he was emotionally stricken by a young Ethiopian girl's plight.

As adults, the twins eventually meet their biological father. That's no spoiler. What brings all three together is, however, key to the novel's outcome.

Verghese is a physician, and his novel is none-too-short on medical terminology, description and details. Details to no end.

Cutting for Stone is a good book. I wept near the end. But I do believe I could have wept a bit sooner had Verghese kept his writing more concise.