This was a sweeping family saga with depth of character and interesting locales. Brothers Shiva and Marion Stone arrive in the world conjoined by a slender strand of tissue just as their mother, Sister Mary Joseph Praise, is leaving it in a pool of blood and chaos. Who is the father and what is the legacy of Dr. Thomas Stone, surgeon at Missing Hospital? Shortly after the birth, he is missing and the story of the twins raised by two other doctors and the local medical community unfolds over years and continents.
What is the definition of home? “Not where you are from, but where you are wanted.” So many of the characters have come to Ethiopia from other lands – India, England, and elsewhere, but most find a welcome home at Missing Hospital, forming a slightly dysfunctional family of choice, not birth. Scenes of political upheaval, betrayal, and medical second-tier hospital culture opened my eyes to the wider world and really enhanced this “passionate, vivid, and informative novel.” This seemed to be enjoyed by most and probably would be recommended to other book groups.
2 comments:
Just had to get this in under the wire before we meet again tomorrow. If it weren't for the last minute, nothing would get done...one of my favorite quotes. T
Hopefully I can get around to reading this one day. It sounds like everyone really enjoyed it.
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