Judy

I was moved to begin reading this after I read an essay about the author written by his wife after his death from ALS at the age of 62. The book is a compilation/transcription of a series of conversations between the author and Timothy Snyder, each prominent historians, but of different generations. I consider it one of the top 5 books I've read this year. A challenging book to read if you're European history-challenged, like myself, but I could follow the line of reasoning and argument despite the unfamiliar territory.
The book follows Tony's development from his early years growing up in a Marxist family, through his experience with Zionism and his education as a French intellectual. The Cold War years through the fall of the Berlin Wall all contribute to his exploration of liberalism and social democracy ideas, and he has become well-known for his brilliant and, at times, controversial historical writing. He puts each period of his life into a context of what was happening politically, economically, and socially, then discusses with Snyder the questions he was seeking to answer at that time and where his answers led him. Snyder does the job of drawing out and getting clarification for these ideas, and we are treated to a real sense of two amazing minds playing off each other.

I'm glad I read this book just for the glimpse into what being a historian is like, the purpose of history and what's possible with good scholarship and writing. I'm also thrilled that I was introduced to both these authors, and they have other books for me to check out.

At first I was pretty enthusiastic about this book with the focus on a female researcher and all the digging about she does, but as the book wore on, the plot became a monotonous progression of romance/sex scenes and the main character (a witch) becoming an annoyingly submissive partner to her main love interest (a vampire). Guess I'm just beyond that type of paranormal romance plot.

An all around good, satisfying read that didn't turn sappy when a bit of a love story came into the plot. I found the myself pretty interested in the details of how rice is grown and harvested, or how Australian outback stations are run, or how a town can be grown out of pretty uninspiring beginnings. I wasn't surprised to read that the author was an engineer. :-)

I wasn't aware of the WWII battles in Malaysia, and the roles Britain played there. This book's historical detail opened my eyes.

The book is definitely dated with some pretty crude attitudes toward aborigines, women and other cultures. But, I really came to like the main character and initiator of all progress in the book, a strong woman named Jean Paget.

Reminds me of Anne Rice's “Vampire Lestat” series, but even more character depth and fantastic use of language. Found myself rereading phrases and sentences for their sheer insight, pithiness, and audacity. looking forward to more...

“What treatment is offered by ear in an emergency?.... Words of comfort.”

This quote epitomizes the ideal of practicing the art of healing and the science of medicine with the person/patient at the center. It is the question posed by Dr. Thomas Stone to a group of interns on grand rounds, a question meant to stump the entire troop. Yet, it is also the question Dr. Marion Stone is able to answer because Dr. Thomas Stone is his father. However, the answered question is the first contact father and son have ever had.

This novel tells the story of an Indian nun and a British surgeon connecting when they land together in an Ethiopian mission hospital, working tirelessly in deplorable conditions to provide medical care to the poor and neglected of Addis Ababa during a time of civil unrest. A set of conjoined twins results from their union, but the mother dies in childbirth while the young surgeon and father, Thomas Stone, flees from the fear, stigma and responsibility the twins represent.

The twins, joined at the head, survive and are separated, yet remain joined in the special way twins seem to share. In their adopted family at the mission hospital, the brothers are guided towards medical healing paths, each one demonstrating special gifts for knowledge, empathy and compassion. Events in Ethiopia bring about separation, betrayal and grief, but the Stone family ties reach beyond and only strengthen as time and events pass.

This novel is one of the few books that I've finished and immediately wanted to turn right back to the first page and start reading again. So many layers of insight and meaning are woven into the characters and the narrative of their lives that one reading doesn't seem to be sufficient. I have a special fondness for detailed medical descriptions of illness, disease and treatments in the form of a well-written narrative and this story more than meets my curiosity and need to know .

I would suggest this book to readers who are comfortable with making the commitment to a long novel, who are fascinated by medicine in literature, and those who love family sagas that make you appreciate your own relatively uncomplicated life, but also want to read about individuals you want to admire and even emulate.

P.S. Don't skip the author's acknowledgments at the end. Abraham Verghese gives credit to the sources of many of his ideas, and I think this act demonstrates a level of character and integrity that just adds more weight to the praise of this beautiful novel. It also is a fascinating look at the way an author finds and works with ideas.