- Author: Abraham Verghese
- Amazon link
I have to confess that I selected this book because it was written by an Indian author who was successful in his own right as a Doctor and Professor at the Stanford School of Medicine. On top of that it was a National Bestseller endorsed by a multitude of literary luminaries and had a large number of positive reviews on Amazon. I decided to take the plunge into what seemed likely to be a rather long engagement as the book had more than 650 pages.
A few pages into the book and I was amazed at how pleasant it was to read Abraham's lucid and descriptive prose. He has crafted an epic that leaves the shores of India, settles in Ethiopia and then ends up in the United States. The medical procedures and surgeries are so vividly described that I need to caution folks who get squeamish at the sight of blood to stay away from this novel. The characters are well developed and quite endearing. Life in Addis Ababa is so well described that I can still see Missing Hospital and its motley crew in front of me. The book makes you want to be a surgeon or doctor in a Third World country. Abraham's excellent story telling ability ensures that the 600+ pages go by very quickly and I enjoyed every page of this book.
