Cutting for Stone, 2009, Abraham Verghese *****

This novel grasp my attention from the very beginning to the end. A young nun leaving her Indian hometown to serve in Africa ended up in Ethiopia with a Surgeon she met in the ship, whose life she saved.

They got involved, she became pregnant and died during labour after giving birth to identical twin brothers, Marion and Shiva.

Thomas, the surgeon, fled leaving behind his identical twins. Hema and Ghosh, Thomas' colleague and friend buried Mary, raised Marion and Shiva with so much love as if they were theirs, of course telling them the truth about their biological parents.

The twin brothers grew up in Ethiopia of the sixties, seventies and eighties, in a missionary hospital where they were born, where their parents met and worked and where their mother is buried. Their non biologic parents are doctors too and work in that same hospital.

You see, the writer Abraham Verghese, who is also a doctor has set a perfect scenario to narrate his story. His medical narrative is intense, the cutting and stitching of the human body is in detail. Do not miss this out, Marion the twin brother is the main narrator and guess what?

GraceLand, 2004, by Chris Abani ****

It's been a while, now that the weather is warmer there is a lot to do outdoor that makes reading a bit difficult, but I have been stuck with my book all this while and I have to say it's really worth it.

I just finished reading "GraceLand." I borrowed the book from a middle/high school library in my city. This is Chris Abani's first book I have read so far. It is not a very difficult book, it flows. There was a time in the middle of the book I thought it was a 5 stars book and some events drastically took place and I felt the author was some how forcing situations to take place, after reading it I thought 4 stars was OK.

GraceLand narrates the story of a boy who aspires to be a professional dancer. He lost his mother at a very tender age, had a bad family experience (incest, rape and murder) that kept him in a conflicting state of mind for a very long time. He moved into the slums in Lagos where he spent most of his teenage life, where he tried to free himself from his emotional problems and get to know who he really is, where he also tried to live his dreams as a dancer and in the process encountered a lot of ups and downs that defined him along the way.

This is not my favourite book, but I am glad I discovered Chris Abani's piece of art and discovered him too. His revolutionary personality is reflected in this book. He was absolutely informing in the way many lives are lived in Nigeria especially in the city of Lagos; Children begging and hawking on the street, forced into sexual intercourse, soldiers murdering civilians who believed their lives depended on their mercy, corruption and it goes on and on, no body cares. No recognised Human Rights. From my point of view there is a lot of sorrow in this book. Yes, I recommend you to read it. Moreover in the beginning of every chapter you will find an Igbo traditional food recipe.

This novel have been reviewed in Spanish in Literafrica by Sonia Fernandez, please click here to read.