Verghese (author of the popular Cutting for stone) has a fascinating background – born to Indian
parents and raised in Ethiopia, an Orthodox Syrian Christian (clearly an
important part of his life), educated in medicine in India, and practicing in
the United States. An outsider in so
many ways. He is obviously as gifted a
doctor as he is a writer. This memoir
(1998) relates a year or so when he was a new doctor teaching in El Paso
TX. His ten-year, rather traditional marriage
to his wife, also Indian, is unraveling.
His two young sons are caught in the middle. Into his life comes a medical student, David
Smith from Australia, who is somewhat older than the rest in his class. There is a reason – he has been in rehab, not
for the first time, for cocaine addiction.
They form a bond over tennis as David has actually toured as a pro and Verghese
is an excellent player as well. It was something
that grounded him during his difficult childhood. Even If you’ve never held a racquet, Verghese’s
lengthy and poetic descriptions of their games in the desert country are
enthralling. While Verghese struggles
with his decision to leave his family, Smith struggles with staying clean. It is his last chance. You can probably guess how it ends. In many ways, the book was painfully revealing
about Verghese in a way that most people would not put out in public. What a bundle of talents he has. 368 pp.
No comments:
Post a Comment