September 25, 2016 SEASONS CHANGE

There is nothing better than running in the fall. I feel invigorated and light as a feather--and believe me that is no small feat. The air is crisp and the sun seems brighter. I love everything about it. It gets me through those torturous runs after work--stressful runs just to get them done--because I know I can look forward to the weekends and great morning runs. The trees are starting to change--at this point--I even know which trees will change first--their leaves are already turning red and paired against the green look Matissian. Soon they will be falling to the ground and we will be crunching through them as they  litter the streets and sidewalks. Good times--Only in New England. This morning it was a crisp 45 degrees when I went out--shorts and  long sleeve shirt weather over my short sleeve--usually shed after mile one. Fall is a good time to have a fire at night-- to get the chill out of the house and hunker down with a good book.  One great fall read is Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese.

I first heard about Verghese about 20 years ago when he came to Connecticut College to discuss his book My Own Country. Verghese is an interesting man--he is a doctor of infectious diseases and an author. I loved his first book so I am kind of like a groupie--I read everything he writes.  Cutting for Stone is probably one of my top 10 favorite books and if you know me--that is a tough cut to make. It is a BEAUTIFULLY written book. If you googled top lines from the book you would be shocked at the results--it is that good. It is the unforgettable story of conjoined twin boys separated at birth. Their mother, a nursing nun in a missionary hospital, unfortunately dies during childbirth, and they are abandoned by their father. The two boys, Shiva and Marion, are raised by their surrogate family in Ethiopia. The characters in the story are beautifully written and the connection I felt with them--so real--that they are still a part of me five years after reading the book. I especially loved Hema and Ghosh--the surrogate doctor parents. Anyways, the book follows the lives of the twins from birth into adulthood. You will never forget their story set amidst political upheaval in Ethiopia, life on the grounds of the mission hospital where the twins spend their childhood, to their ultimate destiny in New York where they become doctors by following different paths. This is a story about the importance of family,  facing the past, dealing with betrayal, and finally realizing your destiny. This is a saga of about 660 wonderful--I stress that--pages--about a 10 mile run that you MUST READ. You will not regret one minute sitting by the fire, sipping a little wine and reading this gem. I promise.