If I had to put together a list of my top ten books, this book would be one it. I loved everything about it: the story of the twins, and the depiction of medical practice in Africa and in New York's public hospitals. Many years ago I spent a winter in Africa and while my time in Ethiopia was limited to a few hours in Addis Ababa airport, Veghese brought back many memories of Africa. He is a doctor as well as a novelist, and yet the writing is first rate. Verghese also uses his medical background to inform the novel, which may be a little gory for some but I found it fascinating.