Cutting for Stone Author Interview

Although I have not finished the book, I listened to an interview on NPR where there were multiple questions about the plot and writing process of Abraham Verghese. I was surprised to find out that his main focus while writing this book was medicine, rather than religion or Ethiopia because at the point I am in the book (around pg 300/half way) medicine has only been a background theme. In the interview he even says "if my editor told me to change the setting of the book to the Bronx, I would have". That was so surprising to me because Ethiopia's culture is what really makes the book interesting and unique to me, I do not think it would have been popular if it didn't have that diversity. In the interview he describes how being a doctor is so similar to being an author in an interesting metaphor about creating a story about a person's body and its history. To diagnose a disease he remembers past stories he has read and looks to the body to fit the narrative. I thought this metaphor was interesting because as a doctor and an author himself he understands the similarities between them and gives medicine a romantic air. Here is the link to the interview: http://www.npr.org/2011/07/14/135150086/listen-audio-chat-with-author-abraham-verghese