The book has no structure, just a bunch of essays about far off places, and interesting people. These essays could be read out of order, there is not timeline
Even operations that seem mundane, such as smuggling out of the Soviet Union of Nikita Khrushchev’s secret speech gets an air of reverence and complexity
Cutting for Stone is a glorious family / medical saga covering multiple generations and locations. Marion, the narrator, is an emotional and intelligent person