A River Divided
by George Paxinos

Urged by the flame of science, renowned neuroscientist George Paxinos has written his thrilling first novel that takes a neuropsychological approach to the question of nature versus nurture. Paxinos combines elements of sci-fi and eco-fiction to examine the limits of science and the brain in regard to safeguarding our environment.

A River Divided follows Evelyn, a geneticist and amateur archeologist, who discovers a tomb while vacationing in Israel. Believing she has found the remains of Christ, she attempts to revive the DNA found preserved at the site so that she can clone Him. But with human cloning being both illegal and unprecedented, she takes the risk of carrying the embryo herself. Though more a scientist than a zealot, she wants to do everything to bring Him back to the world. If her experiment were successful, the consequence could be the salvation of a dying Earth.

The result of her daring discovery is the birth of identical twins Christopher and José, who are raised apart and unaware of each other’s existence— one in the affluent suburbs of Sydney and the other in the slums of Buenos Aires. As different artists would sculpt different statues from the same block of marble, different environments produce different characters out of the same DNA. The twins are destined to clash, adversaries in an almighty battle for the Amazon.

5 out of 5 fairies

Wow. This was captivating, and raised not only an interesting hypothetical question, but some serious philosophical ones. The story pulls you in quickly, with a chance discovery, and before you know it, you’re chapters deep and hours have passed. It’s obvious Paxinos knows what he’s talking about, as the level of detail for the scientific side of things is high (but still understandable to a lay person). This definitely has a literary tilt to the narration style, but it works well, and keeps things flowing smoothly. I think what got to me the most is this isn’t some never-going-to-happen or far-off possible future, but a series of events that could easily be all too real. We’re already facing a climate change crisis, and people don’t always act in what you might consider the most ethical ways. The idea of this story playing out in real life is enough to send chills racing down your spine. I’m honestly blown away by the novel as a whole, and I cannot recommend this enough for anyone who enjoys literary fiction or modern sci-fi.

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GEORGE PAXINOS studied at Berkeley, McGill and Yale and is Professor of Medical Sciences at Neuroscience Research Australia and The University of New South Wales, Sydney. He has identified and named more brain areas than anyone in history and published 57 books—his first, The Rat Brain in Stereotaxic Coordinates, being the most cited publication in neuroscience. He is a cyclist and environmental activist who has often been defeated by the government. Twenty-one years in the making, A River Divided is his answer.

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