The Same Side of the River (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781099076879)

The Klein brothers constructed their adult existences as repudiations of each other's lifestyles. Aaron curated a story of suburban success, while James played Dungeons & Dragons with his queer friends and leaped into the risky game-development business. Until Aaron flipped the script. He abandoned his wife and medical practice to become a third-world MSF doctor. James, meanwhile, found himself a cubicle jockey in an increasingly corporate industry. As the final shot in their duel, Aaron resigned from Médecins Sans Frontières and disappeared into the wilds of India. No one could ascertain his fate.

For James and his oldest friend Jane - who has her own history with Aaron - this uncertainty has become the norm. Until news arrives that Maoist guerrillas murdered him. He had already been cremated, his ashes poured into a river.

Committed already to a trip to France with their friends - all chronic residents of game worlds - Jane and James must reconcile this loss with their own lives, as they seek out meaning in Paris.

One final duty for James remains, however. Alongside Jane, he must journey onward to uncover his brother's legacy. There, in the backwaters of Odisha, he hopes to understand Aaron's secrets. In India, all that remains of the Klein family will gather together for one last reunion.