The Passion Gene by Louis de Savy: A love affair set against the backdrop of NHS politics and the influence of genetics in human life
Penned by former surgeon Louis de Savy, The Passion Gene is the story of “an unavoidable, almost pre-determined” romance between a surgeon and a researcher whose high-powered careers both centre around gene therapy. The love affair is set against the controversial politics of the NHS during the 1990s and begs the question of just how much human destiny – including love – is controlled by our genetic make-up.
As a former surgeon himself with a fascination for genetics, our author Louis de Savy writes with authority on this revealing and fast-moving subject and which is still controversial today thanks to the ethics around topics such as organ donation.
The Passion Gene is a love story with a difference; looking at how science may underpin emotions. At the same time it digs into the politics of the 1990s and the effect this had on the UK health service’s ability to explore medical advancements, such as gene therapy, further.
This is a book which is more than simply a love story that documents a period in history. That’s because it also brings into question the bigger issues about humanity and to what extent our love for other human beings as well as our own health and social behaviour is already pre-determined. It then goes further to question the nature and direction of gene therapy and asks whether or not medical science has, in fact, opened a Pandora’s Box.
Synopsis: Successful London-based consultant surgeon Robin Chesham falls heavily for a young and gorgeous Georgiana Gilmour whom he meets on a plane to Helsinki. The pair are en-route to an international medical conference investigating a new drug in the world of genetics (a subject they have a mutual career interest in).
A happy family man, Robin’s emotions for Georgiana take him completely by surprise – especially since he can’t shake off the eerie feeling that he’s already met his young lover, a researcher from Bath, before.
The book is set during the 1990s – a period of extreme government intervention and privatisation in the NHS, where feelings of divisiveness run high amongst medical staff and politicians. By contrast Germany’s re-unification is highlighted, as is the Gulf War and the fall of Thatcherism towards the end of that decade.
Despite attempting to fight their feelings for each other both Robin and Georgiana – for whom there is a 25 year age gap – unavoidably meet up at conferences and inevitably fall deeper in love. This is helped by a shared love of culture, intellectual debate and an overpowering physical attraction. It’s only later that a chance encounter reveals to Robin why the passion he feels towards Georgiana – and vice versa – is so acute. The story ends with Georgiana boarding a plane to California and Robin waving her off at Heathrow.
The book features tasteful love scenes and many romantic encounters which are sure to appeal to a female readership. It also explores the influence of genes and the necessity for an intellectual as well as physical attraction in order to sustain a long-term relationship.
Author de Savy describes his book as “a cornucopia of history, music, poetry , travel, medical ethics and political hubris.”
He adds: “Having worked as a consultant surgeon myself in the NHS during the Thatcher years and their subsequent demise I already had all that research at my fingertips, as it were.
“Many of my readers will also, I’m sure, identify with the mass feelings of goodwill surrounding the fall of the Berlin Wall in Germany. Then we had the turmoil of the Gulf War to come to terms with. Of course these were all true events, unlike the romance between the hero and heroine and which I attempted to take a psycho-philosophical approach towards.”
‘The Passion Gene, from Memoirs Publishing, is available now: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Passion-Gene-Mr-Louis-Savy/dp/1908223758/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1436866828&sr=8-1&keywords=the+passion+gene
About the Author:
Former surgeon Louis de Savy (a nom de plume) spent years writing articles for medical journals and books. The Passion Gene is his first published novel. It’s not a complete work of fiction however since the love that develops between the eminent surgeon and young researcher is set against the backdrop of real discoveries in gene therapy during the 1990s. It also takes into account the political climate of that decade, including the Gulf War, re-unification of Germany and the fall of Thatcherism – all of which the author also experienced as a first-hand observer.
