Search advanced search
 
Books
Search:
x dismiss this message

Did you know you can edit this page?

Rescuing Ranu: a novel by Cheryl Snell (Volume 1)
  • Rated 0 stars
Shiva's Arms

Rescuing Ranu: a novel by Cheryl Snell (Volume 1) (edit title/settings)

by Cheryl Snell (Author) (edit contributors)

Share this book on:
see page history

Description edit see section history

After a power struggle at her university, math professor Nela Sambashivan returns to her native India to think. She is drawn, instead, into the lives of ten year old Ranu, the cunning motel-keeper who exploits her, and an unscrupulous Uncle who believes that everything is for sale. Nela's... read more

Summary edit see section history

After mathematician Nela Sambashivan returns from her mother's bedside to England to teach, she finds everything has changed: there's been a shakeup in the department, her house and garden have gone to seed, and she can't get the American she met on the plane out of her mind. When she meets... read more (warning: may contain spoilers)

After mathematician Nela Sambashivan returns from her mother's bedside to England to teach, she finds everything has changed: there's been a shakeup in the department, her house and garden have gone to seed, and she can't get the American she met on the plane out of her mind. When she meets him again at a departmental party thrown by Ashoke, her childhood friend and present day colleague, the two embark on a brittle romance and scientific collaboration. As they draw closer, Ashoke's long standing jealousy flares up and he manages to betray Nela over a student's complaint. Nela's lover, Jackson, has left to finish an altruistic job in India, and Nela, seeing little left for her in her old life, decides to go to India to research collectives. She tells herself she is not looking for Jackson.

Nela finds shelter in a run down motel and is served by Ranu, a ten year old orphan. The two strike up a friendship as Nela takes the girl under her wing, teaching her, getting involved in her problems.

One day, when they are shopping in the market, Nela sees Jackson, delirious with fever and abandoned by his co-workers.With Ranu's help, Nela nurses him back to health and they re-kindle their love affair. They look after Ranu more and more, visit her village and help the elders. One of them, the treacherous Uncle, secretly arranges to marry Ranu off, but in a daring move, Nela and Jackson save her. Nela is wounded and takes refuge in Jackson's camp.
They know that uncle will exact his revenge, and they determine that Nela should take Ranu to England. Jackson will stay on, saving his corner of the world. The broken-hearted lovers cannot stay together, but marry to facilitate Ranu's entry into another country.

Once in Nela's old house, Ranu fails to adjust. Ashoke is up to his old tricks, too, and it is with great pleasure that Nela announces her marriage. She sees once again that there is nothing left for her in her old life, and she has made Ranu sacrifice everything known to her for a new beginning she does not like. She decides to take the child back to her old family home in India, looked after by an aged aunt, who welcomes them warmly.

In a bittersweet ending, Nela begins again, without Jackson, but with the knowledge that change is the only constant in life. As Chitti tells Nela in the closing scene, "anything is possible."

Characters/People edit see section history

  • Nela: abstract thinker turned altruist for the love of a child
  • Jackson: altruist on a broader scale, he loves Nela, understands her need to work, and to do what she thinks is right for her child; he reserves the same rights for himself, and therein lies the stalemate
  • Ranu: an orphan who changes the lives of the lovers
  • Ashoke: Nela's distant cousin, who tries to undo her because of his possessive unrequited love for her
  • Chitti: Nela's old aunt, the caretaker of the family's estate, who welcomes Nela and Ranu back to where Nela was born.
  • Mami: The motel-keeper who rents a hut on the grounds to Nela, and loans the child Ranu to her as a servant. Although she exploits the girl, she is the one who gives Nela concrete help in enginerring the escape.
  • Priya: Ashoke's long suffering wife, who must keep the truth about her husband away from herself.
  • Meera: The baby sister of Ranu
Popular Covers

Loading covers…

Choose your book’s cover

Setting & Locations edit see section history

Kerala, india London, England

First Sentence edit see section history

As long as the man kept his sunglasses on, Nela could assume he was asleep.

Themes & Symbolism edit see section history

  • altruism: If two brothers and seven cousins were drowning, who would you save? Hamilton's Rule specifies the conditions under which reproductive altruism evolves: r × B > C where B is the benefit (in number of offspring equivalents) gained by the recipient of the altruism, C is the cost (in number of offspring equivalents) suffered by the donor.. So, how related must Nela and Ranu or Nela and Jackson be, in order for one to rescue the other?
  • the mathematics of collectives: Nela studies this subject, and Jackson helps her discover a new fact about pursuit and cohesion in birds' flocking behavior ---each bird only follows the bird in front of it, although they appear to be engaged in a complicated group choreography. In the novel, who follows who -or what- is a central metaphor.

Series & Lists edit see section history

This book is in Shiva's Arms. (standard series)
This book is in Best Novels Set in South India. (community list)

Authors & Contributors edit see section history

  1. Cheryl Snell (Author)

Awards edit see section history

Classification edit see section history

More Books Like This edit see section history

   
  • Shiva's Arms

We’re hiding the errata, movie connections, books that influenced this book, books influenced by this book, books that cite this book and books cited by this book sections. If you would like to add content to them, you must first make them visible.

© 2006-2013 Shelfari | Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy | Copyright Policy

Close