N No ov v 0 09 9 - - N No ov v 1 15 5, , 2 20 01 12 2 | | V V o ol l. . 0 06 6 | | I Is ss su ue e 1 11 1 5 54 4 Books Rescuing Ranu - A Story of Strength, Exploitation, Love, and Culture • ‘Rescuing Ranu’ is a beautiful novel written by Cheryl Snell and it can be purchased from Amazon.com. • Swarup is a freelance writer and editor based in Bangalore, India. A s I read through ‘Rescu- ing Ranu’, I could re- late to Nela many times. I could understand why she had to wear the heavy chain and how embar- rassed she was at the air- port, trying to hide it from others’ view. I admire her as- sertiveness even as she asked her colleague to find another place for the candidate. I enjoyed the interaction and conversation that happened between Nela and Jackson. There is so much to learn from there about their native cultures. There is frequent reference to how Nela’s rela- tives considered her unmar- riageable and gave her strange looks. Nela proves to us that most of us are attached to our na- tive culture. She chooses to go back to her native land for solace during her time of dis- appointment and sadness. I would call the meeting of Nela with Ranu a sub plot. This part of the story forms such an important part of the novel. Their worlds are so different from each other. And they are two forms of a ‘woman’. Ranu is very sub- missive, innocent, lost, and exploited. Nela is brave, as- sertive, educated, strong, sure, and thoughtful. Nela took the time to know, understand, and bond with Ranu. She felt bad for Ranu. She recognized her innocence and her pathetic state. She willingly opened her heart to the little girl and gave her place in her heart and her life. Nela’s interaction with Ranu speaks volumes about Nela’s character. She is a lov- ing, genuine, and caring per- son who went through all the trouble to save Ranu from Mami and her uncle. Not only did she stop at adopting Ranu as her daughter, but she did all she could to help Ranu forget the past and enjoy her life. Ranu reminded me of so many little girls around the world who are not allowed to grow out of their innocence. They are not allowed to raise their voices. They are not al- lowed to enjoy life or be happy. They are exploited to keep others happy. They are made to work and made to feel obliged for every morsel of food they eat or every drop of water they drink. I hope that all the Ranus in this world would meet a Nela who would rescue them from slavery! Each and every char- acter adds so much meaning to the story. There is so much to learn from this book. Nela helps us look at the varied aspects of the two cultures and their traditions, good or bad, through her eyes. She gives us a clear picture of life itself. Wherever we go, we cannot escape the reali- ties of life. The reality is all around Nela and she keeps bumping into them again and again and is forced to deal with them. And she does a good job!