Novelist Cheryl Snell brings you a story about sacrifice, survival, and the mysterious alchemy of love.


After a power struggle at her university, math professor Nela Sambashivan travels to her native India on a sabbatical, and is drawn  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 transformation from abstract thinker to selfless guardian begins when she and her lover rescue Ranu from a forced marriage, but it is only when the child unexpectedly fails to thrive in her new surroundings that Nela must confront her miscalculations about altruism, ambition, and the choices we make for one another.


What Readers are Saying about Rescuing Ranu--

An entertaining read that makes you think! It's hard to write a novel of ideas in which the ideas matter-- but Cheryl Snell has managed to do that. An Indian professor --and her lover -- in a rocky relationship of their own, try to help a little girl. There are so many twisty moral dilemmas in this story- and you'll think about them after you put the book down. --Carla Sarett

I just finished it and enjoyed it thoroughly. The characters were very strong, with interesting personalities. Nela is a woman that everyone can be interested in. The story was imaginative and unpredictable; I liked it's various twists and turns (for example: no one knows who Ranu is until the the book is 1/3 read). All in all, it's an outstanding work of fiction and it's easy to see why it's an Amazon favorite. I'm recommending it to all my friends.
--D. Schwartz

*“Cheryl’s writing has inspired and moved me. “Shiva’s Arms” and its sequel “Rescuing Ranu” showcase the stories of cross-cultural relationships, extended families, intergenerational struggles, and finding oneself anew in a “once abandoned” tradition. She has a knack for writing about delicate topics like that and drawing the reader in. Once in, I was hooked. I have read and reread these two novels more than twice each! Rescuing Ranu is a great book- --really riveting, edge of the seat reading. Fascinating. Thanks for writing this great book---
... Jennifer Kumar

*This intelligently written book on a complex subject seems very real. I learned about culture and traditions of another country and the drastic impact of cross cultural transitions. Excellent book.
...A.S.Schaerf

*This story is well written. I found myself at the end of the story before I knew it. This is one hallmark of a good tale - I didn't have to "get into" the story, I felt that I was engaged to the tale from the first page. The author did a good job of simply and directly narrating the action. In some way, the writing seems "eastern" in nature, which adds to the subject matter.
...Jan Lee


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