THE ROPE BRIDGE

by Cecilie Beslie ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 24, 1964

An unusual plot and a compelling style distinguish this sensitively modulated novel about a young girl in India. Liza, fifteen, lives with the woman she knows as her mother , a dedicated sportswoman, and is in love with Rajo, the English-educated son of wealthy Abani. Into her secure world comes Mrs. Tanner, a soft, over-cozy Englishwoman whose presence disturbs Liza and the adults. Raji whisks iza away to Abani's house, where she learns that Mrs. Tanner is her real mother (Liza's supposed mother switched her for her own dead baby during the invasion of Burma); and moreover that Abani plans another marriage for Raji, and a dubious future in England for herself. Liza flees only to be raped by a mule driver near the rope bridge where she and Raji played as children. Matured and determined by this further assault, Liza takes her life out of the hands of the scheming adults and goes back with her foster mother to the hills they both love. A taut, cleareyed but compassionate prose is at work in this vivid evocation of character, emotion and scene that adds up to a superior performance.

Pub Date: July 24, 1964

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Doubleday

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 1964

Categories: FICTION