Raghavendra Rao

Twists and Turns, Stories of Life Raghavendra Rao

With more than forty-nine years of experience as a pediatrician in the United States, Dr. Rao, from India is a keen observer of human nature. The thirty-one stories in Twists and Turns, Stories of Life are told simply and directly, with a touch of humor and a twist at the end. Mrs. Uma, staunchly orthodox, and Dr. Shankar are childless. They undergo various medical tests, visit holy places in India, and take dips in Ganges River to no avail. Finally, they adopt a baby, and raise her as a Hindu. When she turns five years old, Dr. Shankar learns the bizarre truth about her birth in the story, "Amulya."Priya and Ramesh, an elderly couple in a middle-income family, attend a rich friend's party. While driving home, Priya compares her mediocre life against others' luxuries and laments. Could she ever find happiness?Women love to shop. Entering a jewelry store, Kanakam tells Raju, her husband, she just wants to look. But she ends up buying $20,400 worth of diamond bangles. Raju reminds her she only intended to look. Kanakam's answer may come as a surprise. Students respect good teachers. When an influential student intimidates a revered teacher, other students teach the bully a lesson in the story, "The Teacher." What is the lesson?Are there angels on earth? Vandana has cerebral palsy. Mrs. Bhavani, her mother, strives daily and against all odds, to improve Vandana's quality of life by teaching her sign language. While observing her improvement, Vandana's pediatrician recognizes real angels are among us.