Chapter 13: Raisa – Summary and Analysis
⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.
Summary
In September 1987, five years before Molly’s death on Mount Aragats, sixteen-year-old Raisa Adelson lives with her grandparents, Baba and Pop-Pop, in their cramped row home in Little Russia, Philadelphia. She works at their butcher shop and hides her exceptional math ability from everyone except her grandparents, who are proud when she scores highest in the state in a qualifying exam. On the day of the competition, Raisa is driven by Daniel, a fellow Russian immigrant who works at the shop. Before the contest, they see an old woman in a field who speaks of waves and Chernobyl, then disappears. Raisa wins the competition by solving Maxwell’s equations in differential form, achieving a perfect score. Afterwards, she is obsessed with the meaning of the old woman’s words. She buys components to build a radio telescope, believing it will help her understand the connection between waves, Chernobyl, and her own past. The chapter also shows Raisa beginning to tutor Daniel in math, establishing their friendship.
Key Events
- Raisa prepares for a math competition while her grandmother distracts her with a broken radio.
- Daniel drives Raisa to the competition; on the way, they see a mysterious old woman in a field who mentions waves and Chernobyl.
- Raisa completes the written test in thirty minutes and the finals by decoupling Maxwell’s equations; she wins first place.
- After the competition, Raisa returns to the field but finds only mud.
- Raisa stops at the library to steal books on electromagnetism.
- At the butcher shop, her grandparents celebrate her win; Daniel offers to cover her work so she can read.
- Raisa plans to build a radio telescope and buys parts from Henry.
- Raisa tutors Daniel in math, learning he struggles with English and math terminology.
Character Development
Raisa emerges as a deeply anxious but brilliant young woman. Her nervousness and need for control stem from early trauma—losing her father, her mother in prison, and being raised by grandparents. She hides her math passion, fearing it represents disloyalty to her mother. Her genius is confirmed, but she remains insecure about having original ideas. The encounter with the old woman ignites a new drive to understand waves and their connection to Chernobyl, setting her on a scientific quest.
Daniel is revealed as observant and caring. Despite his immigrant struggles with language and math, he shows courage when defending Raisa. His admiration for her intellect and his offer to help her build the telescope mark the start of a deepening friendship.
Baba and Pop-Pop are supportive but protective of Raisa. They celebrate her win and try to shield her from worry. Their own history of surviving war shapes their sharp edges and fierce love.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
Math as a language – Raisa describes math as a language that describes the universe. Her ability to "absorb" books rather than memorize defines her genius. This idea recurs when she explains to Daniel that math is more than memorizing multiplication tables.
Waves – Electromagnetic waves connect the math competition (Maxwell's equations) to the mysterious woman and Chernobyl. Raisa's idea to build a radio telescope represents her attempt to decode hidden truths about the world and possibly her own family.
Secrecy and theft – Raisa steals library books as a child and continues this habit into high school. Theft becomes a symbol of her rebellion against her mother's disdain for math and her need for knowledge that is forbidden or hidden.
Family and belonging – Raisa's anxiety about losing her grandparents drives her need to stay close physically and emotionally. The immigrant community in Little Russia provides a cocoon but also isolates her from American peers.
Chernobyl as a symbol – The 1986 disaster looms as a recent catastrophe. The old woman’s mention ties Raisa's scientific curiosity to real-world devastation, hinting at future connections between her work and nuclear themes.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter establishes Raisa as a genius protagonist and lays the groundwork for her later role in the narrative. The old woman’s cryptic appearance creates a mystery that will likely drive Raisa’s adult research. The introduction of Daniel provides a key relationship that may offer emotional support and practical help. The chapter also deepens the theme of mathematics as a tool for understanding the world, setting up Raisa’s eventual work on time travel or quantum physics. Her decision to build a radio telescope shows her move from theory to hands-on experimentation.
Study Questions and Answers
1. Why does Raisa hide her love of math from her mother and classmates?
Raisa fears that admitting her passion for math would be equivalent to taking sides against her mother, who hated math. She also keeps her talent secret to avoid attention; blending in feels safer in her immigrant community. At school, she knows being tough is better than being smart.
2. How does the encounter with the old woman influence Raisa immediately after the competition?
The woman’s words about waves and Chernobyl resonate with Raisa because she has just solved Maxwell’s equations about electromagnetic waves. She becomes convinced the woman knows something important and decides to build a radio telescope to investigate waves, linking her curiosity to the mystery.
3. What does Raisa’s tutoring of Daniel reveal about both characters?
It shows Raisa’s empathy and ability to teach, and Daniel’s hidden struggles with English in academic contexts. Daniel admits he knows words for daily life but not for math. It also deepens their friendship beyond work, as Raisa agrees to help in Russian, showing her willingness to bridge his gap.