Ruskin Bond is one of the most brilliant writers that India has ever produced. An inspiration for many budding authors and favorite of many readers, Ruskin Bond celebrates his birthday on 19th May. Although his parents were British, he has spent almost his entire life in the hills of India and carries an Indian nationality.
Unlike most of the children, Mr. Ruskin had a troubled childhood with his parents getting divorced and the demise of his father when he was just 10. Consequently, he devoted his entire time to reading and writing. Today, there is hardly anyone who is not aware of the great works written by Ruskin Bond. He was even honored with Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan by the Indian government in 1999 and 2014, respectively.
As the great writer turns 84, here are some of the most priceless books written by Ruskin Bond that are a must-read:
1. The Blue Umbrella
Written in the year 1980, The Blue Umbrella is a sweet book for children but it’s also a great book for adults. It narrates the story of a girl who lives in the hills of Garhwal and trades her leopard claw pendant for a blue colored umbrella. The book was adapted into a Bollywood film with the same name and was highly acclaimed.
2. Susanna’s Seven Husbands
The story was adapted into the popular film 7 Khoon Maaf directed by Vishal Bharadwaj and starred Priyanka Chopra as the lead. It’s a story about a woman named Susanna who struggles to find true love and leaves a trail of dead husbands in her wake. It was originally a short story that was adapted into a novel and then finally into a movie, but all three creations differ from each other.
3. The Room on the Roof
Ruskin Bond wrote this book when he was just 17 and you will be amazed at the kind of maturity and emotions portrayed in the story. It’s similar to the real story of Ruskin Bond as the protagonist of the story is a 16-year-old boy named Rusty who rents a room with his Indian friend. It shows his love for the natural beauty of the hills, his emotions, fun, and adventure all in one sweet yet compelling story.
4. A Flight of Pigeons
The story of this book is set in the year 1857 when the Indians revolted against the British Empire. The genre can be considered as both fiction and non-fiction as it has some pieces of facts and but the story is fictional. It shows the experiences of the 1857 revolt through the eyes of a little girl. The book was adapted into a film named Junoon by Shyam Benegal.
5. Rusty, The Boy from the Hills
This is a book which you can read to relax after a long hard day as the story lets you escape reality. The story revolves around a boy Rusty who is quite lonely but his life is very adventurous as his grandfather loves keeping strange pets at his house. The narration beautifully shows Bond’s love for nature and the book can be read again and again; without a doubt, one of his best creations.
