Delhi, India, 1947. During the havoc of partition, orphaned fifteen-year-old, Rani Kapur, is attacked and raped before being left for dead in a ditch. Rescued by wealthy Anglo-Indian, Harish Hope, she is taken to his ‘house,’ a brothel like no other.
Set in the cities of Carcassonne, Toulouse and Paris, the story follows the life of fractured child, Hugo, as he becomes a man; his psyche twisted by events over which he has little control.
The hardware store is at the centre of the lives of four Indian immigrants: Vasuman ‘Mr’ Gupta, his beautiful wife, Meera, his employee, Chandu Kumar, and Chandu’s tiny wife, Babita. Set in 1970’s suburban London, the store is the apple of Mr Gupta’s eye, and he craves Englishness as much as Meera opposes it.
An enchanting collection of stories from the heartland of India Ruskin Bond’s simple characters, living amidst the lush forests of the Himalayan foothills, are remarkable for their quiet heroism, courage and grace, and age-old values of honesty and fidelity. Residents of nondescript villages and towns, they lead lives that are touched by natural beauty as well as suffering—the loss of a loved parent, unfulfilled dreams, natural calamities, ghostly visitations, a respected teacher turned crooked, strangers who make a nuisance of themselves—which only reinforces their abiding faith in God, family and neighbour. Told in Bond’s distinctive style, these stories are a magnificent evocation of an India that may be fast disappearing.
This collection brings together the best of Ruskin Bond's cameos, all beautifully imagined and crafted, inspired by people who have left a lasting impression on him. In addition, there are a host of characters culled from Bond's numerous short stories. Taken together, they constitute a magnificent evocation of the small-town India by one of the country's best storytellers.
Ruskin Bond wrote his first short story, ‘Untouchable’, at the age of sixteen, and has written memorable fiction ever since. He is famous not only for his love of the hills, but for imbuing the countryside with life and vibrancy through moving descriptions. The simple people who inhabit his stories evoke sympathy and laughter in equal measure. This wonderful collection of seventy stories, including classics like ‘A Face in Dark’, ‘The Kitemaker’, ‘The Tunnel’, ‘The Room of Many Colours’, ‘Dust on the Mountain’ and ‘Times Stops at Shamli’, is a must-have for any bookshelf.