If you ever happen to visit Mussorrie, make sure the Cambridge Book Depot is part of your itinerary as this bookshop is frequented by none other than the legendary Ruskin Bond.
He visits the shop every weekend to meet his fans, sign some books and maybe even chat with them for a while.
The grand old man of literature, who will turn 83 this year, has been writing for the past 60 years and has been transporting readers to the beautiful valleys and hills of Mussoorie and Dehradun, through his words.
Ruskin Bond’s books have set a standard for children’s books across the globe and has effortlessly managed to merge the best of both the worlds he is familiar with – the Indian villages that met the English babus and teachers during and after the colonial rule.
One of his most famous characters is Rusty, an Anglo-Indian boy who is taking baby steps to manhood.
Through the books on Rusty, Bond’s words brought beauty and sensitivity to not only the characters, but also the surrounding which have always played a superior part in his short stories.
Ruskin Bond was born on May 19, 1934 in Kasauli, which was under the British then. It was after his schooling in India that Bond went to U.K. In London that he began writing his first novel The Room on the Roof, a semi-autobiographical work about Rusty.
This novel was his way of expressing his love for India and the work made it evident how much Bond seemed lost in the world of the British.
The novel won the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize. After publishing the book, he came to India using the advance money.
Rusty and his adventures
A confused, unhappy and lonely boy, Rusty lives with his guardian Mr. Harrison in Dehradun, after the death of his parents. Mr. Harrison’s strict ways and constant attempts to make Rusty into an Englishman get on the boy’s nerves. This leads Rusty to run away from the house to live with his Indian friends.
Rusty’s friends Somi, Ranbir and Suri meet Rusty at a marketplace. He is soon enchanted by the Indian lives which include festivals, golgappas and other spicy food. Somi manages to get Rusty a job in Mr. Kapoor’s house to teach his son Kishen. In return, Rusty is given their attic as shelter.
Things take a turn for the worst when Kishen’s mother dies and Rusty loses his friends and his job. He decides to go to England. Before this, he goes to meet Kishen who convinces him otherwise and the two walk off to lead a new life. These books is followed by Vagrants in the Valley, in which Kishen and Rusty venture further and discover new friends and have more adventures.
Then came Rusty, the boy from the hills.
This has Rusty’s escapades while living in a house that was filled with strange pets. In spite of Rusty’s liking of a normal, slow life, he also gets thrown into the middle of the most ridiculous adventures, which makes us laugh, cry and even ponder.
The latest in the Rusty series is Rusty and the Magic Mountains. Grab a Rusty book and curl up to get transported to a land of laughter, fun and quirky adventures.
