Apani Dhun Mein

It is a thoughtful and moving account of life, filled with exquisite images of nature and warm memories of people, both great and small. The Indian Express Bond has such a harmonious outlook on his life and the world around us that readers begin to feel that the world isnt such a bad place after all! The Tribune For the past seven decades, Ruskin Bond has been a wonderful companion to countless readers of all ages, living in cities, villages, and towns, both large and small. He has captivated us with his books and stories. His magical storytelling captivates, sometimes even frightens, and introduces us to the beauty of everyday life and the fleeting charm of nature. In this unique autobiography, youll discover the background from which he drew these stories and tales. Beginning with a moving dream, he takes readers back to his happy childhood in Jamnagar, on the shores of the Arabian Sea, where he wrote his first poem, and then to New Delhi in the 1940s, where he drew on his experiences to write his first story. This was a brief period of happiness, cut short by the separation of his parents and the untimely death of his beloved father. With profound frankness and candor, he recounts his boarding school days in Shimla and his winter vacations in Dehradun, where he struggled to overcome his loneliness, made and lost friends, discovered important books, and sought his lifes purpose. With a strong determination to become a writer, he spent four difficult years in England. He creates a particularly poignant narrative of his lonely life and heartbreak there. But despite all this, he remained determined and took the first decisive step towards becoming a writer by writing the novel, The Room on the Roof. This classic teenage novel reflects his love for India. In the final section of his autobiography, he writes about his escape from wanderlust and the peace he found in his life after settling in the hills of Mussoorie. Mussoorie, a land of greenery, sunshine, and mist, the chirping of birds and elusive leopards, the company of new friends and extraordinary people, and a family that gradually became his own. The autobiography also provides some rare accounts of the Indian atmosphere during World War II and the countrys rapidly changing circumstances at the time of independence.