For several decades now, Ruskin Bond's inimitable stories about Rusty have enthralled and entertained children. Rusty is a quiet, imaginative and sensitive boy who lives in his grandparents' custody in pre-Independence Dehra Dun.
Ruskin Bond is an Indian author of British descent. He is considered to be an icon among Indian writers and children's authors and a top novelist. He wrote his first novel, The Room on the Roof, when he was seventeen which won John Llewellyn Rhys Memorial Prize in 1957. Since then he has written several novellas, over 500 short stories, as well as various essays and poems, all of which have established him as one of the best-loved and most admired chroniclers of contemporary India. In 1992 he received the Sahitya Akademi award for English writing, for his short stories collection, "Our Trees Still Grow in Dehra", by the Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters in India. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1999 for contributions to children's literature. He now lives with his adopted family in Landour near Mussoorie.
Rusty: The Boy from the Hills brings together the early adventures of Bond’s beloved fictional alter ego, Rusty, capturing his childhood in Dehradun, his friendships, his misadventures, and his deepening relationship with the hills.
This collection of stories is not merely a tale of growing up—it is a coming-of-sense narrative where Rusty learns not only about the world but also about himself, through humour, innocence, and heartbreak.
One of the biggest strengths of this collection is its authenticity. Rusty is not polished or heroic; he is awkward, curious, sensitive, and often confused. Bond draws him with compassionate honesty.
As Rusty navigates friendships with characters like Somi, Ranbir, and Kishen, he begins to understand loyalty, empathy, and the complicated nature of human bonds.
These friendships form the emotional centre of the book, and Bond portrays them with a delicate mix of warmth and realism.
Bond’s landscape descriptions stand out vividly. The hills are not merely a backdrop—they are an emotional companion. Rusty’s world is filled with mango orchards, winding paths, monsoon-soaked afternoons, and quiet forests alive with smell and sound.
Bond’s unmatched gift lies in making readers feel the rustle of leaves, the coolness of hill air, the thrill of sneaking through town lanes. Nature functions as both comfort and catalyst, shaping Rusty’s growth.
The adventures themselves are humorous and heartfelt. Rusty’s encounters with eccentric adults—drunk caretakers, kind-hearted shopkeepers, unpredictable teachers—reflect the messy reality of childhood.
The story about his escape from his strict guardian remains particularly memorable, showcasing Rusty’s youthful impulsiveness and emotional turmoil. Bond gives equal attention to joy and pain, allowing the narrative to breathe with authenticity.
Yet, beneath the light-hearted mischief lies a deeper emotional current. Rusty’s loneliness, his desire for belonging, and his struggles with self-understanding create a relatable emotional landscape.
Bond never reduces childhood to simplicity; he recognises its complexities and contradictions. Rusty’s experiences are filled with warmth but also with moments of confusion and sadness that shape him quietly but profoundly.
What makes this book timeless is Bond’s storytelling style. His prose is simple yet evocative, filled with a gentle humour that disarms the reader.
The narrative flows with ease, as though the author were sitting beside you telling stories on a veranda overlooking the hills.
The emotional honesty in his writing gives Rusty life beyond the page.
Another layer of richness comes from seeing Rusty as Bond’s semi-autobiographical creation.
The stories gain an added layer of intimacy, hinting at Bond’s own early years in the hills. The fluid blend of fiction and memory gives the stories their nostalgic glow.
Ultimately, Rusty: The Boy from the Hills is not merely about childhood escapades—it is about finding beauty in small moments, building friendships that last a lifetime, and discovering oneself through the world around.
Readers—young or adult—will find something deeply comforting in Rusty’s journey, something that whispers of innocence, growth, and the enduring magic of the hills.
This collection of nearly-autobiographical stories oozes the very many fragrances of nature, parades the idiosyncrasies of people, and divulges the coarseness of a checkered life from a little boy's eyes. I really admire Bond's venture of sputtering the realities of life in the delicate but mandatory way to young audience.
Do I ever remember enjoying the trees, mountains, animals, and landscapes as a child? No. Would I romanticize it in retrospect? Perhaps. Would I like to relive handpicked moments to enjoy the state of things? Surely. That is what this book served as a window to.
This one is kind of a re-read in a way, as several excerpts from this book made their way into my English textbooks from the ages of 10-15. This particular volume narrates Rusty's life in Dehra with his grandparents, followed by his close relationship with his father while they lived together for a heartbreakingly short amount of time, and ending in a very abrupt and melancholy way with glimpses into his life after his father's death.
I could literally see the change in writing style as the book progressed from child-like prose to the contemplative, almost angsty tone of a young adult. The story itself folds back on itself several times with the timelines going back and forth into the past, present, and future which can make it a bit confusing for someone reading about Rusty's adventures for the first time.
I remember finding these books incredibly entertaining and hilarious when I first read them several years ago. It doesn't hit at the same intensity now, even though some of the subtle humor was unexpected and aptly timed. One thing that hasn't changed though is the way Bond describes Dehra, its people, its creatures, and its trees. I could read about that for hours. Story-wise, there are a lot of deaths, scary real-life "adventures" that I am surprised didn't give me nightmares when I was little, and of course several short anecdotes relating to his family members and his relationships with them.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I don't like short stories very much. But like 'The Room on the Roof' changed my view about Ruskin Bond, this book changed my view about short stories.
The way in which Rusty describes the trees (and his favourite one - the Banyan), and the stories about each animal of Rusty and his Grandfather's - they all in a way pull you into the book and don't let you leave it.
I am very excited about reading the next book in the series.
Book 23 of 2022-Rusty-the boy from the Hills Author-Ruskin Bond
Happy birthday to India’s most celebrated Writer💜 When we were in school, we had to memorise Poems and write it on our exam sheet exactly how it was originally written (the punctuations, sonnet lines and all)..I hated memorising and writing them as it is,it was very boring. Not all the time I understood the poem also, that’s when I read Ruskin Bond Poem in my books. When I was in third or fourth std, I read this poem “Books are great! Books are fun” which was very easy to memorise and it brought so much joy while reading. That’s how I fell in love with his writings. “Beauty lies in simplicity” I would haven’t believed in this if not for his works. He made the ordinary things extraordinary. This book is a collection of short stories about various stages of his life. I have read 60% of these stories already in his other books. Yet, I would never miss a chance to re-read his books. I loved the order they had arranged the short stories in this book.
Dehra, Mussoorie, Life at hills, Railway station, Ayah,Bansi,Timothy,Python,Toto,Grandpa and Grandma, Uncle Ken,Aunt Mabel,Aunt Emily and Beryl..if you know Ruskin Bond,you’ll remember these names forever.
Every book he writes has a part of him. If not for Ruskin Bond, who would have told me that “the life at hills and remembering Plants/Animal species, standing at Railway station, looking through window, walking on road” would be this beautiful🥺❤️
May he live longer and longer to spread the joy of celebrating the little beauties in life through his writings❣️
The book moves from scene to scene following this young boy Rusty, who is trying to settle in Dehradun, upon his arrival.
His casual attitude, easy-going nature, and mischievous side are interesting to read about.
The interspersed chunks of the story where he is trying to find himself and his purpose, while contemplating everything, not very catchy. While meant for young readers, this book does not really hold the attention for young readers beyond the adventures of Rusty.
It’s a very beautiful book, it’s for everyone young and old, person of any age would find this interesting to read and love it. It took me back to my childhood and my abstract feelings at the time, the writing reflects the feeling and innocence of rusty, the set of vocabulary used by rusty gives off his way of looking at life and his compassion towards the world especially trees 🌲 plant and nature, the dealing with death of his grandfather and father were so understanding and true, the curiosity and hope in him and the love for exploring was heart warming from granny’s old recipes to grandfather’s love for garden and plants to long walks with his father to encounters with bansi and random friends was all wholesome.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
#BOTM May for the @ruskinbondbookclub, Rusty, The Boy From The Hills was a delight to read.
Containing stories happy and sad, some will make you wonder while some will tickle the oldest cobweb inside your mind. Monkey Trouble and Life with Uncle Ken were my favourite stories out of 14 in the book.
Explanation of Rating: I enjoyed reading this book and it was quite interesting and sometimes funny. The reason why I gave five stars for the rating is that this book shows how a boy learns and faces new things and how he overcomes. The happenings of naughty and funny animals were my favorite part of this book. This book has some adventures aspects as well which made me focus on the plot and be very excited.
Recommendation: As the writer ‘Ruskin Bond’ is famous for children’s books, “Rusty” is also highly recommendable for elementary and middle school children. The story is charming and sweet. There are many animals in this book which make the story interesting and active. I like the way the boy, Rusty experiences and sees new things in the world and nature.
Summary: The boy named, Rusty lives in Dehra with his grandfather and grandmother. The grandfather’s house is full of many kinds of animals such as monkeys, snakes, tigers and so on. Rusty and his grandparents have a monkey pet named, Toto however sooner or later it dies because of a cold. A lot of other funny situations happen in the house like a pet python falls in love with its own reflection in a mirror. Rusty makes a friend with mysterious boy who lives in a jungle but then decides to leave. Rusty meets his uncle Ken, who impersonates Hallam, a famous cricketer. Soon, they start their journey to visit Rusty’s father in wartime Java. As it was wartime, Rusty and his uncle face grave danger. They get into a plane accident over the Arabian Sea. Fortunately, they survive and narrowly escape an enemy bombardment. After that happens, Rusty gets back to India. He meets an unlikely princess in a lonely tower and they hang out together in the garden. Sometimes they see ghosts from there. Later, Rusty’s grandmother passes away. He attends her funeral and recreates his grandmother’s youthful days from an old photograph. Finally, Rusty meets his mother and his step father instead of his biological father.
Rusty, the Boy from the Hills is an amazing book. I really liked the book and the vocabulary used in this book. I was under the impression that it would be a good book and I would enjoy it, but I didn't know it would be this good. I was literally stuck to the book and I didn't want to stop reading it. I was overjoyed when we started reading it and I am a little sad that we finished it because I really didn't want to stop reading. I loved the way it was written and all the amazing chapters in this story. I really learned a lot of things while reading it and this book just may be one of the best books I have read so far. I highly recommend this book and one will really enjoy reading it. Happy Reading
I wasn't too enthusiastic as I picked the book as I am not a fan of short stories but interestingly I found the book to be an enjoyable read - I do not know whether it's the animals (and the trees) that connect or if its the innocence and natural curiosity of a young boy that takes us back in time to relive our own episodes!
Written as a collection of short stories, the book captures random experiences from Rusty's childhood... and surprisingly still manages to create an insightful picture of his growing up years... and how these events helped to mould him...
overall it was good book , i liked this because i found some resemblance with me, that strong desire to be free and independent having no control of others. sometimes decision taken with no planning are the life changer. Identity and individuality one of the most important aspects of one"s life.
A charming and warm account of Rusty's childhood!! It is funny, beautiful and evinces certain emotions from the picturesque world of little Rusty that at times I felt lost in its calmness and simplicity. The writing is vivid and endearing.
Rusty, the boy from the hills was an amazing book.It shows the life of our famous author, Ruskin bond.It takes us on crazy adventures!From spooky to funny, it has all, I highly recommend this book!Especially for children of the age group 7-13.It has different chapters Sharing the best and different events that aren’t in everyone’s life.
This book helped me improve my grammar and the description is very clear.You can imagine his life, this will help you with figurative language.It is am emotional book but funny and joyful at the same time, it will make you experience different feels in different chapters.The author sticker to one topic per chapter and did not include other information that wasn’t necessary.
I would definitely recommend this book.There is only thing which I would like to say is that it is not in chronological order so it may be a bit tricky to understand it timeline wise but otherwise it is a marvellous book.Every single aspect is perfect.
There are certain chapters which I personally liked a lot such as the ghost in the garden(this chapter is for 10 years and above), a tiger in the house and etc.Every single page helped me learn something new, it is well written.For the people who love mysteries, suspenses, spooky stories, comedy, relationship and emotional books, I would say that you need to read this.I will highly recommend this book, after you read one page, trust me, you will want to read more!
To conclude, rusty the boy from the hills is an amazing book and I am look forward to read his other books after reading this.I would like to give this 6/7 starts everything was perfect and extraordinary the only issue was of it not being in chronological order but the years have been given so I would like to give an ending note, read this book, you’ll love it! It is different than regular life and shows the challenges Ruskin bond as faced as a boy, this is a true story and definitely a good one!
The book "Rusty, the boy from the Hills" is a very interesting book. This book is a collection of many stories which all has Rusty as the main character and the other primary characters are his father, mother, grandma, grandpa etc. All the stories are adventurous, sometimes funny and full of emotions. My favorite story was "A Tiger in the House" because it tells about the relation between humans and animals and that animals respond to our love and other emotions. My favorite character is Rusty. He encounters a lot of mysteries and strange things at his house. He travels to a lot of different places and describes the places very well. He also meets people and makes a lot of friends.
I really enjoyed reading this book. It helped me improve my vocabulary and my reading skills. So, I would highly recommend children of age group 8-14 to read this book.
The stories are based on the author's initial life in India and Java. The author projects his experience through Rusty a boy from the hills.
Likes most of his other stories, these stories smell of the mountains, the trees, the flowers and the innocence of the characters. While most stories exude innocence there is a story in which the gardener pushes the boy's step father (there is no love lost between the two) into the well and bricks up the well.
Many of the stories repeat across books. The one about the boy's grandfather's love for animals appears in multiple books. It is worth reading them in each of the book.
Even the seemingly ordinary characters have fascinating traits and amusing quirks. There’s ioy in discovering these things about the people around us and when that seems a distant possibility, Ruskin Bond is the next best option.
His charm is evident in his narration. His words tickle us gently like a soft leaf in a breeze, stuck behind the ears. The breeze brings along a flower or two on its way, sometimes fresh and other times withered. It cooks up a storm now and then to remind us of the quiet times.
No matter what the weather, be it on the outside or even on the inside, Ruskin Bond‘s stories and writing nourish us.
Fiction penned down so well, it makes you doubt if it is so!
Mr. Bond is do detailed and well versed with descriptions that it needs constant reminding that this is fiction interspersed with the actual experiences of Mr. Bond. Anyone who wants to explore Mr. Bond’s work should start here and then proceed to The Room on the Roof. Ruskin Bond enthralls, excites and surprises me every time and this gem is not an exception. A must read!
This is a 209 pages book. This is another book from the great Ruskin Bond. It has been published by the Penguin Random House. Though Rusty isn't a notorious adventurer but he surely fixes himself in some queer situations. His story plunges from some real good times to some real though painful times. Though a boy at heart he still fights all odds to live. His loving paternal grandmother, peculiar Uncle Ken add to the essence of the story.
Rusty is a very famous fictional character created by Ruskin bond. Rusty is a sixteen year old orphaned boy, born in Dehradun. Ruskin bond created this character to write about his own childhood experiences. Some of the famous novels based around Rusty is The Room on the roof, Rusty runs away, Rusty and the magic mountains, Rusty comes home and many others. Check this article about 40 Best Ruskin Bond Books! https://dailybugle.in/ruskin-bond-boo...
A Heartwarming tale, that embodies the freshness of nature.The Book portrays Rusty's childhood days with all its charm .The description of the hillside by Ruskin bond is so vivid, that I feel this book is a must read for anyone ,who would love to escape to the calm village side from this fast paced modern world.
Ruskin Bond's "Rusty The Boy From The Hills" is a love story of all our childhoods, those long afternoons wandering around fields, the friends we made, the pets who accompanied us everywhere, the "eccentric" family members we had/have and the heartbreaking loss we suffered after the passing of a loved one.
I am officially a Ruskin Bond fan from today onwards.
Rusty, The Boy From The Hills, is a marvellous book based in pre-independent India. The book itself was good, however there were some parts which were a mystery to me. After reading the book and about Ruskin Bond's life, I feel that Rusty was Ruskin Bond himself, as there were some parts in the book that kind of resembled Ruskin Bond's childhood.
first just pulling me to reading the book, in the middle I lost interest I push my self to read at least 1 more page then boom I read till the end.and even I cry while reading the lines ware it clear that Rusty grandfather died and her father died. a good book to read.
This is a riveting read of Rusty’s adventures. The poignant stories of Rusty’s father’s death and how his life changes not only brings melancholy to the reader but also makes the reader hope that Rusty has a protected life from here onwards.
I was more intrigued more by the second half rather than first half of the book. The first half is fine but the second half makes the reader feel more closer to rusty and have a glimpse into his life more clearly. Overall it is a good book for beginners and you will be quite enjoyed reading it.
I really enjoyed it!So emotional at the end!It was so comforting and wholesome.The first chapter was boring imo.And in the train + wedding chapter,his father was not mentioned which is a small plothole imo