Book Review- Once upon a monsoon time By Ruskin Bond- Reviewed By-Akash Kumar

The Book is about the sweet & salty childhood experiences of the author. There is no imagination but a superb writing skill is involved which can be felt by the reader throughout the book. The story revolves round the author & his father.

The author spends his early childhood in Kathiawar, where his father serves as a school teacher. He uses to teach in the school especially for Raja’s & his relatives’ children. He has been given a grand bungalow, along with several servants including ‘Dukhi’, the gardener. Instead of his mother, he has an ayah to look after him. In the midway, little Ruskin has to go to ‘Dehra’; for his father’s appointment in the Royal Air Force. Now, his father resides in Delhi but in order to see Ruskin, he regularly pays a visit to Dehra. In the rains, Ruskin & his father go to a riverine island with plant saplings. They plant many trees there, imagining of a green paradise.

 After a while, the story takes a sudden twist when Ruskin’s father dies of Malaria in Delhi. He & his grandmother have to leave Dehra as his father has left no money behind him. They sell their house to an emerging doctor.

After 20 years of this incident, mature Ruskin comes to Dehra especially to see the green paradise, he & his father had planted.  He is content & merry to see the green paradise as a home of many animals. He realizes that his father’s dream has come true.

The story is written in such an interesting way that not an iota of boredom is felt while reading & believe me, the ride is thrilling….

Book’s name- Once upon a monsoon time

Author- Ruskin Bond

Publisher- Orient Blackswan

Price- 48 only

Genre- Autobiography/Short novel

Rating points- 9/10