Why A Little Book Of India?
Are you looking for a book for the Independence Day? Then “A Little Book of India: Celebrating 75 Years of Independence” is the book for you. The short answer to “Why read ‘A Little Book of India’?” is simple: I read it because I love my country and I’m proud of it! August 15th, our Independence Day, is just around the corner. We’ve recently completed 75 years of independence from British rule. A country born in 1947, which almost everyone predicted would be doomed, has not just survived but thrived.
A lot has happened in these 75 years. It’s a fascinating history of a newly born nation, which had so much diversity that its survival was always doubted. But through our leaders, our constitution, and our people, we proved the world wrong—and we continue to do so.
We are a nation of mountains, rivers, oceans, music, colours, food, monuments, and so much more. Yet we often take these treasures for granted, forgetting to feel proud of the riches we possess.
This book by legendary Ruskin Bond is a brief reminder of all that we have as a country. It’s a crash course in the last 75 years of history—but one filled with emotions. August 15th will be a national holiday. We’ll all feel proud when the Tiranga is unfurled and the national anthem is sung. We’ll watch the Prime Minister hoist our flag from the ramparts of the Red Fort in New Delhi. In this spirit, I urge you to spare some time to read this book yourself and share it with your children too!
Reading Insights
I recommend reading this book on Independence Day. It’s a very short, refreshing read of about an hour. At times the narration feels random, but that’s the beauty of this book. It’s like watching a short trailer of a brilliant movie. In simple, lucid language, the author has captured the essence of India. Don’t expect detailed analysis from this book. Just spare an hour on August 15th with your children and fill yourself with pride in being Indian by reading this book.
About A Little Book Of India (From Goodreads)
As India completed 75 years of independence, Penguin Books has brought to us a slice of our beloved country in the words of our favourite author, Ruskin Bond. Drawing on his own memories and impressions of this unique land, he pays homage to the country that has been his home for 84 years. Bond talks fondly about the diverse elements that make up this beautiful land-its rivers and forests, literature and culture, sights, sounds and colours. A Little Book of India is an amalgamation of the physical and spiritual attributes of our homeland, and takes you on a journey filled with nostalgia and devotion.
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.
You can buy here “A Little Book of India: Celebrating 75 Years of Independence”
