Author: Ruskin Bond
Illustrator: Mihir Joglekar
Pages: 104
Publisher: Puffin India
How Long it Took Me to Read: A couple of hours
Plot Summary: Shortly before his eighteenth birthday, Ruskin embarks on a literary journey and reaches England after charting unknown waters. Greeted by the uncertainties of a new city, he muses over his loneliness, switches jobs, falls in love, befriends the ocean and relentlessly chases a big dream!
What follows next is the metamorphosis of a journal entry into a novel as we time-travel to the fascinating events that led to the making of his iconic book, The Room on the Roof.
Capturing memorable experiences from young Ruskin's life, Listen to Your Heart is an inspiration for aspiring young writers, a meditation on embracing fears, seizing every opportunity but most importantly living one's dreams.
Things I Loved:
1. Reading Ruskin Bond feels like coming home. Reading his stories, both fictional and ones about this own unique life are always a treat. So this book was no different. It's words and the world we step into were just as comforting and familiar as I had hoped. This is a quick little read that pulls you in and keeps you invested.
2. Those of us who know of Bond's personal story, those of us who've read his work extensively, will slip into this episode of this life easily. We know of his stay in the UK, his homesickness for India and ultimately his decision to come back home. So even this, his final installment of his boyhood memoirs, can be read without having read the earlier installment. Of course, reading the whole series is advisable and enjoyable. But if you just want to read about this chapter in his young life, you could pick this book up on it's own and not feel lost.
3. I think so many people will identify this particular tale. Anyone who has moved away from home at an young age will relate to this tale of homesickness and trying to find your place in the world. The feelings and emotions that Bond grapples with are something we've all had to deal with at some point.
4. While is a book for young readers, it will appeal to pretty much everyone. I enjoyed it very much.
5. I also loved reading about the process of Bond writing his first book and everything that went into it. I love reading about writers and their process and so this particular aspect of the book really appealed to me.
6. The art in this book is truly beautiful and adds so much to the story. I am a huge fan of books with art in them and this book was made a million times better (if that's even possible) with the gorgeous art in it.
Here are a few examples.
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Rating: 5/5
I absolutely loved this book and I am so grateful to the publishers for sending this my way.
The thoughts and opinions are all my own.
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