A Town Called Dehra by Ruskin Bond

[prashant_bookworm]

A two day train journey loomed large in front of me and while rummaging through my old novels to pick one to keep me company, I came across this book by Ruskin Bond which is a reminiscence of his days in the Indian town of 'Dehradun'. A perfect companion for a monotonous train journey. In the book, the author fondly remembers his life in the sleepy little town of Dehradun, which came into prominence during the British occupation of the Indian sub continent. The book is filled with brief incidents during the childhood days of Ruskin Bond interspersed with small poems, showcasing the burst of creativity in the author. The message of the book is loud and clear - 'cherish the small things in life'. To the uninitiated, the writings of Ruskin Bond are extremely descriptive, and this book is no different. The characters in the book, though very few and keep flitting in and out of the various chapters, have been described beautifully by the author. The book makes the reader go through the same emotions of unbridled joy and heart wrenching sorrow as that of the author.

One cannot help but notice that the incidents keep repeating themselves as we move from chapter to chapter. This however is typical of the writings of Ruskin who seems to write his books from a joyful dreamy haze, falling back to his cherished memories time and again, each time the description magically bettering the last. At 219 pages 'A Town Called Dehra' is an ideal book for a lazy weekend or a long journey. Without doubt the book will make you smile and make your heart soar at the beauty of small things in life.