NEW DELHI, April 24, 2023 /– Ruskin Bond is eighty-nine years old, and as the years go by, his contentment with living the life he has chosen—keeping to himself, with his family and his books, in Landour—has only grown stronger. In his trademark warm, witty, whimsical style and his marvellously simple prose, Ruskin tells how to enjoy the advancing years people are blessed with, and how to make the most of the amazing gift called life.
Publishing on Ruskin Bond’s birthday
Hardback | 168 pp | Rs 399
Available wherever books are sold | Releasing 19th May 2023
An excerpt from the book
Why do people retire at all? Why does that number ’60’ fill them with apprehension? Why do they feel it ends the active period of their lives? It is just the opposite, in fact. We have, hopefully, learnt from all the mistakes of our youth and middle age; we have acquired maturity, if not great wisdom. We can’t change the world. We grew up in a troubled world, and here we are, still in a troubled world. It will always be so because humans are troublesome by nature. But if we have survived into our sixties and beyond, it is because we have learnt to live with trouble.
Ruskin Bond says, ‘To coincide with my eighty-ninth birthday, HarperCollins India has published The Golden Years, a book that I have written for those, like me, who can no longer climb trees, swing from the flying trapeze, or go sky-diving. There are, however, a great many other things we can do, and this book describes and enumerates some of them. Life may not be a bed of roses—roses have thorns, after all—but if you can make your bed with care and dedication and a little love, you may find that it’s a good bed and a good life—often the best years of your life!’
Executive Publisher, Udayan Mitra, says, ‘A new book by Ruskin Bond is always something to look forward to—it’s almost guaranteed that, when you pick up a book by Ruskin, it will make you feel better, and make the world around you seem a bit more cheerful. I remember reading the manuscript of The Golden Years (written in longhand by Ruskin as usual) for the very first time on a day that was downright gloomy—both weatherwise and otherwise. By the time I had finished reading, though, the sun was shining again, the birds were chirping, and there was a smile on my face that simply would not be wiped off. I’ve read it several times since, and it’s brought me great joy each and every time. I hope it’ll do the same for you. Having enjoyed eighty-nine long years on the planet, in The Golden Years Ruskin tells us in his inimitable way—through stories, anecdotes, remembrances, observations, witticisms— why, for those of us who are lucky enough to get there, our years as a “senior citizen” can really be the best years of our lives. But the book is not just for those who’ve lived a good long life; it’s for everyone – because it’s all about the joy of life itself.
I cannot wait for The Golden Years to be published on Ruskin’s birthday, on 19 May, and for readers to get their hands on this wonderful collection of all-new writings by one of the most beloved authors of our time.’
Managing Editor, Amrita Mukerji, says, ‘The Golden Years is a beautiful little book to keep by your side for when you are feeling down and out and need a pick-me-up. Flip to any of the pieces in this book, and you’ll find yourself smiling. It is not just meant for senior citizens; anybody, regardless of age, who is looking for some humour, some nuggets of wisdom, and most of all, some inspiration to keep going in this “troubled world” as Ruskin Bond puts it, will enjoy this book. It acts much the same way as a conversation with one’s favourite family elder—full of humorous anecdotes, gentle guidance, witticisms and a “goofy old man’s” reflections on a life well-lived.’
