The Room on the Roof

novel by Bond

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July 22, 2026

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The Room on the Roof is the debut novel by Ruskin Bond, an Indian author of British descent. Written when Bond was 17, the novel won the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize in 1957. It tells the story of Rusty, a lonely orphaned boy navigating themes of love, loss, and self-discovery. Bond's writing often draws from his own experiences and is frequently set in the Indian Himalayas, exploring nature, childhood, and everyday life with lucid and simple prose. His extensive body of work includes novels, short stories, essays, and children's literature.12

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Ruskin Bond
Literary works
His first novel, The Room on the Roof (1956), written when he was 17 while in the U.K., won the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize in 1957. It is the story of a lonely orphaned boy called Rusty who deals with the heartbreak of losing his parents, fears his…
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His first novel, The Room on the Roof (1956), written when he was 17 while in the U.K., won the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize in 1957. It is the story of a lonely orphaned boy called Rusty who deals with the heartbreak of losing his parents, fears his…
Read More