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Called by the Hills: A Home in the Himalaya
A book about building a home and a wild garden on the edge of a Himalayan forest, illuminated by the author's own watercolours.
When novelist Anuradha Roy and her husband stumble upon a derelict cottage in the hill station of Ranikhet, they decide it is where they will now live. Fresh from the neon-lit publishing offices of Delhi, Roy is initially bemused by the gentle pace of life in the mountains but then won spellbound by the landscape, taken into the heart of the community, and adopted by several mountain dogs.
As Roy tries to rebuild the cottage and create a garden, she encounters nature at its most fierce, beautiful, and vulnerable, and over twenty-five years bears witness to the destructive impact of global warming on the alpine ecosystem.
What emerges is an intimate portrait of her surroundings in which rugged nature, loveable dogs, and recalcitrant humans come together to captivating effect. Written with unsentimental clarity, humour, and poignancy, this is a story of profound transformations.
When novelist Anuradha Roy and her husband stumble upon a derelict cottage in the hill station of Ranikhet, they decide it is where they will now live. Fresh from the neon-lit publishing offices of Delhi, Roy is initially bemused by the gentle pace of life in the mountains but then won spellbound by the landscape, taken into the heart of the community, and adopted by several mountain dogs.
As Roy tries to rebuild the cottage and create a garden, she encounters nature at its most fierce, beautiful, and vulnerable, and over twenty-five years bears witness to the destructive impact of global warming on the alpine ecosystem.
What emerges is an intimate portrait of her surroundings in which rugged nature, loveable dogs, and recalcitrant humans come together to captivating effect. Written with unsentimental clarity, humour, and poignancy, this is a story of profound transformations.
188 pages, Hardcover
Published November 20, 2025
35 people are currently reading
442 people want to read
About the author
Anuradha Roy
25 books543 followersAnuradha Roy was educated in Hyderabad, Calcutta and Cambridge (UK). She is an editor at Permanent Black, an independent press publishing in South Asian history, politics and culture. She lives mainly in Ranikhet, India, with her husband Rukun Advani and their dog, Biscoot.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
February 7, 2026
Some cozy non-fiction with a side of sensorial experience and some political undercurrents? Bring it on. The paintings are a sight to behold and extra kudos for the postcards :) the entire book comes together as one gorgeous, immersive piece of work.
March 1, 2026
Gorgeous artwork and imagery evoked with an enjoyable focus on Himalayan nature and elements of Roy’s garden. I also found the turn to a political and environmental commentary at the end fitting and nicely built up to. While perhaps not a book I would pick up again, it was an enjoyable insight into a different part of the world.
December 28, 2025
I like Anuradha Roy's writing very much, and I love the Kumaon, but it was still very difficult to finish this book. It starts off like a book about the hills, but then quickly converts into a book that is essentially about her garden. And then some about the forests her home is in. And a little about dogs and villagers and everything else. If you're a plant/ tree person, this could work well for you. If not, might be tough.
The standout is the artwork. All done by the author, and all beautiful.
The standout is the artwork. All done by the author, and all beautiful.
March 8, 2026
Woven into the peaceful tapestry of slow mountain living, this book is peaceful, poignant, and soothing on many levels. What starts as slow and peaceful takes a humorous turn when the writer candidly shifts her focus from the pristine mountain views of her cottage to navigating the everyday challenges of “mountain living.” From figuring out life and living to dealing with a basic lack of resources like electricity, connectivity, and transport—or survival (literally, when one is surrounded by wild leopards in the jungle)—the writer unravels each experience with quiet pleasure, allowing readers the time to process and feel the journey.
Despite the oddities, her wordsmithing keeps the reader charmed and spellbound by the raw ruggedness and untouched innocence of this life. Simple people (including the recalcitrant neighbors), everyday chores, and the small oddities of mountain life are like a soft blanket on a chilly night, bringing warmth and reassurance that good things lie ahead.
Anuradha’s writing carries a freshness that reminded me of the mountain writing I once read from Ruskin Bond. Perhaps it was the setting, or the candor of it all—but the book becomes a sure-shot comforting read, one I would happily pick up again when I long for comfort, reassurance, or nostalgia.
Replete with beautiful watercolor artworks by the writer, the book is nothing less than an artist’s delight.
Despite the oddities, her wordsmithing keeps the reader charmed and spellbound by the raw ruggedness and untouched innocence of this life. Simple people (including the recalcitrant neighbors), everyday chores, and the small oddities of mountain life are like a soft blanket on a chilly night, bringing warmth and reassurance that good things lie ahead.
Anuradha’s writing carries a freshness that reminded me of the mountain writing I once read from Ruskin Bond. Perhaps it was the setting, or the candor of it all—but the book becomes a sure-shot comforting read, one I would happily pick up again when I long for comfort, reassurance, or nostalgia.
Replete with beautiful watercolor artworks by the writer, the book is nothing less than an artist’s delight.
March 11, 2026
Maybe what some people call beautiful writing for me is just flowery words put together in such a way that you can't figure out what the writer is trying to say. I don't like that kind of writing. Chapter 5, the last chapter that I tried to read was an example. It was about dogs. Four dogs. It started out with a black and tan dog that showed up on their doorstep and settled there. He was three years old and he stayed. In the next paragraph we are told "We made his acquaintance when he was a puppy with more energy than brains, whom we met when we went for walks with our first dog, Biscoot. He belonged to the gardener at the Army Public School and wore a red string around his neck ... " At first I thought she had changed her mind and had actually met the three-year-old when he was a puppy. Then I realized that no, the black and tan must have been Biscoot, and this puppy was the second of the four dogs that this chapter was about. It was too confusing. I had to reread to make sense of it.
My first impression was that the writing was too precious, too self-conscious which is why I never really wanted to pick up the book. I guess it's just a matter of taste. Note: I have a paperback edition that does not appear in the Goodreads list and I couldn't find a way to enter it by ISBN since, I was told, the book is already in the Goodreads list. It's published by Daunt Books but is not the listed Kindle edition. The author's illustrations are lovely.
My first impression was that the writing was too precious, too self-conscious which is why I never really wanted to pick up the book. I guess it's just a matter of taste. Note: I have a paperback edition that does not appear in the Goodreads list and I couldn't find a way to enter it by ISBN since, I was told, the book is already in the Goodreads list. It's published by Daunt Books but is not the listed Kindle edition. The author's illustrations are lovely.
February 22, 2026
In this memoir ‘Called by the Hills,’ Anuradha Roy writes about moving to the Kumaon region at the foothills of Himalayas. She is seeking solace in the mountains.
It’s a short book which tries to cover a lot of ground. The author tells about the life unfolding in a small town next to a forest where there are no clear boundaries telling where the jungle ends and where the humans take over. We meet the birds, the animals, the plants, and a cast of local characters. We become aware of the problems of the local community. She writes about climate change, growing plants, dogs, leopard attacks, bird songs, trees, soil, rain, destruction of nature, and a few musings about being a writer. It has everything that a nature lover would like to read about. But she never goes deep into any of the topics but flits like a bird from one topic to another quickly.
The drawings in the book (done by the author) bring the hills to life. Some of the details of the mountain life were quite fascinating. The best parts of the book are where the patterns of life in the hills are shown along with the compassion of the people for each other.
It’s a short book which tries to cover a lot of ground. The author tells about the life unfolding in a small town next to a forest where there are no clear boundaries telling where the jungle ends and where the humans take over. We meet the birds, the animals, the plants, and a cast of local characters. We become aware of the problems of the local community. She writes about climate change, growing plants, dogs, leopard attacks, bird songs, trees, soil, rain, destruction of nature, and a few musings about being a writer. It has everything that a nature lover would like to read about. But she never goes deep into any of the topics but flits like a bird from one topic to another quickly.
The drawings in the book (done by the author) bring the hills to life. Some of the details of the mountain life were quite fascinating. The best parts of the book are where the patterns of life in the hills are shown along with the compassion of the people for each other.
January 10, 2026
When I was young, as with most other people, the dream of the Himalayas was envisioned through Ruskin Bond's books. Life in a village, next to a forest, with indulgent amas and impromptu adventures seemed to be the only way to live in the Himalayas.
In 2020, when I moved to the hills, it was a different adventure - one where you learn from the village, its cuisine and its festivals. It's one where your inquisitiveness is constantly battling for time with the mundane activities that comprise living in a village.
Anuradha Roy's "Called by the Hills" brought back the innocence of Ruskin Bond books while not being a children's book. It is real - with all the trials and tribulations faced by those living in the hills and yet privileged. A chief reality check being the loss of the many Jerrys who had graced and embellished their owners' lives.
It's a contemporary book on the hills, and contrary to what the author thinks, an important one at that.
In 2020, when I moved to the hills, it was a different adventure - one where you learn from the village, its cuisine and its festivals. It's one where your inquisitiveness is constantly battling for time with the mundane activities that comprise living in a village.
Anuradha Roy's "Called by the Hills" brought back the innocence of Ruskin Bond books while not being a children's book. It is real - with all the trials and tribulations faced by those living in the hills and yet privileged. A chief reality check being the loss of the many Jerrys who had graced and embellished their owners' lives.
It's a contemporary book on the hills, and contrary to what the author thinks, an important one at that.
December 16, 2025
It’s a memoir/diary about the author's life in Ranikhet, and how she and her husband built a home for themselves in the majestic Himalayas. The book gives us first-hand account of what it takes to cohabit with the wild nature; pre-internet rhythms of the Kamouni life; mountain dogs and the two devastating Covid lockdowns; our love for the soil and why it makes humans happy. The book is a beautiful reflection on the author's choice to live a slow life (despite its many challenges and oddities) and how it's shaped the gardener, publisher, writer, potter, and painter that she is today. The book comes with Roy's remarkably soft illustrations of the community and landscapes around their abode, which undoubtedly carry the same warmth and care with which she writes about her life in the mountains.
December 24, 2025
I read and liked Anuradha Roy's 'All the Lives We Never Lived' a few years back. I have been thinking of reading anothr book of hers but never got around to it, until now. I became aware of this book through a social media post and ordered it on a whim. I am happy that I did. I finished the book in 3 days - it is not a big book - and enjoyed reading it. This is her first non-fiction and expertly draws ther reader into her world as she makes a home in the hills. She beautifully captures the joy of a living a slow-paced life, away from the bustle of big cities, without minimising all the hassles it involves. Towards the end she shares her anguish at the damage being done to the fragile hills in the name of 'development.'
January 5, 2026
Anuradha Roy is a favourite writer that I avoid reading because most of her books are entrenched with Sadness, and yet her way of creating characters and describing scenes is exemplary. I picked this book eagerly because it was non-fiction, and it is a delightful memoir (of sorts) which encapsulates a life in Rani Khet surrounded by nature as she and her husband Rukun (who is the central character of a book by Mr Guha but appears sparsely here) leave the city and create a universe, populated by gin drinking octogenarians, small shops and the love of Dogs. The book also has a lot of her paintings and sketches, capturing the hills and her.
March 23, 2026
A super cozy read about living in a cottage with grand views of the Himalayas.
I wish I had read this in the winter, curled under warm sheets.
I wish I’d bought the hardcover instead of the Kindle version, just for that gorgeous artwork.
I wish I could have read it while sipping fruit tea and eating biscuits in the spring sun, lying on the fresh grass.
I wish I had a copy of this book for my shelf, and
I wish that I, too, could live in the mountains.
I wish and long to go on another long trek to meet those snow-clad peaks, filling my lungs with cold air.
I wish......
Gorgeous work.
I wish I had read this in the winter, curled under warm sheets.
I wish I’d bought the hardcover instead of the Kindle version, just for that gorgeous artwork.
I wish I could have read it while sipping fruit tea and eating biscuits in the spring sun, lying on the fresh grass.
I wish I had a copy of this book for my shelf, and
I wish that I, too, could live in the mountains.
I wish and long to go on another long trek to meet those snow-clad peaks, filling my lungs with cold air.
I wish......
Gorgeous work.
December 11, 2025
A touching account of a city-bred couple trying to create a patch of happiness on the hills. Anyone with actual experience of living on hills will appreciate the honesty of the account. The book’s beauty lies in its simple ‘Ruskinesque’ narration. The pages conceal a subtle melancholy strain - the delightful humour and the cheerful paintings adorning the book notwithstanding. The book is highly recommended for those with dreams of settling down in the hills - ‘someday’!
January 14, 2026
A beautiful book, rich in description and full of heartwarming stories and characters. A joy to read, you really feel immersed in the author's home in the Himalaya. I especially enjoyed the chapter on 'The Ancient'...
February 3, 2026
Short memoir capturing the life of Ranikhet. I was able to feel the quiet comfort of living near the mountains - the stillness , truth and. Chaos it subsides.
It shows that peace isn’t the absence of hardship but instead living throughout.
It shows that peace isn’t the absence of hardship but instead living throughout.
January 8, 2026
All while reading this book I felt as if I have relocated to Raniket (Himalyas). On purpose I read it alow, I didnt wish it to end.
March 11, 2026
What a great “slice of life” read, highly enjoyed
February 28, 2026
I loved this book so much. A beautiful read. The author takes you to her home in Ranikhet. The people, animals, garden, surrounding jungle and mountains (Himalayas) are revealed to us through her deep knowledge and experience of living in a place that is so very different to her previous home in Delhi.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews