Anuradha Roy's Himalayan Masterpiece: Called By the Hills
Acclaimed novelist Anuradha Roy has ventured into non-fiction territory with her first book-length work, Called by the Hills, published on November 30, 2025. This beautifully crafted volume serves as both a literary and artistic tribute to her home in the Himalayan town of Ranikhet, where she has lived with her husband, publisher Rukun Advani, for the past 25 years.
The book stands out as a visual and literary delight, featuring exquisite watercolor paintings created by Roy herself. These illustrations predominantly depict the rich flora and fauna of her mountainous surroundings, making each page a sensory experience that captures the essence of Himalayan life.
From City Dwellers to Mountain Residents
The narrative traces the couple's journey from their initial arrival in the hills to their current status as full-time residents of Ranikhet. Their story begins with a stay at a cottage belonging to publisher Ravi Dayal and his wife Mala, which eventually led to their decision to become tenants and ultimately permanent inhabitants of this breathtaking landscape.
Roy chronicles her early enchantment with the forested land surrounding their home, including her adventurous walks through leopard-inhabited woods and her gradual integration into a community vastly different from her previous urban existence. The book also documents her heartfelt relationships with numerous dogs who became integral members of their household.
However, the memoir doesn't shy away from the challenges of mountain living. Roy writes candidly about her frustrating attempts to cultivate a garden, the devastation of losing her beloved dog Jerry to a leopard, and the profound grief experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic when disease and death affected loved ones in the plains.
Nature's Dual Character: Beauty and Threat
While Roy portrays the Himalayas as a tranquil haven compared to frenetic city life, she remains acutely aware of nature's capacity for hostility. The book describes how incessant rains cause boulders to crash onto vehicles and trees to collapse on homes, illustrating the delicate balance between human settlement and natural forces.
A significant theme throughout the work is the impact of development and climate change on the Himalayan ecosystem. Roy and her husband witness firsthand how their beloved hills are falling victim to these forces, raising questions about modern-day colonization from the plains and the environmental cost of progress.
The memoir also captures poignant human connections, such as the story of a reclusive but charmingly eccentric neighbor who bequeaths his lilies to Roy before dying of old age and a broken heart.
Literary Influences and Environmental Awareness
Roy acknowledges her debt to Bengali writer Leela Majumdar, whose childhood memoir Aar Konokhane (1967) served as an inspiration. Majumdar's reassurance that the rich and strange could be found at home resonates throughout Roy's narrative as she finds significance in everyday battles fought in flower beds.
The book also details Roy's friendships with environmental activists, including Shekhar Pathak of the Chipko Movement, Chandi Prasad Bhatt, and Bill Aitken. She particularly notes Aitken's utter lack of machismo and his deep, almost pantheistic response to the mountains—qualities that clearly influence her own approach to nature writing.
Roy's prose maintains the finely chiseled, lyrical quality familiar to readers of her novels, with her luminous wit shining through like sunlight through a forest canopy on a wintry day. Yet the work remains grounded in reality, never succumbing to sentimentality while exploring complex themes of belonging, loss, and environmental stewardship.
Called by the Hills represents more than just a personal memoir—it's a meditation on the passage of time, the resilience required to build a life in challenging terrain, and the profound connections between humans and their natural environment. For readers seeking an authentic glimpse into Himalayan life through the eyes of a master storyteller and artist, this book offers a rich, immersive experience that lingers long after the final page is turned.
