The perils and pleasures that attend growing up... In A Handful of Nuts , the first of the novellas in this book, the reader is treated to vintage Bond a gloriously funny and unexpectedly tender story of being young and adventurous in small town India. The central character would like to establish himself as a writer but he is constantly diverted from his task by assorted escapades, romances, friends and other distractions. Containing some of Bond s finest writing it is a classic coming of age story, told in a fresh and compelling way. The Sensualist , the second novella, is altogether more sombre but deals with a similar theme the trials and tribulations of a young man s coming of age. Gripping, erotic, even brutal, it explores the demons that its protagonist must grapple with before he is able to come to terms with himself...

Ruskin Bond was born in Kasauli in 1934; grew up in Jamnagar, Simla and Dehradun; spent a few years abroad, and returned to India when he was twenty-one. Although unmarried, he has a large adopted family. A resident of Mussoorie, he is a well-known writer of fiction and a raconteur par excellence.His Tales and Legends from India, Angry River, Strange Men, Strange Places, The Blue Umbrella, A Long Walk for Bina and Hanuman to the Rescue are also available in Rupa paperback. The Ruskin Bond's Children's Omnibus has been a firm favourite with young readers for several years. Ghost Stories from the Raj, The Rupa Book of Great Animal Stories, The Rupa Book of True Tales of Mystery and Adventure, The Rupa Book of Himalayan Tales and The Rupa Book of Great Suspense Stories are some of his recent books for Rupa.