Angry River

by Ruskin Bond

It was a small island in the middle of a big river, and just large enough for Sita and her grandparents to live with their three goats, the hens, a vegetable patch and a peepul tree. But one day, the river fl ooded and took everything with it, including Sita. How will Sita survive when the angry river sweeps her away? Find out in this classic story of courage and friendship, now in a brand new look.

Genres: Fiction, Childrens, Short Stories, Indian Literature, India, Novella, Middle Grade

96 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

Ruskin Bond is an Indian author of British descent. He is considered to be an icon among Indian writers and children's authors and a top novelist. He wrote his first novel, The Room on the Roof, when he was seventeen which won John Llewellyn Rhys Memorial Prize in 1957. Since then he has written several novellas, over 500 short stories, as well as various essays and poems, all of which have established him as one of the best-loved and most admired chroniclers of contemporary India. In 1992 he received the Sahitya Akademi award for English writing, for his short stories collection, "Our Trees Still Grow in Dehra", by the Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters in India. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1999 for contributions to children's literature. He now lives with his adopted family in Landour near Mussoorie.

Reviews

[Priya Narayanan · Rating 5 out of 5]

At first glance, Angry River is a simple enough read about the flooding of an island and nearby villages and its impact on Sita, the little girl. But when I sit back and think about it, the story seems to say so much more. It talks about how life in the rural provinces have to go on despite extreme calamities and how people have no choice but to start afresh after everything they had has gone away for ever. It talks about how flippant nature can be - calm and peaceful one moment and seething with anger the next. It also talks about how strength of character need not be an adult trait alone and about the unsaid but beautiful relationship between a grandchild and grandparents. And then there is this paradox of the most precious thing of ours also being the most dangerous of all. The tree, the crow, the hens, the river, the doll, Sita . . . everyone/everything in the story held a deeper significance for me. But what I loved most were the last two paragraphs where the author's words set me thinking about how relatively insignificant we all really are in this world, yet we are at the center of our own private worlds.
To sum it up, Angry River is a beautiful story simply but elegantly told in a manner that only Ruskin Bond can.

[Somdutta · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is another of Ruskin Bond's compelling story told in simple language. I was able to empathize with Sita. Her small family of her grand-parents and herself, portrays India's poor people, who do not have even the bare necessities and yet they survive. To fight against all odds and survive is the essence of this book. Sita's childlike whimsies of talking to a doll to keep her company and in contrast her maturity in managing the household, touches the reader. I think it also says, that there is a child is every mature person, we are only too scared to admit it.

[VerseVoyager · Rating 4 out of 5]

On a small island, lived Sita with her grandparents in a small hut. All they owned was the hut, three goats, hens and a vegetable patch. Sita's grandmother was ill and had to be taken to the nearest hospital by boat. Sita was all alone with her doll Mumta during the heavy monsoon. The river swirled angrily around the little island and the water level rose. Sita, then climbed on the only peepul tree as told by her grandfather; but the old tree left its place and started flowing with the water, carrying Sita with it. Sita shifted into a small boat with a boy named Krishan. They both enjoyed the time spent together and Sita longed to see Krishan on her island.

I loved the way the things, surrounding and the situations were depicted. The structure of the hut with three walls of mud and a big stone as the fourth wall was quite fascinating to read. This being a children's literature had a wide scope of imagination which made it interesting to know what happened next.

It took only 45 minutes for me to complete reading. This small piece of children's literature kept me engaged until I turned the last page. What kept me engaged without losing interest, was the writing style of the author. Ruskin never fails to amaze the readers with the storyline ; even in children literature. A short yet sweet story of a girl who had a limited exposure to the world and was not known by anyone.

[Alok · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a writer! Inspite of this being a less than 50 page novel, the description, flawless imagination and feels as if I was in the scene observing. Through out the whole story, i felt as if i was there and not reading a novel. Ruskin Bond the great!

[Pradeep Badatiya · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a small island, set in the middle of the big river, yet large enough for Sita and her grandparents to live there, together with their three goats, their hens, their vegetable patch, and the peepul tree.

[Fatema]

nice ......really lovely n nicely written. must read atleast once.

[April Singh · Rating 5 out of 5]

the river's angry but he is playing his flute and they are eating mangoes and the wild animals don't hunt anymore!!!!Bliss.

[Anie Gpn · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a lovely story that effectively conveys the feelings of a small girl on the island and her interaction with the angry river.  Beautifully narrated how she deals with it. 

[Vaibhav · Rating 5 out of 5]

'We are part of the river. We cannot live without it'.

A beloved classic, Angry river is one of the stories of bravery, compassion, and leaving no stones unturned to overcome the obstacle. Although this story by Ruskin Bond is included in various compilations and books, this story became so famous that it was published as quick standalone book for children.

This Story based on a small island, follows the story of Sita living with her grandparents and her encounters with floods one day.
With Sita gripping on the slippery rocks, wandering the green islands, chasing the hens, her conversations with her only companion on a deserted island, Mumta; climbing her way to peepul tree, with all her wits and bits described in the story makes this a cherishing read.
Vivid description of the island covered with water, fishes swimming, changing of the rain sounds into flooding scary water, the scene of floods creating a ruckus on the beautiful island, Sita eventual escape with a flute playing boy and moments and memories made with him and their eventual reunion., makes for a great fun learning experience for young readers.

To give you all a glimpse of the imagery depicted by Bond in this story at every turn and time, here is an extract he uses to describe the angry river:
The river was very angry, it was like a wild beast, a dragon on the rampage, thundering down from the hills and sweeping across the plain, bringing with it dead animals, uprooted trees, house hold goods, and huge fish choked to death by swirling mud.

[Hema · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a short and sweet story by Ruskin Bond. I bought the book for my kid but was more intrigued after reading the synopsis. The story starts with a small family on the island, a grandfather, a grandmother and a little girl named Sita. She had lost her mother when she was young and Grandmother had taken her under her wing. This monsoon starts early and already the river is swollen. To add to this her Grandmother has been ill for 3 days now. So when the river is fast rising, she is left alone in the island as her grandparents leave for the hospital.

Lonely and scared, Sita follows her Grandfather's instruction to stay alive. But the river is really angry that it uproots the only landmark of the island, the Peepul tree. When Sita is spending her last bit of her energy hanging on to the tree, she meets a saviour. Could it really be the Lord himself who has come to save her? What happens to her family? Will she ever return to her island again? Will she meet her rescuer again? Read this book to find out.

Ruskin Bond's story along with Trevor Stubley's illustrations are a delight. The artist has made a very apt detail of the situation in the book. When I think it is good, my kid says the illustrations could have been more like the Cover art. Maybe.. from a kid's point of view. Sita's courage, selflessness and maturity are displayed in apt places. Her friendship with the doll and krishan has been portrayed very well. It makes the reader wishing and hoping for Sita's safety and happiness. A child's bonding with their grandparents is very special. Especially if they are the kid's surrogate. You feel an empathy for her loss. Such a quick read yet leaves a strong effect on you.

[Chittajit Mitra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ruskin Bond is my comfort author to go to and hence it shouldn’t be a surprise that I ended #SevenGoodReadsChallenge with one of his works. Sita is a sweet little girl living on a small island with her grandparents. But situations worsen as the water level rises while her grandmother was admitted to a hospital and their home as well as her life in danger. This story is about her journey of survival in the ‘Angry River’. When I finished reading this and look back to it that I realize that there are multiple ways to look at it but I can’t help but mention that it might be interpreted as a result of climate change and how it affects the most marginalized. Can’t recommend it enough.

[Daisy Rajbongshi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely adore the writing style of Ruskin Bond, and I don't even care if this is a children's book. I love his works. Once in a while, you need to take a break from those thick, heavy books and get absorbed in a light book. This is barely 65 pages long and has wonderful illustrations. Sometimes, when I want to relive those childhood days, I go on a reading spree of books like this. It takes away stress as well. So give it a shot, guys!

[Arshika · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ruskin Bond mostly writes about mountains and hills, which are my favourite landforms. This book is about a family living on an island in the middle of a RIVER! Sita lives with her grand parents in a hut. Her grandmother gets ill and her grandfather takes her to the hospital on the mainland. Sita is alone in the house and there is a flood.
It's a great book and you should surely read it. It was a pleasure to read it and l really enjoyed reading this novella.

[Anushka]

A quick read about Sita, a little girl who lives with her grandparents in a small island near a river. It's a story on how she manages to survive a huge flood
The simple language and the vivid descriptions make it really enjoyable
Though the story is short and simple, it reflects upon many aspects of lives of people in rural areas. On how their lives are affected, on how even small things matter to them, on how beliefs shape their vision.....

[◐Devika · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a different kind of short story from Ruskin Bond. This was a very short listen and I also kept getting distracted in between. Nothing was really happening. The author was describing everything in great detail and I found it rather boring:(
It is basically about a flood in an island in which Sita lives alone with her grandparents.

[Unboxing Perspectives · Rating 4 out of 5]

How can someone write so many emotions in such a small book?

It's a beautiful story where you can feel people around you and it's something we see around a lot. The story is old and so simple yet it has a power to hold.

[Amisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short story of how an incident changes the life of a person, but no one else ever knows about the change. Life goes on. Except that it has changed forever for that one person.

[read it twice · Rating 4 out of 5]

the angry river pulled me right in, just like mr bonds writing always does.

[Bhavika Israni · Rating 4 out of 5]

" Mango must be the nectar of the gods " a line that I won't forget. Enjoyed reading this one. There's something Magical about Bond's Writings.

[Ekta Kubba · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish this book never came to an end. The island, and its very few inhabitants mesmerised me. The river, "it was a good river, deep and strong, beginning in the mountains and ending in the sea" was part of the island. And there was a tree. It was the only tree there, the fifty years old peepul tree, that had sprung up to give shade snd shelter to the small family of Sita, her grandparents, their three goats and few hens. Fighting for the basic necessities and fighting against the odds of the nature is perhaps the essence of the book, but the thing that kept me attatched to the book, or rather made me a part of the island, was its aloofness; its being away from the crowd and noise and modernity. It's the bare nature, the nature in its very pure form. I always yearn for this kind of silence and serenity, where you are living with nature. With minimum of needs, and your attention is only towards present, keeping you fed and doing your daily chores. Future remains future; you are not worried about that. You don't need to go to school (this is the most important one for me 😂😂😂😂). Some might say it is an impractical thinking. But the beauty of the island made me think so. It always makes me think so. Ruskin Bond's stories make me think so. I feel delighted in flute sounds. I feel delighted when Binya of 'The Blue Umbrella' keeps running after her cattle, and she is the most satisfied girl, of this world, with a blue umbrella in her hands. I feel delighted when Sita, of this story, wants to share secrets, 'though there were no special secrets in her life, she made up a few, because it was fun to have them.' I feel delighted when Sita shares her secrets with her rag doll Mumta. That's the reason I liked this kind of life, the life away from noises and crowds of towns and cities.
On the surface, the story seems to be of flooding of the island and its nearby villages, and how some people survived this flood. But deeply, it tells the struggle of people residing in these kind of areas where the bare necessities of life are hard to earn, and present challenges to keep life moving. And it tells the courage of these people, who always start afresh despite all these extreme natural calamities.
Story also shows, how impertinent nature can be. As Sita said, "Sometimes the river is angry, and sometimes it is kind." And quoting Kishan, "We are part of the river. We cannot live without it." This is the spirit of these people with minimal necessities. They accept their surroundings and never give up.
Sita's struggle in keeping herself alive during floods, and keeping her spirits up is a thing to cherish. She felt cheerful in the presence of a crow, when nobody was there to accompany her in this most difficult time of her life. 'Better to have a crow for company than no one at all.'
A beautiful turn of events presented the character of Kishan, the one who 'looked blue in the moon-light, the colour of the young god Krishna.' He came as a saviour. Sita felt safe in his company because 'he was different, in a way she couldn't explain to herself....'
Amidst the horrors of the flood, Kishan is playing flute, Sita is sleeping in a boat and dreaming of god and a white bird, wild animals are running close to them but not hurting them, they are savouring mangoes, 'the nectar of the gods!' What a bliss! Only Ruskin Bond can write this beautiful piece of nature. I love this book.

[Sarthak Mohanty · Rating 5 out of 5]

"There was water everywhere. The world had become one vast river. Thunder rolled down from the hills and the river seemed to take it up with a hollow booming sound."

#qotd - Your favourite Ruskin Bond book? 😬

In 'Angry River', master storyteller Ruskin Bond talks about a little girl, Sita, living in a mud-hut on a secluded, riverine island with her grandparents, a few hens and goats, and her secret-keeper, Mumta(a rag-doll). Their constant companion on the island is a decades old Peepul tree.

Once, Sita's grandfather had to take her ailing grandmother to the hospital in the city, Shahganj. Sita was all alone at home and the weather looked ominous with incessant rains and thunder. The water level was rising and the river looked fearsome. Just when Sita was busy packing their meagre belongings into a trunk, their mud-hut started getting flooded. Shocked and scared, Sita ran into the arms of the wise, old Peepul tree.

Will the tree be able to stand the onslaught of the raging river? Or will it go down like a battered old veteran? Who will come to Sita's rescue? Her old grandfather? The Gods from her grandmother's stories?Indra, the God of rain and thunder?Krishna, the mischievous one? Or someone else? Or will they forget the little girl just the way she forgot the promise she made to her self made rag-doll, Mumta, that she'll protect her from the flood? "Angry River" by Ruskin Bond is your answer to all these questions.

Just like any other Ruskin Bond book, "Angry River" is filled with clear focus on natural surroundings and a plethora of emotions. The short, sweet and simple book reflects upon courage of a little girl, her will to survive against mountainous odds and an unexpected yet, beautiful friendship that blooms in her life. The hour-long (sort of) read is sure to keep you hooked until the very end and make your day brighter, just like the sunrise after a storm. 💕

[Bhargavi Karna · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is small story about a brave, courageous and intelligent girl named "Sita". She lives with her Grandparents in a small hut which is on a small island in the middle of the river. she lost her mother at small age. Her Grandma is a good story-teller and Grandpa, a good fisherman.

From a few days her Grandma was feeling sick not able to eat or drink anything. So Grandpa decided to take her to hospital which is at very distant from their place. As it is Monsoon season, the rains are very heavy. Even the day before Sita's Grandparents leave to hospital, it rained a lot.

So the water in the river is rushing. However Grandpa and grandma left to hospital giving some courage and instruction to Sita how she could save herself if there is a flood.

It began to rain heavy and the level of water in the river increasing higher and higher. Sita climb on to the peepul tree and perched on a strong & narrow branch to protect herself from the flood.

But after sometime the roots of the peepul tree also began to loose their tenacious hold to earth!

So Did the tree broken or stood up for that strong wind and heavy rain attack? If the tree falls
how Sita save herself from the flood?
Or Did anyone came to rescue Sita from the danger?
If so, Is he Lord Krishna..!
Did she meet her Grandparents again?

To know all these thing go through the book... It is a good story and easy to read.🙂

From this, I learnt that "You should be brave and courageous to triumph over all your difficulties"

Comment how do you feel after reading the book.

[Milan Vohra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heard this on Audible recently. It's a fine story which has all the twists and turns that would have you holding your breath as little Sita struggles alone to survive the angry river in full flood. What worked for me: Powerful imagery, the crows trying to save their young, the hen on a fragile makeshift raft, the doll thrown to its destiny, even the mighty peepul tree helpless in the face of nature. The parallels are what will stay...of realising the universality of all living beings, the preciousness of life for each of us, the fragility and insignificance of life as well.
What didn't work for me : I do love the lord Krishna but I felt a little angry that all the efforts of Sita to save herself came to nought until the boy Krishan came to her rescue. The symbolism with a Baal Krishna is intended of course and I can imagine it making for magical listening as a child. But the adult me had hoped for something as wondrous as the way The blue umbrella ended. With human goodness triumphing .
That said, the story is a poignant reflection on our own insignificance. The last two lines are so simply put and so rich in meaning, I listened to them again. And perhaps, in these troubled times of global warming and nature showing again it cannot be messed with, maybe it is time to hope again for a little boy with a flute to appear out of nowhere on a boat on an angry river and take us safely to the shore.

[Gayaprashad Saravanabhavan · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was my first Ruskin Bond book and i am extremely delighted to have read this book. I read this book during a difficult part in my life. It was at a crossroad in my life when i did not know which direction my life will take me and this book gave me reassurance that life will work out. The story is written in a simple language that could be read by any 5th standard kid however the concepts that it tried to tackle and useful to even a fully grown adult.

Now let us come to the story, it starts with sati a small child who lives on a riverine island surrounded by water all around with her grandparents.In due course, her grandmother gets sick and both her grandparents go to see the doctor in a town far away. During this time the river begins to flood and sati is trying to just survive the flood.

How she survives? what she goes through during the journey? the humanity of people who help her ? how she copes with the tragedies that follows ?and how life goes on despite the hardships she goes through forms the rest of the story.

It is incredible how Bond is able to capture the essence and resility of humanity in a 50 page book and perhaps this is the reason why he is still regarded as one of the best authors.

[Jyotiraditya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Angry river is a teeny tiny book written by Ruskin Bond which shows the life of a girl and her grandparents living on a riverine Island. With the turning of the pages the Author beautifully describes the wrath of nature, the struggle of survival and the essence of humanity.


The story revolves around Sita, the protagonist of the book. Sita is left alone on the island when her grandfather decides to take her ill grandmother to a hospital in the city. Being the only child on the island Sita made a rag doll whom she used to talk to.

Sita faced extreme conditions as the flood proceeds to destroy everything around her. The single peepal tree on the island which stood there for ages falls down to the angry river and so does Sita’s home.

Relief and rescue appears to her in form of a boy in a boat named Kishan. The author very subtly reflects the characteristics of God krishna in the boy.

It feels that the words are not limited to paper but are printing an picture. The pages take you there with Sita through the rain and the angry river.

This is a nice and lighthearted book which you can complete in a single sitting.

RECOMMENDED!!!

[Hemangini · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sita lives on a small island with her grandpa, grandma & 3 goats. All they have is a small hut and little patch of land to grow vegetables. Once during Monsoon Sita's Grandma had to be taken to hospital on a ferry, her grandpa told her to climb the peepal tree if the rain increase and river rages. That actually happens. The simple but surreal story is told by Ruskin Bond in a beautiful manner.

This book is a 5 star to me and I gave two of its copies to my friends to read. This book shows you how life is in the small parts of lands where you might never have been. How the life goes on day to day bases and what happens when calamity strikes. Out of everything this book will leave you with, one thing is, tragedies or calamities strike without any forewarnings. When that happens it is good to be ready with the mindset to survive. No matter what life goes on if you have the will to survive and keep going.

Overall, like his most books this one will leave you with a smile as well.

[Kashvi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read Angry River when I was 7 or 8. I immediately fell in love with the story, the illustrations, and my fondness of water made me feel very connected to the book somehow. The story was short but delicately described, and the illustrations brought everything to life.

I lost my copy or gave it away when I shifted cities, and was extremely sad. I tried finding it online but the same cover was not to be found anywhere. I told my best friend about it, and the same year, she got me the same book for my birthday and I just cried for the longest time.

Reading it again, seeing the vibrant illustrations, brought back so many memories. I come back to it every once in a while, for a feeling of familiarity and comfort, and Angry River never fails to give it to me.

[VANSHIKA Srivastava · Rating 4 out of 5]

💫This story is about a small girl, Sita who lives on a small island located in the middle of the river with her grandparents. One day her grandmother falls ill and her condition is deteriorating day by day. Thus the grandfather decides to take her on a boat to the hospital in town. Sita is by herself on the island where no other people live. It is raining heavily and the story builds up to show how Sita is fighting bravely for her survival. Mind you she is only ten years old.
💫Bond’s simple story leaves you thinking about how the poor in our country are affected by the natural calamities and how they have no choice but to start afresh.
💫The writing is simple but in an elegant manner.
💫Recommend all age groups.

[Nitin Jain · Rating 3 out of 5]

Angry River is a beautifully written short story by Ruskin Bond, perfect for young readers. The book tells the story of Sita, a brave girl who lives on a small island with her grandparents. When a sudden flood threatens her home, she must find the strength to survive on her own.

Bond’s simple yet vivid storytelling makes this an easy and engaging read. The book teaches children important life lessons about courage, resilience, and adapting to challenges. It reminds young readers that difficulties are a part of life, but facing them with determination makes all the difference.

Overall, Angry River is a heartwarming tale that blends adventure with a strong moral, making it a must-read for kids.

[Juvelle Mendes · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very simple story with a very profound message. The book talks about a little girl named Sita and how one incident changes her life. The best is the closing line of the book 'Along its banks, for hundreds of miles, lived millions of people, and Sita was only one small girl among them, and no one had ever heard of her, no one knew her -except for the old man, the boy, and the River '. This sends out a very strong message that when something changes only your the one who knows about it and no one else .Once in a while, I still do enjoy children's books.