Lovesong and Lament

This memoir is a beautifully crafted ode to the Himalaya as well as a cry from the heart about its continuing destruction

- Vineetha Mokkil

IN the summer of 2025, a study published in the journal Earth alerted us to our growing disconnect with nature. As cities multiply and the wilderness dwindles, words connected to nature are disappearing from our vocabulary as well. The study found that the use of nature-related words has reduced by over 60 per cent between 1800-2019. Many familiar terms like 'meadow', 'magpie' and 'beak' among others, have vanished from English-language books. Anuradha Roy's new book, Called by the Hills, is a welcome antidote to this loss. Roy moved from Delhi to Ranikhet about 25 years ago with her husband and her beloved dogs. She built a home there and eased into the rhythms of the Himalayan wild over time. Her memoir—her first work of nonfiction—gives readers a taste of both the romance and the ruggedness of life in the hills. There are invaluable lessons on offer about engaging fully with the natural world.

Roy is the author of five novels, including the Sahitya Akademi Award-winning All the Lives We Never Lived and