Heat and Dust

Ruth Prawer Jhabvala skilfully weaves two parallel stories set in India, one in the present and the other in the days of British rule, intertwining the narratives of two women and their relationships to India.

“Her tussle with India is one of the richest treats of contemporary literature.”  —  The Guardian

In 1920s India, Olivia - a beautiful, spoiled and deeply bored English colonial wife - is drawn inexorably to a minor Indian prince. Eventually, she outrages the tiny, suffocating town where her husband is a civil servant when she elopes with the captivating Nawab. This is also the story of Olivia’s step-granddaughter who, 50 years later, is drawn to India by her fascination with the letters left behind by the now-dead woman, and by her obsession with solving the enigma of Olivia’s scandal.

“A superb book. A complex storyline, handled with dazzling assurance... moving and profound. Ruth Prawer Jhabvala has not only written a love story, but she has also exposed the soul and nerve ends of a fascinating and compelling country. This is a book of cool, controlled brilliance. It is a jewel to be treasured.”  —  The Times

Ruth Prawer Jhabvala wrote 12 novels, including the Booker Prize-winning Heat and Dust. As well as her novels, she produced five volumes of short stories and wrote more than a dozen screenplays, including Howard’s End and A Room with a View, for both of which she received an Academy Award.