Heat and Dust This short novel tells the story of two women, in two different eras. There is the spoiled and unhappy Oliva, in 1923 colonial India, who outrages society by having an affair with the local Nawab. Olivia's husband Douglas divorces her and remarries. In the 1970's, his granddaughter arrives in India to revisit the places her family once lived and to try to discover the truth about the scandal that surrounded her grandfather's first wife. Although this is a short read, it is full of emotions and it is beautifully written. Both the story of Oliva and that of her step-granddaughter almost merge, as you find yourself changing viewpoints with an ease that highlights the skill of the author. Ruth Prawer Jhabvala died at the age of 85 in 2013, but her work stands the test of time and this 1975 Booker winning novel will remain a classic. Inspired by "Heat and Dust " I have painted "It was like a challenge and she meant it to