Heat and Dust  (English, Paperback, Jhabvala Ruth Prawer)

Heat and Dust is a complex narrative by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, and it has two parallel stories. The narrator comes to India to find out about the scandalous past of her step-grandmother, Olivia. The narrator’s life is set in the post-colonial era, while Olivia’s life is set in the British Raj. Olivia was married to the narrator’s grandfather Douglas during the British Raj. She feels choked with the British social restrictions and longs for independence. Olivia is attracted to the Nawab of Khatm and starts a passionate relationship with him. She kicks up a furore in the town of Satipur, though, once she gets pregnant with the Nawab’s baby. The narrator is curious to understand Olivia’s motivation behind her actions, and she puts together Olivia’s life, and her experiences in India. Both the stories are based in different times in India, and the profound impact of India on both the characters is strongly portrayed. Heat and Dust has also been adapted into a movie, which was released in the year 1983 and was critically acclaimed.

Ruth Prawer Jhabvala was born on May 7, 1927, in Germany. She is a Booker Prize-winning novelist, and has won the Academy Award twice for her screen adaptations, Howards End and A Room With A View. Her other literary works include The Householder, Nature of Passion, To Whom She Will, and Get Ready for the Battle. She is a naturalized citizen of the United States, and often stays in New Delhi too. She married Cyrus H. Jhabvala, and they have three daughters - Firoza, Ava, and Renana.