To gain an overview of the novel, I want to give a very short summary of each passage
Diary
2 February
· The narrator of the story describes her arrival in Bombay
· Conversation with an old woman, who tells her about her experiences in India and warns her about the dangers
16 February
· The narrator rents a small room in Satipur
· It is sub-let by a government officer called Inder Lal, who lives with his mother, his wife and his three children there
· First informations about Olivia and hers and Douglas’ house, which houses official institutions now
20 February
· The narrator visits Inder Lal’s family
24 February
· The narrator and Inder Lal visit the Nawabs empty palace
· Inder Lal tells something about his life
· They are also visiting a small Hindu shrine
1923
· Olivia and Douglas meet the Nawab at a Dinner party
· They get to know Harry
· Some days later, the Nawab and Harry visit Olivia
· The Nawab invites Olivia and Douglas to a dinner, but Douglas declines the invitation
· Olivia is very sad about it
Diary
28 February
· The narrator talks to three other British, a couple and an ascetic, infront of the Saunders’ house, where they want to stay the night
· They talk about their positive and negative experiences in India, illnesses for example
· Later, they enter the Saunders’ house, which seems bleak and gloomy
1923
· Olivia thinks of the Saunders, whose Baby died
· She is afraid to get pregnant and loose her baby, too
· She is also afraid of her and Douglas dying in India
· Later, Olivia visits Mrs. Saunders
· They are talking about her illness and the bad habits of her servants
· Mrs. Saunders also tell, that she had asked her husband to leave India, but he didn’t want to
· After that, Olivia and Beth Crawford visit the Nawabs mother
· Beth, who speaks Urdu, entertains the party, while Olivia feels like an outsider
· Afterwards, Beth and Olivia visit Mary Minnies, another British woman
· She and Beth are best friends and again, Olivia feels like an outsider
· They are talking about their stay in Simla during the summer and about the Nawab and his wife Sandy
· Some days later, Harry, who had become a good friend of Olivia, visits her
· They are talking about the Nawab and his wife, who is mentally ill and whose family is much more powerful and rich than the Nawabs family
· They are also talking about the party, the Nawab wants to invite Douglas and Olivia to, and Harrys relationship to the Nawab
· The next passage treats some local, rich men, who are visiting Douglas
· Douglas speaks ill of them infront of Olivia and calls them “rogues” for example
· Olivia and Douglas are also quarreling about Simla, because Olivia doesn’t want to go there without Douglas
