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Olivia in India
Olivia in India follows the adventures of the titular character as she navigates the cities and countryside of India in the early 20th century.
The entire book is written as letters from Olivia, wherein she recounts the various events of the preceding days and weeks. Her account is generally happy and reflective, although descriptions of the adversities native to travel prior to electricity or aircraft are eye-opening, as are the dialogues Olivia has with various people she encounters along her way.
Olivia visits the city of Calcutta at a time when the Indian subcontinent was a colonial holding of the British Empire, beholding the bustle of city life and perusing its myriad sights. We receive a vivid portrait of the sights and sounds of India as a pre-industrial nation under colonial rule, and how the occupiers and natives would behave.
A fascinating chronicle of a world which has since dissipated beneath successive waves of modernisation, Olivia in India has received criticism for its overly pleasant depiction of a society which was in actuality characterised by British oppression and profiteering. However, supporters of the book note its generally realistic descriptions, and its evocative style.
The entire book is written as letters from Olivia, wherein she recounts the various events of the preceding days and weeks. Her account is generally happy and reflective, although descriptions of the adversities native to travel prior to electricity or aircraft are eye-opening, as are the dialogues Olivia has with various people she encounters along her way.
Olivia visits the city of Calcutta at a time when the Indian subcontinent was a colonial holding of the British Empire, beholding the bustle of city life and perusing its myriad sights. We receive a vivid portrait of the sights and sounds of India as a pre-industrial nation under colonial rule, and how the occupiers and natives would behave.
A fascinating chronicle of a world which has since dissipated beneath successive waves of modernisation, Olivia in India has received criticism for its overly pleasant depiction of a society which was in actuality characterised by British oppression and profiteering. However, supporters of the book note its generally realistic descriptions, and its evocative style.
254 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1912
About the author
O. Douglas
53 books80 followersBorn Anna Masterton Buchan, younger sister to the statesman & prolific novelist John Buchan. She began writing in 1911, and published 12 novels and a personal memoir of her brother before her death. Her novels are humorous domestic fiction, focusing on the lives of families in Scotland. Her autobiography was published posthumously, in 1960.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
March 7, 2018
Really enjoyed this book by a new to me author. A hilarious travel memoir written in the epistolary format, both of which are favourite writing devices of mine. I’m sad to say, that O. Douglas (Anna Buchan) is a forgotten author, who deserves more recognition then she has received.
This novel, I believe was somewhat autobiographical, but her others novels (15 in total) tend to be set in Scotland. Like many of her contemporary middlebrow authors - not a lot happens in her novels, but they’re beautifully written and this one in particular was quite funny! I absolutely adored Olivia, and found her observations and way of putting them to paper quite endearing.
Olivia’s travels through India, whilst visiting her brother, are filled with rich descriptions of the landscape and people and make the reader long for their own exotic adventure. Some of the descriptions and adventures reminded me quite a bit of Rudyard Kipling’s writings.
I understand that Douglas’ novels are quite difficult to find, although I was able to find a few free ebooks in the public domain (check Amazon Kindle). Greyladies Publishing has also reprinted a few of her books recently, but they too are a bit hard to find. I’ll be on the lookout for both the vintage and the reprints, since O. Douglas has quickly become a favourite of mine.
This novel, I believe was somewhat autobiographical, but her others novels (15 in total) tend to be set in Scotland. Like many of her contemporary middlebrow authors - not a lot happens in her novels, but they’re beautifully written and this one in particular was quite funny! I absolutely adored Olivia, and found her observations and way of putting them to paper quite endearing.
Olivia’s travels through India, whilst visiting her brother, are filled with rich descriptions of the landscape and people and make the reader long for their own exotic adventure. Some of the descriptions and adventures reminded me quite a bit of Rudyard Kipling’s writings.
I understand that Douglas’ novels are quite difficult to find, although I was able to find a few free ebooks in the public domain (check Amazon Kindle). Greyladies Publishing has also reprinted a few of her books recently, but they too are a bit hard to find. I’ll be on the lookout for both the vintage and the reprints, since O. Douglas has quickly become a favourite of mine.
January 30, 2022
Olivia by O. Douglas is a story written in epistolary style. The story is simply that of a young woman's visit to her brother stationed in India at the turn of the 20th century, shared through letters home to someone whose significance grows throughout the story. I did wish at time that I could have read the letters from her correspondent. The story was interesting with a number of funny occurrences weaved in, but it is also a product of its time and should be read as such. This seems to be O. Douglas's least popular book, so I'm looking forward to reading some of her other work.
3.5 stars
3.5 stars
November 9, 2026
Another comforting and cozy O. Douglas novel! I spent half the time reading this slim little Nelson edition and the other half bookmarking favorite passages...lol!
WHAT I LOVED:
💙 Epistolary format—the letters from Olivia to her friend are addicting!
💙 Endless delectable and thrilling descriptions about surroundings, food and people
💙 Hilarious moments that made me laugh out loud (aka Mr. Bathboth who smoked, swore, and put his fingers in his nose!)
💙 Getting a tiny taste of India at that time
💙 Friendships, lovely writing and an all-around feeling of safety and goodwill
A FEW OF MY FAVORITE PASSAGES:
"...a fountain-pen is really a great comfort. I am writing with my new one, so this letter won't, I hope, be such a puzzle to decipher as my pencil scrawl."
"It is 10 a.m. and we have just come up from breakfast, and have got our deck-chairs placed where they will catch every breeze (and some salt water), and, with a pile of books and two boxes of chocolate, are comfortably settled for the day."
"The shops were good, and full of interesting things, like small ivory elephants, silver ornaments, bangles, kimonos, and moonstones. We bought various things, and as we staggered with our purchases into the cabin, which now resembles nothing so much as an overcrowded pawnshop, Mrs. Murray remarked (we are on speaking terms again), 'I suppose you thought the cabin looked rather empty that you bought so much rubbish to fill it up.'"
"Mrs. Lister is quite a girl, and so good-looking and cheery. She has the prettiest house I think I ever saw. When we went to call the first time and were shown into the white-panelled drawing-room with its great open blue-tiled fireplace and cupboards of blue china, I suppose it was a contrast with our own rather sordid surroundings, but it seemed to me like fairyland."
Many thanks to Arpita (@bagfullofbooks on Insta) for hosting this Olivia in India readalong for November! She is the book friend who introduced me to the wonderful O. Douglas world and I'll always be so grateful!
Highly recommended! I can't wait to read more O. Douglas...they're such gems!
WHAT I LOVED:
💙 Epistolary format—the letters from Olivia to her friend are addicting!
💙 Endless delectable and thrilling descriptions about surroundings, food and people
💙 Hilarious moments that made me laugh out loud (aka Mr. Bathboth who smoked, swore, and put his fingers in his nose!)
💙 Getting a tiny taste of India at that time
💙 Friendships, lovely writing and an all-around feeling of safety and goodwill
A FEW OF MY FAVORITE PASSAGES:
"...a fountain-pen is really a great comfort. I am writing with my new one, so this letter won't, I hope, be such a puzzle to decipher as my pencil scrawl."
"It is 10 a.m. and we have just come up from breakfast, and have got our deck-chairs placed where they will catch every breeze (and some salt water), and, with a pile of books and two boxes of chocolate, are comfortably settled for the day."
"The shops were good, and full of interesting things, like small ivory elephants, silver ornaments, bangles, kimonos, and moonstones. We bought various things, and as we staggered with our purchases into the cabin, which now resembles nothing so much as an overcrowded pawnshop, Mrs. Murray remarked (we are on speaking terms again), 'I suppose you thought the cabin looked rather empty that you bought so much rubbish to fill it up.'"
"Mrs. Lister is quite a girl, and so good-looking and cheery. She has the prettiest house I think I ever saw. When we went to call the first time and were shown into the white-panelled drawing-room with its great open blue-tiled fireplace and cupboards of blue china, I suppose it was a contrast with our own rather sordid surroundings, but it seemed to me like fairyland."
Many thanks to Arpita (@bagfullofbooks on Insta) for hosting this Olivia in India readalong for November! She is the book friend who introduced me to the wonderful O. Douglas world and I'll always be so grateful!
Highly recommended! I can't wait to read more O. Douglas...they're such gems!
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November 5, 2025I’ve enjoyed O. Douglas before but I cannot tell a lie and say I enjoyed this one.
January 21, 2013
This novel by O Douglas (the pen name of Anna Buchan, sister of John Buchan) takes the form of letters from Olivia, a young woman visiting her brother in colonial India, to a person only named at the end of the novel. I couldn't quite decide if O Douglas' intention is to satirise the colonialist attitudes of the narrator (who although stating that "People interest me more than places" seems to hold rather a dim view of many of her fellow human beings) or whether these views actually represent those of O Douglas herself. I suspect the latter as "Olivia in India" mirrors a visit O Douglas made herself to her brother in India. Although I found many of the descriptions of life in colonial India interesting I really couldn't warm to a character who couldn't be bothered to learn how to pronounce the name of her Indian maid (and so called her Bella instead) or who expresses patronizing views such as the very poor are "vastly entertaining" but the not-very-rich are "deadly dull people, with awkward unlovable manners whom no-one cares very much to visit or to ask to things". At this point, I had wholeheartedly agree with the narrator's observation that "I am beginning to wonder if I really am as nice as I thought I was". Many of the attitudes expressed in the novel were probably perfectly acceptable at the time but now grate, e.g. references to "coolies", "the fat babu" and the like. However, in the final letters from Olivia to her correspondent before she returns home there were glimmers of a nicer person. I probably wouldn't have read this novel but for O Douglas' connection with John Buchan but it was interesting and well-written.
October 13, 2008
Anna Buchan's first novel is told through the letters of a young woman visiting her brother, a British civil servant in India. The colonialism is what it is; Buchan takes it for granted, but at least she's never cruel, and the narrative voice is charming. The letters are sometimes a bit forced, but as Buchan based the novel on her own experiences visiting her brother William, it's hard for me to feel too critical of the style of the writing; presumably here actual letters home were something like that?
It gets five stars because it's charming, cozy, and not a hard read at all. A good book from a cup of tea and a fuzzy blanket.
It gets five stars because it's charming, cozy, and not a hard read at all. A good book from a cup of tea and a fuzzy blanket.
April 13, 2020
I live the prose the humour and lightness but because this is a series of letters and there is no particular purpose or end goal to the book, I very much wander away and have not gone back since. Still it's a delightful read very much something to dawdle in on a lazy warm day.
September 17, 2018
Olivia, a young Scotswoman, takes a trip to India to visit her brother, who is a civil servant. This epistolary novel follows Olivia's ocean voyage to India, her stay in Calcutta, and her visits to outlying posts. The style is breezy and charming, and the reader gets to know the characters of Olivia and her brother well. The author is quite good at fleshing out minor characters as well, and as a character study, the book is entertaining. However, there is very little plot to the book; it's main purpose seems to be not to tell a story as to acquaint British readers with the wonders of India, which she does do well. This lack of plot, though, severely detracts from the novel, making it only an average read.
April 4, 2015
Thrifty Scots author turns her letters home from India into 'novel.' Could have been much better...but after a little research I find that this was her first book, and therefore deserves a little more than faint praise - it certainly foreshadows what was to come.
December 27, 2025
O Douglas was the pen name of Anna Buchan, sister of John. She published ten or so popularly successful novels over her career.
Olivia, her first novel, is the tale of the eponymous narrator’s trip to India to visit a brother called Boggley. It is written, initially in a self-deprecating tone, in the form of letters to a male friend, Arthur, back home.
It is at least semi auto-biographical. “Douglas” visited India herself in 1907 and in Olivia she mentions a brother, John, whose writing has been well-received and asks, “Other members of the family can write, why not I?” (In the novel, Olivia conceives the idea of writing a book about the Mutiny. I don’t think “Douglas” ever did write that though.)
On the boat over Olivia meets a young woman, Geraldine, swiftly dubbed G, and they become firm friends, their paths criss-crossing through the text from time to time.
There is little plot here - Olivia is not concerned about the time-honoured custom of women going to India to find themselves a husband. It is more an account of experiences with a few insights thrown in. Of the characters of the mem-sahibs she says, “the women who are pure gold grow more charming, but the pinchbeck wears off pretty soon” and finds the desire for one-upmanship of the colonialists unseemly.
There is also a slight dig to Arthur about the urge to explore. “Men at times hear the Red Gods call them (women hear them too, you know, only they have more self-control.)”
As is to be expected of a novel now 110 years old it does display the attitudes of its time.
Olivia, her first novel, is the tale of the eponymous narrator’s trip to India to visit a brother called Boggley. It is written, initially in a self-deprecating tone, in the form of letters to a male friend, Arthur, back home.
It is at least semi auto-biographical. “Douglas” visited India herself in 1907 and in Olivia she mentions a brother, John, whose writing has been well-received and asks, “Other members of the family can write, why not I?” (In the novel, Olivia conceives the idea of writing a book about the Mutiny. I don’t think “Douglas” ever did write that though.)
On the boat over Olivia meets a young woman, Geraldine, swiftly dubbed G, and they become firm friends, their paths criss-crossing through the text from time to time.
There is little plot here - Olivia is not concerned about the time-honoured custom of women going to India to find themselves a husband. It is more an account of experiences with a few insights thrown in. Of the characters of the mem-sahibs she says, “the women who are pure gold grow more charming, but the pinchbeck wears off pretty soon” and finds the desire for one-upmanship of the colonialists unseemly.
There is also a slight dig to Arthur about the urge to explore. “Men at times hear the Red Gods call them (women hear them too, you know, only they have more self-control.)”
As is to be expected of a novel now 110 years old it does display the attitudes of its time.
March 27, 2022
O. Douglas is the pseudonym of Anna Buchan, sister of the author/statesman John Buchan who wrote The Thirty-Nine Steps. The book follows Olivia as she sails to and travels through India in the early twentieth century. She writes letter-like entries in a diary about the odd people she meets onboard the S.S. Scotia and then includes the doings of Boggley her “chaperone” and the idiosyncrasies of the servants and helpmeets she runs into in Calcutta and elsewhere in the country and those of her cabin-mate and friend Geraldine Hilton whom she calls G. Generally, her observations are happy and open-minded and she learns and shares a bit of Hindustani, but traveling so early in the century, before electricity, does lead to some harrowing experiences. I say she offers lighthearted observations overall, but we do get a sense of the oppressive colonialism practiced by England at that time, and how the natives are subjugated. She is frequently referred to as Miss Sahib and they do bow and scrape more than seems necessary. It’s a picture of a lost world, to which Olivia often appears slightly oblivious. Many claim the descriptions are realistic for the times and find the book evocative. It is certainly well-worth a read to get a feel for the period in exotic locales and the Kindle version is affordably priced.
September 21, 2024
🖍️ This book, being my first exposure to authoress O Douglas, turned out to be a pleasant experience. Told in the the first person, Olivia is on a ship heading towards India – and during the voyage and stops along the way, she writes letters back home, talking about people, places, and things she experienced along the way. The descriptions in her letters are detailed, and at times I was happy at how detailed the smallest occurrences are of which she wrote. Overall, the story comes across as chatty (sometimes I wished Olivia would have come up for air), yet it was interesting enough for me to continue and finish reading Olivia in India. I plan on reading more of O Douglas’ works; she is a what I would call "a comfortable writer."
📙Published in 1912.
*•̩̩͙ *How I came across this book: I saw another reader on Goodreads read it, and the book looked interesting enough for me.
જ⁀➴🟢The e-book version of Olivia in India can be found at Project Gutenberg.
✴︎⋆✴︎⋆✴︎⋆✴︎
📙Published in 1912.
*•̩̩͙ *How I came across this book: I saw another reader on Goodreads read it, and the book looked interesting enough for me.
જ⁀➴🟢The e-book version of Olivia in India can be found at Project Gutenberg.
✴︎⋆✴︎⋆✴︎⋆✴︎
August 5, 2019
A short epistolary novel about a young girl in her early twenties travelling to India. The letters are gaily written and offer amusing anecdotes about the journey, the people she meets, and impressions of India on a girl who has barely left the UK before. But there is no overarching plot as such. I had expected that the young man she wrote to would meet someone else, or that she might have a romantic adventure, either of which might be the catalyst for soul searching, personal growth or at least a conversion to missionary work. But nothing dynamic emerged, no-one learned much or changed into a better person and she simply returned to England after a few months of travel in India and picking up a few words of Hindustani.
As a first novel, it shows promise of better things to come and the prose style is charmingly chatty and engaging.
As a first novel, it shows promise of better things to come and the prose style is charmingly chatty and engaging.
September 28, 2025
I first heard of O.Douglas through the Furrowed Middlebrow website and her books are often compared to those old DE Stevenson.
Olivia in India was her first published book in 1912 but probably set much earlier as it earlier as it is based her own tour of India to visit her brother who was working in India.
Not a novel as such , no plot and written in the first person as letters home to an unnamed man , whom I assumed was her ‘intended’ even though they were not engaged.
The book is a travelogue and is obviously of her time and class which modern readers might find difficult at times but it should be read for what it is , i.e. a record of a young English ( or Scots) lady visiting her brother in the Indian Civil Service and her particular experiences of her visit.
Olivia in India was her first published book in 1912 but probably set much earlier as it earlier as it is based her own tour of India to visit her brother who was working in India.
Not a novel as such , no plot and written in the first person as letters home to an unnamed man , whom I assumed was her ‘intended’ even though they were not engaged.
The book is a travelogue and is obviously of her time and class which modern readers might find difficult at times but it should be read for what it is , i.e. a record of a young English ( or Scots) lady visiting her brother in the Indian Civil Service and her particular experiences of her visit.
September 15, 2026
This is one of O. Douglas's (Anna Buchan) first books, published in 1912. It's an entertaining, semi autobiographical account of the author's voyage to India at age 26 for a "cold weather"; a visit of several months to family and friends during India's cold season. She is visiting her favorite brother who is in the British Civil Service in Calcutta, but ends up traveling with him for his work. They rough it all over the countryside, camping in huts and tents and ramshackle bungalows, meeting all sorts of interesting Indians, and British people, and having adventures. O. Douglas writes real characters that you just know she met in real life. She does cozy very well, in India as well as Scotland. I read this book 3 years ago and I enjoyed it even more this time around. Maybe because I have been reading Things As They Are, Amy Carmichael's account of her first years as a missionary in India during that same time. It's interesting to see the country and people through the eyes of two different Christian women of that time, one Irish, one Scottish.
October 26, 2026
Is this a real memoir disguised as fiction? I have read too many books by O. Douglas, aka Anna Buchan, not to ask this question. Olivia tells the tale of traveling to India to visit her brother, who works for the British government. The reader gets a pretty realistic view of life in India during the Raj. Some readers criticize the book for that reason, but I think it is interesting to see what life was like for everyone during that time. How arrogant of England to think they should take over a sovereign state and run it! Olivia was always worried about mutiny while she was there. It was no wonder, considering how the British seemed to run roughshod over the native Indians. What an adventure Olivia had! I am glad she shared.
October 31, 2021
This book is such a conundrum. I love the author’s writing style, which is very much in the vein of D.E. Stevenson. 90% of the book is full of that sweet cozy style of domestic fiction, where not a lot happens and we read about daily life. But it’s also a book in which an Anglo-English author travels to colonial India, describing it all with the racial prejudices of her time. Depictions of “natives” and interactions with servants are at best cringe-worthy and at worst flat-out racist.
I’m looking forward to reading this author’s non-colonial novels. While one can’t blame her for being a creature of her time, parts of this novel are still quite jarring.
I’m looking forward to reading this author’s non-colonial novels. While one can’t blame her for being a creature of her time, parts of this novel are still quite jarring.
June 12, 2025
A young woman visiting India writes long, chatty letters home to a young man (presumably - but we learn very little about him). I found this tedious and patronising, but I can see how it would have appealed to British readers at the time (1912). I have read too much O. Douglas lately, and that will be the last. I liked Penny Plain best.
April 28, 2022
What an interesting look at the colonial India era. It is hard to imagine that this is the way things were just over 100 years ago. The book was written as the author writing letters to a dear friend. I would have loved more descriptions of India but it was from the view of a young girl going on a world tour so socializing was a part of it. Now I want to read more about this era.
February 14, 2026
With novels often depending on drastic, dastardly, violent or life threatening complications to keep readers enthralled, it was such a delight to read this quiet, gentle book full of normal, everyday characters experiencing normal, everyday events and problems that are easy to relate to. Such a soothing balm for the soul.
February 12, 2022
I think I expected this to me of a story, but it turned out to me more like a really detailed journal based on actual events. Still very descriptive and a fun narrator. I enjoyed the unique perspective of the time and place and I always enjoy O. Douglas, but this was not my favorite of her books
January 9, 2023
An epistolory novel; letters from Olivia on the ship to India and on her adventures in India, still under British rule. The author also travelled to India, in 1905 to visit her younger brother, as Olivia does in this book. An interesting piece of 'time travel' for the modern reader.
July 16, 2020
3.5 stars
This is very charming and funny. I love epistolary novels.
This is very charming and funny. I love epistolary novels.
August 23, 2025
Enjoyable.
February 21, 2026
Olivia took me on such an adventure through India through her lovely letters. She built friendships and learned about different cultures in India. O. Douglas with a fantastic epistolary novel!
July 3, 2026
Interesting look at life in India under the British, through the eyes of the author as a young woman.
July 20, 2026
This was a delightfully, fun read.
August 1, 2026
I really wanted to like this book. But it’s just too steeped in colonial mentality with a dash of antisemitism.
July 12, 2012
Life is too short to read books you don't like, and for some reason, I just don't like "Olivia in India." I'm about halfway through, and I'm not going to finish it. It's well written and has some really funny lines, but there's no plot. It's just Olivia's trip to India. I'm not a fan of epistolary novels, but I could put up with the format if there was a story or a romance. There just doesn't appear to be, or at least, not enough of one to make me keep reading.
January 8, 2015
This book was okay, but not nearly as nice as Buchan's other novels such as Penny Plain and The Setons.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews