The narrator introduces herself as the granddaughter of Tessi and Douglas, whom she just hardly remembers. Tessie, her sister Beth and Douglas all had lived in India for a couple of years, Douglas firstly with his first wife Olivia, of whom Tessi and Beth never spoke when they had returned to England later. After a long time, when they were all quite old, some letters appeared, letters from Olivia to Marcia, who had been in touch with Harry and gave them to him. That is how the narrator got them and therefore got to know about Olivia. She decided to travel to India to retrace the steps of Olivia and her grandfather Douglas. She brought the letters with her and besides started a journal to make a note of her impressions of India
