The Inheritance of Loss

When Sai, his orphaned granddaughter, shows up on his doorstep, the disgruntled judge, who just wants to retire in peace, finds himself living in a dilapidated and remote home at the base of Mount Kanchenjunga in the Himalayas. Because he is often thinking about his son Biju, who is hopping from one grungy New York eatery to another, the judge's chef keeps a distracted eye on her. The wonderful book by Kiran Desai, which was well praised upon release, is a tale of hope and sorrow. Her characters are presented with a number of decisions that masterfully show the fallout from colonialism's collision with the contemporary day.